After years of it feeling nearly impossible to find a home you truly love, things are finally shifting—and for the better. Across the country, housing inventory is growing, and that means more opportunities for buyers ready to make a move.

Here in North County, San Diego, we’re seeing that change start to take shape—but keep in mind, the pace of growth can vary neighborhood by neighborhood. That’s where the local expertise of a Shafran Realty Group agent makes all the difference.

We know the pockets where inventory is heating up, and we’re here to help you navigate the options with confidence.

Here’s a quick rundown of the current inventory situation, so you know what’s happening and what to expect.

Significant Growth Across the Nation

Nationally, the number of homes for sale is rising – and that’s true in all regions of the country. That’s shown in this data from Realtor.com. In each of the four regions, inventory is up at least 19% compared to the same time last year. In the West, it’s actually up almost 41% year-over-year (see graph below):

There are two main reasons for this increase:

• More sellers are listing their homes. Many homeowners have been waiting for mortgage rates to drop before making a move. Now, some have decided they can’t wait any longer. May had more new listings than any May in the past three years.
• Homes are taking longer to sell. That means listings are staying on the market longer, which increases the total number of homes available. In May, the typical home took 51 days to sell – much closer to what’s more typical for the market.

More homes for sale helps the market become more balanced. For the past few years, sellers have had the upper hand. Now, things are shifting. Nationally, it’s not a full-on buyer’s market yet, but it’s heading toward a healthier place, especially for homebuyers. Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at Realtor.com, explains:

“The number of homes for sale is rising in many markets, giving shoppers more choices than they’ve had in years . . . the market is starting to rebalance.”

How Much Growth We’ve Seen Varies by Area

But, how long it’s going to take to achieve true balance is going to vary by area. Some parts of the country are seeing inventory bounce all the way back to normal levels, while others haven’t grown quite that much yet.

Let’s take a look at another graph. This time, we’ll compare the current data (what you already saw) to the last normal years in the housing market (2017-2019).

In this comparison, the green shows which regions are back at more typical levels for inventory based on the growth we’ve seen lately. The red shows where things have improved, but are still well below the norm (see graph below):

Here’s what that means for you. Across the board, you have more options now than you would’ve just one year ago. And that’s a really good thing. More choices means it should be a bit easier to find a home you love.

Not all markets move at the same pace—and that’s where local insight matters.

At Shafran Realty Group, our agents know North County, San Diego inside and out. We’ll help you understand where inventory is growing, where it’s still tight, and how to tailor your search to what’s really happening.

Bottom Line

Inventory is improving, but how quickly things return to normal depends on where you’re looking—and here in North County, San Diego, we’re seeing some unique shifts.

At Shafran Realty Group, we’re keeping a close eye on the changes happening locally and what they mean for buyers right now. Let’s talk about what’s happening in the market and how it could impact your next move.