#2 Wholesaling Contributor
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- Toledo, OH
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The Midwest is Quietly Winning in 2026 – Here’s What the Data Says
#2 Wholesaling Contributor
- Virtual Assistant
- Toledo, OH
A lot of attention has been on the Sunbelt over the last few years, but the 2026 data is telling a different story. Ohio is quietly becoming one of the strongest markets in the country right now.
Fortune recently reported that Florida and Texas are now the biggest losers in the housing market, while Ohio is emerging as the surprise winner. Cincinnati and Columbus are modest buyer's markets, but Cleveland is one of the rare balanced markets in America.
At the same time, the fix-and-flip market is showing strain in the Sunbelt, with the Q2 2026 Fix-and-Flip Index falling to its second consecutive quarterly decline. Flippers in Texas and the Southeast reported longer selling times and more sales below estimated after-repair values. But in the Midwest and Northern California, flippers are still selling above ARV.
What does this mean for wholesalers?
· More buyer interest in the Midwest – As investors pivot away from saturated Sunbelt markets, Ohio is positioned to absorb that capital.
· Tax-delinquent owners are more motivated – With rising inventory across Ohio and days on market increasing, sellers are becoming more open to cash offers.
· Off-market deals still dominate – The best deals never hit Zillow or Redfin. Direct mail, skip tracing, and relationships are still the best way to find motivated sellers.
I've been tracking tax-delinquent lists and skip-tracing owners in Cleveland and Toledo, and the conversations are noticeably different now compared to six months ago. More owners are picking up the phone.
For those actively sourcing in the Midwest—are you seeing the same shift? Are sellers becoming easier to engage, or is the softening market making them more hesitant?
Most Popular Reply
#1 Wholesaling Contributor
- Englewood, NJ
Bishop, the tax-delinquent angle you're working in Cleveland and Toledo is exactly where the Midwest has a structural advantage — but I'd push it one step further for anyone reading this.
You're skip-tracing tax-delinquent owners and calling them. That works. But in several Midwest counties, you don't even need to call. The county has already done the entire legal process: identified the property, sent notices for 1-3 years, set an auction date, and published the list publicly. The seller is as motivated as it gets — they're about to lose the property to a tax sale.
Marion County IN (Indianapolis) is the clearest example I've seen. The county auditor publishes the tax delinquent list annually — not a third-party data vendor, the actual county. Pull the list (free), cross-reference Marion County Assessor values (free), calculate spreads between tax debt and market value, and you have your deal pipeline without a single cold call or skip trace dollar.
Rob's point about the affordability squeeze at the entry level actually makes tax deed properties more attractive to cash buyers in the Midwest — these parcels sell at auction for cash (full payment same day or within 24-48 hours), which means thinner competition because most wholesalers can't work without financing contingencies. The buyers who show up with cash are the ones who've been priced out of traditional acquisition channels.
For anyone working the Midwest right now: Marion County IN, Cuyahoga County OH (Cleveland), and Lucas County OH (Toledo) all have published tax delinquent lists. Broward County FL has Auction #113 on October 26 with hundreds of parcels already posted — different region but same model. The data Bishop is seeing with more owners picking up the phone? That's because the clock is ticking on their tax debt. They're not just motivated — they're on a deadline.
Rob, to your affordability question: the entry-level buyer who can't clear the payment is exactly why cash auction buyers are winning in these markets. They're not competing with financed buyers — they're competing with other cash buyers who did their homework on the spreads.