The top 10 cities to buy a newly built home in the US

Charleston, South Carolina. Kruck20/Getty Images Homeowners are still staying put, making it hard for homebuyers to find available homes for sale. The good news is that homebuilders are stepping up their efforts, especially in the South. Realtor.com ranked the top 10 metros for buying a newly built home, and most are in the Carolinas. Nearly halfway through the year, the housing market remains stuck in a familiar rut: Many homeowners with low mortgage rates are staying put, leaving prospective buyers to compete for the few homes available for sale. The good news is that homebuilders are stepping up construction efforts, particularly in the South, according to a report from Realtor.com. The company ranked the 10 metros where buyers are most likely to find a newly built home at a competitive price. "New construction is one of the most important ways to expand the supply of homes available to buyers, but the opportunity is not evenly distributed across the country," said Realtor.com senior economist Joel Berner. He added that builders in the South are constructing homes "at prices that compete with, and in some cases beat, existing homes." North and South Carolina dominate the ranking