On some Dallas streets, more than half of the houses are being sold by word-of-mouth or after “coming soon” signs are posted in the front yards. Real estate agents are quick to say that none of these questionable practices is illegal. But they say that anything that limits the marketing of a property or misleads a buyer or seller should always be avoided.

In about a dozen Dallas-area residential districts, there was less than a two-month supply of houses available in the first quarter, according to the Dallas Morning News. A “normal” and balanced market is considered to be a six-month inventory of houses for sale.