Central Texas Home Sales Fall in May as Prices, Listings Rise.

Byline: Shonda Novak

Jun. 22--In a refrain that has become familiar in recent months, home sales in Central Texas declined in May, but prices -- and the number of homes on the market -- continued to climb.

Sales of existing single-family homes in the Austin area fell 16 percent in May from the same month a year ago, new figures from the Austin Board of Realtors show. For the year, sales declined 8 percent from January through May compared with the same months last year.

The median home price in May was $155,200, up nearly 5 percent from May 2000's median price of $148,000. The median means half the homes sold for more than that amount and half sold …