Six Ways To Beat The Stress Of Buying A Home

Moving, along with death and divorce, is one of the three most stressful experiences in life. There are two very different kinds of needs people have while moving. First there are the transactional needs, such as finding the perfect home, 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 involved in 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

Know 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. In childbirth, the Lamaze^® method teaches you to focus on one spot when enduring labor pains. In the same way, 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. Inspections could reveal areas of concern that the seller is unwilling to fix. Repair costs could be higher than the amount limited in the contract. The interest rate could change, affecting 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, and 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 expectations. So if you anticipate this happening in advance, you won't get angry. In fact, it will 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 you haven't moved in a long time and it is 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.

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