May proved to be mostly a month where the numbers went sideways.

Whether you're looking at Culpeper, Fauquier, Prince William or Rappahannock County, there are no dramatic changes.

There were some subtle signals that things have slowed down a tad in Culpeper county. Both new contracts and sales actually fell last month.

In Fauquier county inventory actually rose, ever so slightly (3 houses). But sales jumped month over month from 54 to 70, well above last year's pace at this time.

Prince William continued to shed inventory with only 3.7 months of inventory now available. I continue to see buyers discouraged with what they're finding available under $400K in Prince William.

Rappahannock County had the biggest jump in sales with 7 units selling last month. This being Rappahannock and the universe being so small, it appears to be a big jump (SALES TRIPLED!). But inventory is exactly where it was a month ago and we're unlikely to see any sudden movements in this quiet corner of the market.

Overall, signs would still seem to indicate we're at or very close to a bottom. Prince William still looks to be on its way back up with price appreciation. And, with a tiny amount of inventory available, prices there will likely continue to rise throughout the summer months.

The Culpeper numbers showed a healthy jump in sales year over year. I've been wondering what made up those numbers and so decided to do some additional analysis.

38 out of those 57 sales were foreclosures. That's two thirds of those sales.

While an increase in sales and a decrease in inventory always qualifies as good news, this probably doesn't warrant throwing a party to celebrate the end of the real estate downturn.

What this means is that two thirds of those homes sold at very steeply discounted prices. Here are a couple of examples:

This home was purchased brand new in October of 2005 for $345,000. It sold in June as a foreclosure for $149,000.

This home was purchased new in November of 2006 for $448,000. It sold in June as a foreclosure for $230,100.

Those are discounts of 57% and 48%. I analyzed 10 of these foreclosure sales. The average discount from the original sales price was 48.8%.

If your the guy who lives next door and you want to sell your home, how do you compete? Most homeowners can't or won't sell their home for half of what they bought it.

So, yes, it's good news that more homes are selling and inventory is shrinking. If they sell all the foreclosures, there's less downward pressure on pricing.

But right now, if you have to sell, be prepared to price your home very, very aggressively. The competition is based on price and it's vicious!

One quick note, I'll be in the Wildwood Forest subdivision in Amissville this Saturday afternoon from 1 to 3 p.m. If you've got a question on the real estate market in general, your home in particular or just want me to look into my crystal ball, let me know. I'm bringing free cloth shopping bags for everyone I talk to. Give me a call at 540-270-2742 if you'd like to chat while I'm in the neighborhood!

If you're a seller right now you probably don't need me to tell you it's a tough market right now. But are you doing everything you can to help yourself get your home sold?

One place where owners can unwittingly slow the sale of their home is by how they handle showings. First of all, you need to make it as easy as possible to show your home. That means a lockbox on the door and minimal notice required. Minimal notice is a quick phone call to say they'll be there in an hour. "Appointment only - 24 hour notice" is a good way to have your home for sale for a very, very long time.

Let me paint you a picture. I've got out of town buyers coming in for the day. They want to see as many homes as possible but have to make a decision and write an offer on one that day. Because the market is the way it is right now there are many more homes that meet their criteria than I could possibly show them in one day. So I need to look for ways to narrow the number down to something manageable in one day, say a dozen homes.

One of the ways I'm going to do that is showing instructions. When I'm showing that many homes in one day, with the exception of the first home we see, it's almost impossible to guarantee when we'll be there. And, so it's just easier to discard anything that requires a set appointment and/or 24 hour notice.

And since relocating buyers are one of the few categories of buyers who really do have to buy right now, you don't want us skipping your house! So make it easy for me and all the other agents who really do want to help you sell your home!

And, please leave when your home is being shown. I know there are occasions when it's absolutely impossible to do that. But it really is not helpful, in most instances, to have you there. People need time with a house in order to fall in love with it. No one will fall in love with it while you're looking over their shoulder! It's hard to imagine it as theirs when you're constantly there to remind them it's yours! And, no couple decides to buy a house without a frank discussion of pluses and minuses. They won't have that discussion with you standing there. And if they don't have it then, they may never have it. You need to get out! It's really that simple!

It may be appropriate for you to eventually meet the prospective buyer and share with them some of what you've learned about the house over the years you've lived there. The first time they see the house is not the time!

OK, there may be an exception if you're a celebrity. Harrison Ford, if you're out there with a house to sell, I'd probably let you stay while buyers came through. Except that then they're going to be too busy looking at you to pay attention to your house! So...maybe even the celebrities should get out!

That's it! Those small things really will make a difference in helping to get your home sold! And, trust me, right now you need every single advantage you can get!