May is one of my favorite months. Seriously, for a month with 31 days, it manages to pack in more holidays, events, celebrations, and pollen than seems entirely reasonable.

Folsom itself puts on a heck of a show this time of year. The lake fills with kayaks and paddle boards, the trails come alive with hikers and bikers who aren’t ready to start up their air conditioning at home, and the town hums with shopping, tasty restaurants, art shows, and the occasional lost tourist asking where the prison is.

I used to think I loved May because of the usual suspects: the weather’s nice, longer days and Memorial Day as the unofficial start of summer. I also enjoy the annual tradition of breaking out my filthy barbecue grill and wondering if it’s safe to just burn the grime off with a really hot fire. (Spoiler: It is.)

Of course, May is known for Mother’s Day—a springtime occasion to spend time with my mom or, as my kids call her, “Grandma” and soon she will hear the sweet sound of a little baby boy calling for her “Great Grandma”.  It’s also a great time for me to shower some appreciation on my kids’ mom, more commonly known as my wife, Lynne, who politely reminds me that “brunch reservations don’t make themselves.” Maybe not, but those roses that are growing in our yard, pick your color. 

And then there’s school. For thousands of local students, May is the light at the end of the tunnel. Tests are over, yearbooks signings consume the day, and locker cleanouts reveal long-lost hoodies and mystery snacks. Lost & Found tables overflow with water bottles and sweatshirts, all hoping their owners remember them before summer break begins.

But I recently had a revelation: May is more than just “pre-summer.” It’s a treasure trove of truly bizarre and wonderful celebration days that I’ve been completely missing out on. For instance, May 4 is Star Wars Day. You know, “May the Fourth Be With You.” The pun alone is reason enough to honor it with a lightsaber duel in the front yard.

Then comes May 5—Cinco de Mayo—a holiday that celebrates Mexico’s victory at the Battle of Puebla. Or as many Americans know it: an excellent reason to consume large amounts of chips and guac.

But how could I be so way off. There’s so much more to May. But how could we ignore these long time favorite celebration days? National BBQ Day was on May 16. I was ready, steaks in one hand and tongs in the other, like some sort of suburban gladiator. I paired it up by celebrating my favorite soft drink on National Have A Coke Day on May 8. Did you know that close to 2 million servings of Coca-Cola are consumed every day? Since summer is kicking in, unofficially on May 26, Memorial Day, it only makes sense to celebrate some well-deserved days, National Sunscreen Day is May 27 and National Flip-Flop Day is May 28. Flip Flops and sunscreen make for a great day for me. But we all should have done our shopping early to celebrate May 12, National Odometer Day. The crowds were overwhelming and I’m exhausted from washing my car. So I just stayed in yesterday, and quietly celebrated National Solitaire Day. I actually used a deck of cards. I didn’t want to get vanilla pudding on my iPad. After all, it was also National Vanilla Pudding Day. Who knew? 

So let’s grab that Coke, pack up that cooler (yes, it’s National Cooler Day today!) slip on those flip-flops and check out our local real estate activity! 

As always, we’re checking in on Year-To-Date numbers for El Dorado Hills (EDH) and Folsom, comparing activity through April 2025 to the same period in 2024. And this year, the shifts are noteworthy. The number of homes for sale is up significantly—over 25% in EDH and more than 35% in Folsom. New listings have also surged, with both cities seeing increases of over 20%.

However, home sales haven’t kept pace with the growing inventory. In EDH, sales are up 7%, while Folsom saw a 12% increase. The biggest shift? Prices. In EDH, the average sold price rose nearly 5% to just under $1.1 million. Meanwhile, Folsom saw a drop of about 10%, with average sold prices now around $780,000.

I love where I live. I’m excited to continue to help more families in 2025 with their real estate needs. With proper planning and a good Realtor (Luckily, I know a really good one….), you can smoothly get to your next stage in life. For more tips on how to successfully navigate the real estate purchase or sale, or suggestions on Folsom topics, please contact me at Coldwell Banker Realty, 916.812.4341, pquan@cbnorcal.com, www.PatQuan.com. CA DRE #01918240