YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Construction of new single-family homes across the Mahoning Valley in 2026 is expected to be in line with last year, those in the industry say, as developers feel the market volatility from previous building seasons has eased.
There are still challenges, builders add, noting that the number of lots available for new construction across the region is shrinking while the skilled labor pool remains tight. Another wild card is how inflation will play out in the coming year – a factor that has helped drive up construction costs for new homes since 2021.
“I would say 2025 was a little better than 2024,” says Steve DeLucia, president of DeLucia Construction Inc., a custom home builder based in Canfield. “The supply chain is pretty good right now, a lot better than it was a few years ago.”
During the immediate aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, DeLucia says that it was difficult to secure consistent pricing from suppliers and vendors. “You had suppliers that couldn’t guarantee a price from one week to the next,” he says. “That was tough.”
Over the past two years, the market has become more predictable, allowing building contractors to adequately plan for new projects. “Things seem to have leveled off since the beginning of last year,” he says. “It seems like whoever was on the fence got off the fence,” and moved forward with new housing starts.
DeLucia says that his company has seven projects underway that are in various stages of completion – all of which are located in Mahoning County. Much of the work is centered in Canfield and North Lima, he reports. The builder has completed houses at CTW Development Corp.’s Westford Lifestyle Community, Stonebridge and Westbury Park developments in Canfield.
DeLucia says his company specializes in custom construction of single-family homes and villas that range from mid-market to upscale. All of the new builds are already sold, he notes, adding it’s no longer feasible to construct spec homes on a large scale. “We occasionally will put up a model home,” he says. “But the days of putting up three or four spec homes are over. We won’t do that anymore.”
He says there are still uncertainties across the economy – the ramifications of the conflict with Iran, for example – that could impact demand for new, single-family home construction. “That’s always the big question mark, but for now, it doesn’t seem to be an issue,” he says.
What could slow local residential development in the future, DeLucia says, is the dwindling amount of available land that is suitable for building.
Demand nevertheless appears to be steady through the first three months of 2026, DeLucia says. “The phone is still ringing,” he says. “We’ve gotten quite a few calls recently, so I think we’re going to have an OK year.”
Housing Starts Solid
Overall, new single-family housing starts in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties last year were practically unchanged from 2024, according to data provided by the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of the Valley.
A total of 258 permits for the construction of single-family homes were awarded last year across the three counties, compared to 257 issued in 2024, data show.
Mahoning County secured the most permits last year with 148 – a 24.3% increase from the previous year. Trumbull County reported 81 new single-family permits, down 30% from 117 pulled in 2024. Meanwhile, permits in Columbiana County stood at 29 in 2025, up 38% from 21 new single-family permits secured a year earlier.
Through March 4 of 2026, Mahoning and Trumbull counties have issued 12 new single-family housing permits apiece, according to data provided by each county. Columbiana County data was unavailable.
“Things have been very active in the last six to eight months,” says Trisha Howe, executive officer at the HBA . “They’ve been very busy with new construction and new starts.”
This year also marks the return of the HBA’s Parade of Homes after a 15-year absence, Howe says. The event showcases the work of five homebuilders based in the Mahoning Valley that develop houses across the region. DeLucia, Custom Homes by Mark Ramunno, SMS Custom Homes, Russo Builder Ltd., and G. Sorice Builders Inc.
All are in the process of constructing new houses at Russo’s Legacy Villas & Homes development just off Raccoon Road in Canfield. The event is scheduled for June and the new houses will be open for public viewing. These homes are traditionally more upscale, and range in price between $900,000 and $1.2 million, she says.
“These builders are also currently building throughout Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties,” Howe says. “That’s great for our area.”
Howe relates that some of the biggest challenges facing Valley HBA members is securing skilled labor and certain supplies in a timely manner. On a positive note, interest rates have trended lower and construction loans have flowed with more frequency, helping growth in the new, single-family housing sector.
This environment has encouraged new construction in developments such as Westford, but has also allowed for growth in Austintown, Howe says. In Trumbull County, Howland and Vienna townships are currently attracting attention for construction of single-family dwellings.
“I feel that the momentum is a lot stronger now,” Howe says.
Existing Developments
Developers also see an increase in housing demand fueled by the lure of potentially new employees to the region, spurred by major projects such as SoftBank Group/Foxconn’s conversion of the former General Motors Assembly plant in Lordstown to an AI manufacturing center and Kimberly-Clark’s $800 million factory under construction in Warren.
It’s among the factors that convinced Jason Altobelli, a broker with Altobelli Real Estate, Niles, to expand the company’s holdings at Kline’s Farm in Liberty Township.
“We’re going to be starting three new homes in April,” he says. “Two of them are specs and the other is on contract.”
Altobelli announced in November that the company would open up nine additional acres to the residential development, found just off state Route 193. The expansion at Kline’s Farm could accommodate 32 single-family residences and an additional $10 million in new housing stock. Future plans call for adding another 60 condominiums and villas in another portion of the development.
“We’re more of a mid-range builder,” Altobelli says, usually targeting houses that cost between $300,000 and $700,000. “It’s hard to do anything under $350,000 today,” he says, citing how home prices have climbed over the past five years.
He points out that in 2019, Altobelli constructed a new single-family house in the Carnegie Heights development in Niles and sold it for $235,000 brand new. “We just built the same house in Carnegie and sold it for $350,000,” an increase of nearly 50%. “It’s still significant.”
It hasn’t stopped Altobelli from moving forward with plans to expand the existing Maplewood Estates in Girard that would accommodate 37 new lots. “I’d like to have dirt moving in April,” on the project, he says. “The weather is hopefully going to cooperate.”
Altobelli describes himself as a smaller-scale builder when it comes to new construction projects. Nevertheless, he anticipates that the company will build between 10 and 15 new houses this year.
“That’s pretty busy,” he says. “Demand is still chugging along, for sure.”
Pictured at top: Jason Altobelli, broker with Altobelli Real Estate, stands at Kline’s Farm, where steady demand and rising costs are shaping the next wave of single-family home construction across the Mahoning Valley.
