If buying a home is on your radar, you've probably been keeping an eye on mortgage rates and home prices. But don’t forget about homeowners insurance.Homeowners insurance has always been part
Inventory Is Making a Comeback in 2026
Dated: February 12 2026
Views: 6
After a long stretch where buyers were competing for too few homes, inventory has made a comeback over the past year. And depending on where you live, that’s opening up your options in a meaningful way.
According to Realtor.com, the number of homes available for sale in January was the highest it’s been since 2020. Here’s why that’s such a big deal. Getting back to pre-pandemic levels signals a slow and steady return to what’s typical:
Now, it’s worth noting, nationally we’re not there yet – and having more inventory improving won’t suddenly “fix” the market. But the growth we’ve seen lately still changes how competitive the market feels.
- When there are more homes for sale, buyers gain time, options, and leverage.
- When there aren’t, the pressure ramps up quickly.
In the years since 2020, there weren’t enough homes for sale, and that made the market feel different. Rushed. Stressful. Intimidating.
But now it’s finally getting better.
A Growing Portion of the Country Is Getting Back to Normal
Depending on where you live, inventory growth is going to vary. Some places are bouncing back faster than others. According to Lance Lambert, Co-Founder of ResiClub, in January 2025, just a little over one year ago, only 41 of the 200 largest metros were back to normal inventory-wise.
But around the end of year, almost half (90) of the largest 200 metro areas were back at or above typical levels. That’s a big improvement in roughly a year. And it’s not done yet.
Inventory Is Expected To Keep Growing
Looking ahead, forecasts suggest the number of homes for sale could rise another 10% this year, which means even more markets should join the list of places where supply has rebounded.
Here’s a graph that shows what an extra 10% would do for the market this year. You can see that projected growth (shown in the dotted line) hits inventory levels seen in 2017-2019 by roughly this fall (the gray lines). That means we may reach normal by end of year, nationally:
And that changes your home search in a good way. As Hannah Jones, Senior Economic Research Analyst at Realtor.com, puts it:
. . . housing market conditions are gradually rebalancing after several years of extreme seller advantage. Buyers are beginning to see more options and modest negotiating power as inventory improves . . .
In other words, the market is starting to work with buyers again — not against them.
Bottom Line
Inventory isn’t fully back to normal everywhere. But it’s moving in the right direction. And, in some areas, it’s already there.
If you’ve been waiting for a moment when you have options and a little breathing room, this is the strongest setup buyers have seen in a long time.
If you want to know what’s happening in our local market, let’s talk.
Rosita Isales
Rosie Isales has been active in her real community for 25 years and is excited to turn that community focus toward real estate. With a passion for service in the Jersey Shore area, Rosie is ready to ....
Latest Blog Posts
After more than a year of headlines talking about how home prices are going to crash, the latest data shows that price growth may be starting to pick back up again. And depending on whether you;
If you own a luxury house, you're in a stronger spot than most sellers right now. While much of the market has cooled, the high-end tier hasn't. Sale prices and buyer demand are both up. So if you
Remember how exciting it was to buy your first place? It felt like crossing a long-awaited finish line. It gave you a place to build your life. Maybe it’s where you lived when you got married.
The data relating to real estate for sale on this website comes in part from the IDX Program of Garden State Multiple Listing Service, L.L.C. and The Coyle Team. Real estate listings held by other brokerage firms are marked as IDX listing. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Copyright © 2026 Garden State Multiple Listing Service, L.L.C. All rights reserved. This information is being provided for Consumer's personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than
The data relating to real estate for sale on this web-site comes in part from the Internet Listing Display database of the ALL JERSEY MULTIPLE LISTING SYSTEM, INC. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than this site-owner are marked with the ILD logo. The ALL JERSEY MULTIPLE LISTING SYSTEM, INC. does not warrant the accuracy, quality, reliability, suitability, completeness, usefulness or effectiveness of any information provided.
The information being provided is for consumers' personal,
The data relating to real estate for sale or rent on this web site comes in part from the IDX program of the Hudson County MLS. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than The Coyle Team are marked with the HCIDX mark and the information about them includes the name of the listing broker. The information provided by this website is for the personal, non-commercial use of consumers and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested
All information is believed to be accurate but is not guaranteed. Protected by Copyright© 2026 and is owned either by the Monmouth County Association of REALTORS; or by the developers of the software, Kunversion, LLC. All rights reserved. Each office independently owned and operated.
The New Jersey Real Estate Commission requires every licensed broker or salesperson with whom you list your property to give you a copy of this notice. The purpose is to help you comply with the New Jersey Law
The data relating to the real estate for sale on this web site comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange Program of the NJMLS. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than The Coyle Team are marked with the Internet Data Exchange logo and information about them includes the name of the listing brokers. Some properties listed with the participating brokers do not appear on this website at the request of the seller. Listings of brokers that do not participate in Internet Data Exchange do not appear on this website. All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Last date updated: September 21, 2026 1:42 AM UTC Source: New Jersey Multiple Listing Service, Inc. "© 2026 New Jersey Multiple Listing Service, Inc. All rights reserved."
© BRIGHT, All Rights Reserved
