Two headlines in the press this week that caught my eye from the real estate market.

1. Inflation eases in April; fed May pause.

April did see inflation easing, but the feds nevertheless still put the rates up. They did signal very strongly that they may pause in the future; which is great news for the housing market going forward.

2. Home buyers in a quandary; nobody's selling.

Nobody selling has to do with the golden handcuffs; the fact that there are people out there with 3% interest rates, and they just do not want to give that up. I would argue you cannot put your life on hold forever. If you're thinking about selling you must have a reason. So, now is the time to actually think hard about that and accept the reality of the situation we are in. Look at how much equity you have in your home, look at the issue of ARMs, all these things can actually make it happen for you. As far as buyers are concerned; yes inventory is very tight, but that does not mean that prices are tumbling down. Now people are negotiating, but the reality is that you have to know and understand how that's working at the moment. If you're working by yourself that's going to be really hard because you are not in this market 24/7 like we are.

Work with an experienced professional who can actually educate you on what's happening from a negotiating perspective. If you're a buyer or a seller this is still a market where deals can get done!