Wanting to Know the “Why”
January 20th, 2009 categories: Market Trends, Real Estate News
If you’re like most of us, from time to time, curiosity gets the best of you. When questions arise, many of us want to know how, what, when where, or the why of the circumstance. Don’t know about you, but I’ve always wanted to know the ”why” of things. Why did it happen? Why would they make that choice or decision? And, many of you probably feel the same way.
In the real estate business, we have no shortage of decision points. Home buyers & sellers are faced with numerous choices during their transaction. Many of those decisions may take on added significance in the midst of this Short Sale/Foreclosure market. Oftentimes, the decisions made are curious, but, on the other hand, to the decision maker, their decisions appear to make perfect sense. While consumers sometimes find themselves in the position of choosing “the devil they know”, as each of us has experienced, it’s often better to put your faith in the experts, and trust their advice instead.
Habits are hard things to break. I recall a Warren Buffett quote from years gone by:
“Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.”
Do we make our decisions based upon habit? Perhaps, bad habits? Do we make them based upon security? Do we take the ideom’s attitude that it is “better to deal with the devil we know, than the one we don’t“. If so, perhaps it is time we examine how we make decisions. Why do we do the things we do? Make the decisions we make? Are we doing what’s in ourbest interest, or someone else’s? Do we take into consideration the long term consequences of our decisions? Is our decision-making based upon fact, or, in many cases, convenience? Are we taking intelligent risks?
In today’s Inaugaural Address, President Obama, in reflecting upon the greatness of our nation, reminded us that “it has been the risk-takers, the doers… who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity…” Is his challenge one we are willing to accept as we seek to improve the way we do business, or, as we seek to buy or sell our home?
In home buying and selling, the digital age with its open source information, FREE information, has given us the resources to make intelligent decisions based upon accurate, and, in may cases, real-time data. Are we taking advantage of these free resources? Are we using the many valuable sources we have at our finger tips to assist us in minimizing the risk in the judgements we make? If not, perhaps we need to reconsider our New year’s resolution.
With Spring just around the corner, and with it, the season for marketing and purchasing homes, as you begin to consider how best to proceed, take the time to do a little research. Making decisions concerning what is probably your largest investment, your home, is, in many cases, vital to your financial well being. Minimize your risk by arming yourself with the data you need to succeed. If not for your own benefit, then, for your Realtor’s. Why? Because Realtors would much rather have an educated consumer, than one full of misconceptions! But, if you don’t have the time, or don’t want to make that effort, please take the time and do the “due diligence” needed to select a Realtor fully qualified to assist you. It’ll certainly be worth the effort (and money).
