In 1985, when I was motorcycling across America, I stopped at a dive bar in West Virginia for lunch because it was the only place around. It had that depressing, all-too-quiet, seen-it’s-better-days, worn out, musty lunchtime atmosphere that I’d seen at similar establishments all across the country. The only patrons were a few state construction workers grabbing lunch, a couple of local alcoholics, and a very bitter CBS reporter nursing a Bloody Mary. I recognized the reporter instantly, as I had seen him on hundreds of newscasts over the years (back when there were only three networks and reporters were much more famous). I made the mistake of asking the reporter why he was there… and I got a long diatribe about how he had been “put out to pasture” (just like an old horse) in a remote field office, waiting for stories to break – but they never did. He then told me in no uncertain terms how much he hated West Virginia. Coming from Arizona, that was the first time I had ever heard anything negative about the state, but apparently, that reporter was not alone with his sentiments - and homebuilders got the message. I share this story because West Virginia has seen one of the largest inventory drops in the country (down 51%) since 2019. “Crash Bro,” Nick Gerli, shared the below chart, comparing 2019 to 2026 housing inventory changes in every state – and the takeaways are fascinating.Read More