Motivated Seller Market Report: Top 10 High-Potential Counties in May, 2026

National Macro Context

Our real estate investors are generating motivated seller leads nationwide, but these top 10 counties have the highest number of distressed sellers. Before we talk about individual counties, it’s important to understand which key factors are affecting sellers nationwide and especially in these ten counties simultaneously.

There are macro factors like mortgage rates. Currently, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is hovering between 6.3% and 6.5%. Most experts forecast the rate to remain anchored in the 6.2%-6.4% range throughout the second quarter. This means two things:

• Millions of homeowners who bought in 2020 at rates below 3% are reluctant to sell and purchase a new property at current rates.
• Homeowners who are trying to sell are motivated by necessity. They are selling because of life events, financial distress, or because the cost of owning a property has become unmanageable.

If we look at the data from 2021 to 2024, U.S. home insurance premiums have increased by 24%, and the trend is expected to continue. Overall, homeowners nationwide are having difficulty managing property taxes, increasing HOA charges, consumer inflation, and stagnant wage growth in certain sectors.

National active listings continue to rise post-pandemic, and they have increased by 7.9% in the last year. That means many sellers in these target counties are facing competition.

Inside Each Market: What’s Pushing Homeowners to Sell

These are the top 10 markets in the U.S. right now where people are desperate to sell their homes for cash. The counties are ranked according to the most number of leads received.

1. Maricopa County, Arizona

Maricopa County has consistently appeared on our list of the top 10 counties for cash buyers. There is a specific segment of motivated sellers who are underwater because they bought at peak prices in 2021-2022. The median home price stands at $489,000 which is essentially flat compared to 2024. The average home in Maricopa County sells after 56 days.

Nearly 50% of Arizona homeowners have more than $250,000 in equity, which means they can still sell even if prices have not increased significantly. However, selling those properties can result in paying capital gains taxes. Average rent in Maricopa County is constantly decreasing. As of May 2026, it is 7% below the national average and 6.7% lower than last year.

2. Wayne County, Michigan

Wayne County is the highest distress market on this list by a wide margin. Detroit and its inner-ring suburbs carry a deep history of structural economic decline, population loss, and one of the most troubled tax-foreclosure records in the nation. There is no single reason why people are selling homes here. We have received selling requests from low-income longtime owners, residents living on a fixed income, and beneficiaries of inherited properties struggling with rising cost burdens they never expected to carry. For MLS listings, the median time to sell a home is 46 days.

Wayne County has returned millions of dollars to former property owners as of early 2026. Michigan Supreme Court rulings have determined that counties could no longer keep surplus proceeds when tax-foreclosed properties were sold at auction.

The problem can be traced back to several years of over-assessment of Detroit properties. Thousands of homeowners fell behind on taxes they should have never owed in the first place. Between 2011 and 2015, Wayne County foreclosed on tens of thousands of Detroit properties.

3. Cook County, Illinois

The city of Chicago in Illinois represents a strong real estate market. The inventory is tight, prices are rising quickly, and homes are selling fast.

However, we are seeing a significant number of motivated sellers. High property taxes, aging housing stock, and concentrated economic stress on the South and West sides are all pushing homeowners to seek an exit strategy.

As of April 2026, Chicago had only 3,614 homes listed for sale, which represents a tight inventory for buyers. Cook County has some of the highest property tax rates in the nation, and the tax burden falls unevenly. Effective tax rates in some areas of Cook county can exceed 2.5% of market value. Many owners are tax-burdened relative to the actual income their properties generate or their ability to sell at a price that clears their obligations.

4. Jefferson County, Alabama

Every four years, home values are reassessed in Jefferson County and this year, the values were shockingly high for many homeowners. Jefferson County, Alabama, is experiencing increasing homeowner payment pressure in 2026 due to this reassessment cycle.

New property valuations were issued in April, and many homeowners are now facing higher tax bills, which directly increases monthly escrow and housing costs.

Housing inventory in Jefferson County is increasing. Active listings are up by 7.7% compared to last year. Because of rising inventory, it is taking longer than ever to sell a house in Jefferson County, Alabama.

5. Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia is a dense urban market with aging housing stock and a large population of legacy homeowners. Elderly homeowners have held properties for decades, but now they are unable or unwilling to maintain them. The combination of physical and financial exhaustion makes this a strongly motivated seller market.

Pennsylvania is a balanced housing market with slightly declining inventory and homes selling in under 47 days.

6. Harris County, Texas

It takes 60+ days to sell a house in Harris County. It is a buyer’s market. High insurance cost burdens and an expanding flood risk map are all making the situation more complicated for sellers in Texas.

FEMA has drafted new flood risk maps for Harris County in Q1 2026. Many homeowners are now on a "glide path” of an 18% annual premium increase until they reach their full-risk premium. The premium can be several times the current payment. For example, if your current insurance payment is $1,200, but if FEMA determines the true cost is $4,500, then the owner will face an 18% compounding increase every year until it reaches $4,500.

7. Lake County, Illinois

Motivated sellers in Lake County, Illinois, are facing unique problems. Older homes in Illinois require regular maintenance. Property taxes, HOA fees, and increasing expenses force homeowners to delay necessary repairs. Homeowners are highly sensitive to market timing when they are already dealing with life transitions such as retirement, divorce, and job relocation.

Inventory is gradually increasing in Lake county, which means homeowners must prepare to price their homes competitively. Homes are selling in a median of 51 days, compared to 50 days last year.

8. Los Angeles County, California

Median home prices in Los Angeles remain among the highest in the country. A typical home in Los Angeles sells within 45 days, but the rising mortgage rates have reduced market activity.

Multiple major insurance carriers have exited or restricted coverage statewide after the catastrophic wildfire damage. Some homeowners were forced to choose more expensive alternatives like the FAIR Plan. In high-risk zones, insurance premiums have doubled or even tripled. Motivated sellers in Los Angeles are financially stretched and ready to exit.

9. Orange County, California

Orange County used to be one of the most expensive and desirable real estate markets in the country. But it’s becoming increasingly difficult to afford a house there. Life events (divorce, estate liquidations, financial pressure) are creating motivated sellers in a market where most homeowners hold significant equity. A typical home in Orange County sells within 36 days, and the property prices are increasing.

Orange County households have a difficult time affording home payments as housing here costs 175% more than the national average.

10. Bexar County, Texas

The average home price in Bexar County peaked around $345K in 2022 and has softened to roughly $330K–$340K by 2025–2026. It takes 98 days to sell a house in Bexar County. Builders have constructed new homes in Bexar County. That's why the inventory has increased by 70% over the last three years. The newly constructed properties are creating more competition for homeowners selling old homes. Bexar County in Texas is currently a buyer’s market.

Top 10 Counties with the Most Active Investors

Our company also tracks the up-and-coming markets where experienced investors are heavily investing. You might want to check these out:

• Orange
• Fulton
• Gwinnett
• Milwaukee
• Carroll
• Norfolk City
• Oakland
• Riverside
• Douglas
• Montgomery

*Report prepared in May 2026 based on publicly available data sources from April–May 2026. Data reflects market conditions as of the period cited. All figures should be independently verified before making investment decisions. This report does not constitute financial or legal advice.

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