Looking ahead to 2026, most housing experts expect this trend to continue: moderate national price growth, paired with significant variation at the local level. Instead, appreciation is expected to favor markets with strong economic fundamentals, limited housing supply, and sustained demand, Property Reach reports. New JerseyNorthern New Jersey’s proximity to major employment hubs, combined with chronic inventory shortages, has helped sustain price growth. Similar patterns have appeared in some major pandemic-era boomtowns, where home price growth has slowed or even begun to retreat after earlier rapid increases. These markets highlight a key lesson as we head into 2026: strong past growth doesn’t guarantee future appreciation.