By Carrie Struss, November 4, 2018
People often ask real estate agents, “When is the best time to buy a home?” Due to the emotional nature of home buying, my honest answer is “when you are ready.” Many people will answer back, “when will I be ready?” Being ‘ready’ means being supported, educated, and prepared. To get there, follow these three simple steps:
- Support – Hire a real estate agent. You don’t have to go it alone! Leave it to a pro to [see #2 & #3]
- Educate – Get to know the market. Get to know the process.
- Prepare – Discuss your needs. Get pre-approved. Know your budget.
So what happens when you are all of those things and then….Life. My latest transaction proved to be filled with unnecessary complications. It did not seem like the talked about issues were the actual issues. But we got through them. We held strong through the actual process by educating and communicating with all parties involved. Or so I thought. The two people who needed to be talking the most, my buyers, were not. And real life entered the transaction at 5am the day of signing when I received a text saying buyer 1 was leaving buyer 2 and they wanted to terminate the transaction.
Which brings me back to step 1: support. Instead of freaking out, I became a sounding board for each of them to explore their options in depth. I stayed calm and was not attached to any particular outcome. Our jobs as REALTORS® is to facilitate the home buying and selling process and be of service to our clients, not to pressure or tell our clients what to do. I asked leading questions to guide them through their feelings back to their original intentions and future desires. We talked at length about multiple scenarios until they each felt empowered to make the best decision for themselves. After it was all said and done, we went to the signing and they closed on the house. What I am most grateful for is the trust they instilled in me to be the support they relied on during their process and beyond.
Whether its separation, divorce, death, illness, or birth, life changes can happen right in the middle (or end) of the other major life change of home buying. Finding the right agent you can trust to support you through, is key to a successful transaction. Ready or not, let’s go buy I house. I got you.
Carrie Struss
Broker | OR & WA
She/Her
Carrie brings eight years of experience as a Licensed Broker in Oregon and Washington, combining her industry expertise with an eye for detail honed through her degree in Commercial Photography...
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- T: 503-953-0850
- carrie@carriestruss.com
