36 States Still Can’t Find Housing Inventory Here’s Why | March 5, 2026

On today’s Hot Sheet, Byron Lazine broke down Cotality’s latest Home Price Insights showing U.S. home price growth slowed to just 0.7% year over year in January, one of the weakest appreciation rates in recent history.

He also unpacked Mike Simonsen’s HousingWire analysis revealing a dramatic regional inventory divide, with Texas listings up about 400% from pandemic lows while markets like Chicago and Connecticut still have roughly 70% fewer homes than in 2019.

To wrap up, Byron reviewed the latest U.S. Department of Labor report, with initial claims at 213,000 and the insured unemployment rate holding steady at 1.2%.