As a hard-working, busy Realtor, I spend a lot of time viewing and analyzing statistics, market trends, interest rates and many other reports relevant to my job. This gives me an edge when dealing with buyers and sellers alike, who quite rightly demand a sense of professionalism from their real estate advisor.
This morning, as I was getting ready for work, I realized how important my own home is, to myself and my family. A home is more than just walls, roof, yard etc. A home is the bedrock on which families are born and raised, it is the focal point of our social life, it gives us comfort and shelter, happiness and fulfillment. Yes, we all want to feel we bought our home at the right price, that our home will increase in value, and that one day we’ll be sat on a handsome retirement nest-egg.
The fact of the matter is, that if we look back over the last few generations, home values have consistently gone up over the medium to long term. The reality is that downturns in housing values are always temporary. The problem is that we all tend to get too fixated on short-term trends, and we miss the bigger picture: Yes, we all want to buy at the bottom of the market, but in reality, a few thousand dollars up or down, spread over the time most people live in their home, is neither here nor there.
So if you’re obsessing about when is the absolutely 100% perfect time to buy or sell a home, you need to take a deep breath, count to 10, and make a decision that’s right for you, rather than trying to look at the housing market, as if it were a speculative move on the stock market, or rolling the dice in a casino. Life’s too short to be miserable.
September 9, 2008 at 9:56 am
Paul, I couldn’t agree more. Folks that bought into the whole buy’em and flip’em quick deal, only have themselves to blame.
September 9, 2008 at 9:58 am
I’ve owned my home in Green Valley since September ‘98. I’ve seen prices go up and down, but I’m still ahead of the game. By the time I retire in 2020, I’m sure I’ll be sat on plenty of equity.