Why 113,000 Brand-New Homes Are Sitting Unsold (2026 Data)

About 113,000 brand-new American homes are finished, for sale, and still have no buyer, according to the Census Bureau (August 2026, seasonally adjusted). In early 2022 that number was about 31,000. It peaked at 128,000 last January, the most since 2009, and it is now shrinking as builders cut prices. We count down the 10 metro areas where builders advertise the most incentives, from Boise to Columbus, Ohio, where more than 7 in 10 new-home listings offered a deal. Then we cover five reasons behind the unsold homes, why this is not 2008, and a buyer's checklist for new construction. Chapters 0:00 113,000 finished homes, no buyer 1:09 How we measure 2:16 Why now: 7.4% mortgage rates 2:51 The pile is already shrinking 3:12 #10 Boise 3:38 #9 San Antonio 4:11 #8 Fort Collins 4:28 #7 Denver 4:54 #6 Charlotte 5:17 #5 Atlanta 5:48 #4 Sherman, TX 6:02 #3 Durham 6:30 #2 Colorado Springs 6:51 #1 Columbus, OH 7:49 Why: rates and spec homes 8:29 Why: Sun Belt, resale, buyers 9:30 What builders are doing 10:27 This is not 2008 11:57 The new-home buyer playbook 13:44 Before you go Sources (checked Oct 23, 2026) U.S. Census Bureau: New Residential Sales, Aug 2026 (Sep 24); Building Permits, Jan–Aug 2026 Realtor.com builder incentives by metro, Aug 2026 (Sep 15); New-Construction Insights Q2 2026 NAHB/Wells Fargo HMI, Oct 2026; Freddie Mac PMMS, Oct 22, 2026; NAR; Zillow; Redfin ICE Mortgage Monitor, Oct 2026; Zonda, Sept 2026; builder filings; NY Fed, Q2 2026; CFPB; Fannie Mae Stock footage and photos: Pixabay (Pixabay Content License). Charts and number cards are our own. For information and education only. Figures change; the Census numbers were the latest available when we made this. Not financial or real estate advice. The narration is an AI voice, and the graphics were made with AI tools. #RealEstate #HousingMarket #NewConstruction #HomeBuilders #HousingMarket2026