May is all the things. It’s a month for graduations, college move-out, summer planning, proms, and school ending. For many, it’s the start of the home-buying and selling season. Welcome to May-cember. On top of all of that, it’s suddenly hot enough to fry an egg outside. What lovely weather to tour homes.

Real estate activity in May often feels like it hits a speed bump. The challenge this year is that the speed bump is getting harder to get over as the inventory grows. It doesn’t matter what side of the table you are sitting on. The process is slow out there with the number of homes for sale to sift through.

Selling Smart: Pricing and Presentation in a Balanced Austin Market

The increase in inventory is what a balanced market looks and feels like; it just isn’t the market Austinites are historically used to. Four years ago, you had to see a house on day one. There were more buyers than houses. Today, there is more inventory than buyers. Not every seller gets a buyer on day one, week one, or month one. There aren’t enough people buying.

Sellers do not have a second chance to make a first impression. There is too much inventory out there. Give them a reason to choose yours. Be a home like no other, and there won’t be any competition to worry about.

Buyers’ Advantage: Time and Choice in Austin’s Balanced Market

Buyers currently have the luxury of time to consider their options, sometimes waiting days or even weeks before making an offer, until another buyer decides not to wait any longer. Your dream home always appears in other people’s dreams. You have all the time in the world, until your don’t.

Beyond the Bidding Wars: Austin’s New Real Estate Landscape

My listing in Lakewood Park saw a good turnout last weekend, with seven groups coming through the open house. Today’s buyers are thorough. They really look. They ask questions and stay a while. It was a three-hour open house and I was never alone. Everyone stayed for at least half an hour.

I don’t know how much any home is going to sell for. I don’t know how long it’s going to take to sell one either. What I do know is that the market changes a little every single day. It’s hard to see any trend until you’ve got about 30 days behind you, but one thing is for sure. If you don’t move with the market, the market will move on without you.