A report from Palo Alto Weekly in California. "The Year of the Pig had a very slow start in our local real estate market. So far, we haven't experienced anything remotely similar to the usual spring frenzy. Among the 148 new listings so far this year, especially at the very beginning of the year, many were actually 'leftovers' from last year, i.e. those houses that could not sell at the end of last year thus relisted this year."

"Based on the Multiple Listing System, 59 homes exchanged hands in the first quarter, or about half the number from the same period last year. Total transaction volume dropped by almost 60% to $165 million, which translates to a lower median home price. The median home price of all sold homes in the first quarter was $2.68 million, 14% lower than the first quarter of last year, and a further drop from $2.79 million in the second half of last year."

"The biggest variables that could affect our local property market down the road are those well-anticipated IPOs. Some of the potential sellers also have considered delaying the release their homes to their market until fall to capture the IPO wealth. However, stock performance is never one way. What if those IPOs don't do well? It would then hurt sentiment and general confidence in the Silicon Valley economy. Housing prices may then start to dive into a real downturn."

The Denver Post in Colorado. "The peak spring home-selling season is in full swing in metro Denver, but it is proving to be a much tamer affair this year than last. Sellers listed more homes in metro Denver and buyers purchased fewer of them last month compared to April 2018, according to a monthly update from the Denver Metro Association of Realtors."

"The inventory of properties available for sale at the end of April was up to 7,012, nearly 36 percent higher than a year ago and 11.4 percent higher ahead of March."

From WKRN in Tennessee. "If you are looking to buy a house, now just may be your time. The Nashville housing market is shifting, becoming more buyer friendly according to Zillow. 'The word is out that it's not as white hot as it used to be,' Shane Tallant with Village Real Estate stated."

"He attributes the recent shift in the market to supply and demand. 'Buyers were coming to Nashville and there just wasn't enough homes for them to buy and it became a sellers' market because of that. Now basically people are still coming, as we know, to Nashville but there is inventory so it's kind of slowed that rat race to get a home if you will,' said Tallant."

The New York Times. "Welcome to the new era of luxury real estate marketing. With the high-end housing market in and around New York tilting decidedly in buyers’ favor, real estate brokerages and developers are experimenting with all sorts of experiential events to draw attention to their listings."

"'We are in Manhattan’s most challenging market in the last decade,' said Nikki Field, a senior global real estate adviser at Sotheby’s International who has worked on several co-branded events in a $58 million penthouse for sale at the top of 212 Fifth Avenue. 'People are looking at everything and everywhere. They are no longer focused on certain neighborhoods — a complete pivot from the old Manhattan-centric buyer — because the city has grown in luxury options in all directions. They have a lot of choices.'"

"It’s not new for brokerages to host party-style events in their high-end listings, often as a cross promotion for a new jewelry line, art gallery or wellness guru. But with so many events now cluttering the market, some firms are getting more creative, offering more than a free glass of wine and proximity to celebrity."

"'There’s too much inventory — everyone gets lost in the shuffle,' said Vickey Barron, an associate broker with Compass who last year brought in world-renowned ballroom dancers to wow a wealthy audience in the penthouse at 100 Barclay Street, in TriBeCa. 'Everyone is fighting for that buyer.'"