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Six Ways To Beat The Stress Of Buying A Home
DEATH, DIVORCE & MOVING are the three most stressful experiences in life.
There are two very different kinds of needs that people have while moving. First there are the transactional needs, like finding
the home that is just right for them, finding a seller who is realistic, negotiating the price, filling out the paperwork,
handling the escrow, and arranging for the move. But there are also emotional needs that are involved when moving, and this is
where the biggest stress comes in. Any competent agent will handle the transactional needs for you, but if your emotional needs
are unfulfilled, you'll be frustrated and may not act in your own best interests. The ideal real estate agent is one, who is
competent with paperwork and numbers, but can also guide, direct, and counsel you through the emotional ups and downs of moving.
Here are the six best ways we've found to beat the stress.
1. Begin with the end in mind.
Have an ultimate scenario of where you're trying to be. What will life be like when you
get there? How will it be better than where you are now? Dwell on that picture and write it out, fill up at least a page about
how it feels in the new place. This is imperative. Having the goal in front of you at all times energizes you to achieve it,
in spite of setbacks and frustrations. Emotions will run high and you need an anchor. You too must focus on that future goal
when anxiety threatens to get the better of you.
2. Be flexible. In your monetary calculations, overestimate by a thousand dollars. In
this market, anything can happen between contract acceptance and closing. It could be the inspections reveal areas of concern
that the seller is unwilling to fix or the repair costs are higher than the amount limited in the contract. Or the interest
rate changes which affects the necessary down payment and closing costs you will need to come up with. As your real estate
team, we will strive to tie up loose ends as quickly as possible, but remember there is no perfect world. Most buyers feel a
bit overwhelmed when taking on a new mortgage and the responsibilities of a new home. We've seen many buyers get angry when it
seems like the cost just keeps going up. Anger is caused when reality doesn't match up with the expectations you had in your
mind. So if you anticipate this happening in advance, you won't get angry. In fact, it'll probably go better than you expected.
3. Trust in the process. There's just so much to do, it's easy to panic. You wonder if
it will ever work out. In fact, when we bought our house, we couldn't eat for a day, we felt sick to our stomachs! You think
you're taking a big chance, but the truth is you're giving yourself a big chance. Even though you can't see every step of the
way, as you move towards your goals, the way opens up. We know that you haven't moved in a long time and it's a major upheaval
in your life. But we've been there many times before, and we'll be looking out for you. Trust that we know the way to get you
there.
4. Get knowledge. One thing you'll probably feel during this transition time is being
out of control. It feels like everyone else has taken over your life. The seller, your lender, the appraiser, the inspectors,
they all have the power to say yes or no to your moving plans. We'll try our best to let you know ahead of time what your
expenses will be, and what the unknowns are. We'll tie down the loose ends as soon as possible. We'll try to get your loan
approved within a reasonable time frame. We'll educate you as best we can and let you in "behind the scenes" so you
won't ever feel stupid or out of control.
5. What is your option? When things don't go as smoothly as you had hoped, don't let
emotions take over. Always ask yourself "What is my option?" because there are always options. Let's pretend the
lender takes longer than agreed upon to get your loan. He keeps asking you for more and more documentation until it feels like
he also needs to know how many gold fillings you have in your mouth! You feel upset because you wanted to feel certain about
the move and now you still have to live with the uncertainty. You want to say "Forget it, I'm fed up with this!" But
what is your option? Find a new lender and start the process over again? That may take weeks, plus you will have to provide all
the paperwork all over again. If the lender is trying his best, it may be better to give him a few more days. Each case is
unique, but when setbacks occur we've found that asking yourself this question helps to defuse the situation and restore clear
headed thinking.
6. Seek entertainment. When there's nothing you can do about the situation, take your
mind off of it altogether. Maybe you expected loan approval on Friday, but now it won't come until Monday. You hate being in
limbo and feeling powerless. So do something else entirely, maybe something where you aren't powerless. Take a hike, play
tennis, get out of town for the day, watch a movie, pray, or pour yourself into your work. Whatever diversion works best for
you, now would be a good time to engage in it. Just forget the situation and refuse to listen to those irritating thoughts
when they come into your head. Think about something else instead and just take it one day at a time.
To keep stress to a minimum, here's how
I'll serve you when you work with me in buying your new home:
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