Short-Sale Inventory Is Rising: The Top 50 U.S. Counties to Watch in 2026

Short-Sale Inventory Is Rising: The Top 50 U.S. Counties to Watch in 2026

Short sales remain a small part of the overall housing market, but they are beginning to appear more frequently in several areas across the country.

For homeowners experiencing mortgage hardship, a short sale may provide an opportunity to sell their property for less than the remaining mortgage balance—with lender approval—and avoid completing a foreclosure.

For buyers and real estate investors, short-sale listings may create purchasing opportunities. However, these transactions often require additional documentation, experienced representation and patience while waiting for lender approval.

KW Default Solutions reviewed publicly displayed short-sale inventory across major U.S. counties. Here is our July 19, 2026 snapshot of the 50 counties displaying the most active short-sale listings.

Top 50 Counties for Active Short-Sale Listings
Maricopa County, Arizona — 212
Polk County, Florida — 194
Harris County, Texas — 154
Hillsborough County, Florida — 141
Miami-Dade County, Florida — 120
Clark County, Nevada — 120
Los Angeles County, California — 112
Cook County, Illinois — 106
Bexar County, Texas — 106
Lee County, Florida — 103
Broward County, Florida — 100
Pasco County, Florida — 89
Riverside County, California — 89
Pinal County, Arizona — 87
San Bernardino County, California — 87
Osceola County, Florida — 84
Duval County, Florida — 74
Orange County, Florida — 62
Fulton County, Georgia — 55
Volusia County, Florida — 51
Palm Beach County, Florida — 51
Prince George’s County, Maryland — 51
Williamson County, Texas — 50
Travis County, Texas — 48
Marion County, Florida — 48
Lake County, Florida — 45
Montgomery County, Texas — 45
St. Lucie County, Florida — 44
Charlotte County, Florida — 41
Pinellas County, Florida — 40
Manatee County, Florida — 40
Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania — 40
Pierce County, Washington — 39
Fort Bend County, Texas — 39
Adams County, Colorado — 39
DeKalb County, Georgia — 37
Cobb County, Georgia — 35
Brevard County, Florida — 34
Collier County, Florida — 34
San Diego County, California — 33
Sarasota County, Florida — 31
Baltimore County, Maryland — 31
Arapahoe County, Colorado — 30
Queens County, New York — 28
Denver County, Colorado — 28
Alameda County, California — 27
Sacramento County, California — 26
King County, Washington — 26
Suffolk County, New York — 26
Pima County, Arizona — 24
What Stands Out in the Data?
Florida Dominates the Ranking
Florida accounts for 18 of the 50 counties on this list.

Polk County ranks second nationally, while Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Lee and Broward counties all appear among the Top 11.

Rising insurance premiums, property taxes, association expenses and weakening values in some areas may be putting additional pressure on homeowners who purchased recently or started with limited equity.

Arizona Has the Highest-Ranking County
Maricopa County, home to most of the Phoenix metropolitan area, leads this public-listing snapshot with 212 short-sale listings.

Pinal County also ranks in the Top 15, while Pima County appears at No. 50.

Texas Shows Several Areas of Short-Sale Activity
Harris County ranks third nationally with 154 listings, while Bexar County ranks ninth with 106.

Williamson, Travis, Montgomery and Fort Bend counties also appear in the Top 50, demonstrating that short-sale activity is not concentrated in only one Texas market.

California Remains an Important Market to Watch
Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties all rank among the Top 15.

San Diego, Alameda and Sacramento counties also appear on the list. While short sales remain a relatively small percentage of California’s total housing inventory, these numbers show that mortgage distress is not limited to lower-priced markets.

Clark County Remains a Major Short-Sale Market
Clark County, Nevada, ranks sixth with 120 active short sales based on the local MLS and KW search used for this snapshot.

Public real estate portals displayed a lower number for Clark County, demonstrating why local MLS information and experienced market-level review remain essential.

What Homeowners Need to Know
A short sale is not automatically the right solution for every homeowner.

Before deciding how to proceed, homeowners should review all available options, which may include:

A traditional equity sale
Loan modification
Repayment or forbearance
Partial-claim or other loss-mitigation programs
Short sale
Deed in lieu of foreclosure
Other foreclosure-prevention solutions
The earlier a homeowner asks for assistance, the more time there may be to evaluate the available options.

Waiting until immediately before a scheduled foreclosure sale can significantly reduce the number of possible solutions.

What Buyers Need to Know
Short-sale properties may offer opportunities, but the seller’s acceptance is generally only the first step.

The mortgage servicer or investor must typically approve the transaction. Buyers should be prepared for:

Longer approval timelines
Additional lender documentation
Properties frequently sold as-is
Appraisal or valuation disputes
Lender counteroffers or changing terms
The possibility that approval may not be granted
Working with a real estate professional who understands short-sale requirements can help buyers structure stronger offers and avoid unnecessary delays.

The Bottom Line
Short sales are not approaching the levels experienced during the housing crisis, but they are becoming more visible in specific markets.

For homeowners, the most important message is simple: explore your options early.

For buyers and investors, short-sale listings may create opportunities—but these are specialized transactions that require knowledge, preparation and patience.

Looking to Buy or Sell a Short Sale?
KW Default Solutions helps homeowners, buyers and real estate professionals navigate short sales and other distressed-property transactions nationwide.

📞 888-870-0443

🌐 KWShortSales.com

🌐 KWHomeSolutions.com

National coverage. Local Keller Williams expertise.

Data note: This July 19, 2026 ranking is a public-listing snapshot assembled from short-sale searches displayed by Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin and the KW Def