Construction & Inventory: What May's Housing Data Means for Bergen & Hudson County Sellers
Housing starts fell to the lowest level since May 2020, while Northeast pending sales posted the strongest regional gains in the country. Here's how these two signals shape pricing strategy for sellers in Northern New Jersey.
Last updated: June 24, 2026
Two housing reports landed this month, and they tell the same story from different angles: new construction is slowing down, and buyer demand in the Northeast is running hotter than anywhere else in the country. For Bergen County and Hudson County sellers, that combination is the strongest argument against lowball offers you'll find in the data right now.
Construction & Inventory
May housing starts dropped 15.4% month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.177 million — the lowest level since May 2020, according to Realtor.com via the National Association of Home Builders.
Single-Family
882K
Down 1.9% MoM
Multifamily
284K
Down 41.6% MoM — lowest since Nov 2024
Single-family homes under construction currently sit at 587,000, down 5.9% year-over-year. This marks the second consecutive month of construction weakness.
What does this mean for established neighborhoods? When the pipeline for new supply slows, existing homes in desirable communities like Edgewater, Fort Lee, Tenafly, and Englewood become more competitive. Buyers who might have waited for new construction increasingly turn to resale inventory — and that supports stronger pricing for move-in-ready homes.
Listings & Pending Sales
On the demand side, active inventory nationally is up 2.0% year-over-year (Realtor.com), but the real story is in the pending sales data.
Pending Home Sales — May 2026 (NAR)
For Bergen and Hudson County sellers working through pricing strategy, the Northeast's buyer-demand surge is the single strongest piece of evidence to push back on lowball offers. Buyers are active, they're moving, and the region is leading the country in momentum. If you're listing this summer, the data supports pricing confidently.
New construction is slowing, and Northeast buyer demand is the strongest in the country. For Bergen & Hudson County sellers, the data supports confident pricing.
If you're considering selling your Northern NJ home, these numbers reinforce that the market is working in your favor — as long as your strategy is informed by regional data and not just national averages.
Why This Matters for NJ-to-FL Relocators
This data doesn't just matter for sellers — it matters for anyone timing a move from Northern New Jersey to South Florida. A strong resale market in Bergen County means your NJ home will likely sell faster and at a better price, giving you more clarity on your Florida purchase. The same construction slowdown that helps your NJ listing price also signals that Florida's new-build inventory may tighten in the months ahead.
Whether you're selling in Fort Lee or buying in Boca Raton, the takeaway is the same: the window for action is favorable, and the numbers back it up.
Want to Talk Strategy?
A quick call can clarify how these data points affect your NJ-to-FL timeline and pricing.
By Scott Selleck | The Selleck Group | 32+ Years of Northern NJ Expertise
Licensed in NJ & FL · KW City Views Realty · (201) 970-3960