If You Gave Up on Your Home Search Last Year, This Spring Is Worth Another Look.

Did you try to buy a home in 2025 and eventually just... stop?

You're not alone. According to a recent NerdWallet survey, the two biggest reasons buyers paused their search last year were the same frustrations playing on repeat: not being able to find a home that fit their needs — and not being able to afford the ones they actually liked.

If that was you, here's what you need to know heading into this spring: the market just shifted in your favor in a meaningful way.

Nearly Twice as Many Fresh Listings Are Hitting the Market Right Now

According to Realtor.com data, there are nearly 2x as many new listings hitting the market today compared to just three months ago.

And this isn't just the typical seasonal uptick — it's bigger than normal. As Realtor.com Senior Economist Jake Krimmel explains, new listings jumped 21.2% from February to 439,000 — exceeding the typical March increase of around 18% that the market has averaged since 2017.

More sellers are coming off the sidelines. More homes are hitting the market fresh. And for buyers who felt like they'd already seen everything available and none of it worked — that changes things.

This Is Happening Across the Country — Including SoCal

The surge in new listings isn't concentrated in one region. It's playing out broadly across most of the country.

Earlier this year, the Northeast was lagging because winter storms pushed sellers' timelines back. That inventory is now coming to market — adding further fuel to an already stronger-than-typical spring surge.

For buyers in Rancho Cucamonga and the Inland Empire, more listings mean more opportunities to find the right home at the right price point without the frantic, blink-and-you'll-miss-it pace of 2021 and 2022. You have actual time to evaluate your options.

In Pasadena and LA County, new listings give buyers who've been recycling through the same stale inventory something genuinely fresh to look at — including homes from sellers who finally feel comfortable entering the market after sitting out the past few years.

Almost a Million Homes Are Currently for Sale Nationally

Here's the bigger picture: there are now nearly one million homes for sale nationwide — up over 8% compared to last year.

That's not just a stat. That's real, tangible choice for buyers who previously felt like they had almost no options.

As First American Deputy Chief Economist Odeta Kushi puts it, the improvement in for-sale inventory heading into this spring buying season is one of the most encouraging signals for buyers. More homes on the market give buyers greater choice — and combined with improved buying power, expand the range of homes they can realistically consider.

In other words, your search in 2026 may feel completely different from your search in 2025. Not because you changed — because the market did.

What This Means If You're Ready to Jump Back In

More inventory doesn't just mean more options. It means:

Less pressure to make rushed decisions on homes that don't fully work

More negotiating room as sellers compete for a larger pool of active buyers

A better chance of finding something that actually checks your boxes — not just most of them

The buyers who paused their search last year because nothing fit and nothing was affordable were making a rational decision based on real market conditions. Those conditions have shifted. And sitting out this spring means waiting another year while the buyers who recognize the shift get ahead of you..

Bold LA Key Takeaway

The inventory drought that defined the last few years is easing — and this spring is producing more fresh listings than we've seen in a long time. If you stepped away from your home search because the options weren't there, they're starting to show up now.

This is the moment to take another look.

Let's pull up what's just hit the market in your target area and see what's out there. You might be surprised by what's available that wasn't there six months ago.

That wraps up today's blog — appreciate you stopping by. And as always, if you want it to sell, call Terrell… and if you want to buy, I'm still the guy.