Buyer’s Remorse

Buyer’s remorse is a feeling that NONE of us want to have; especially in these times of “economic uncertainty!” If one more person says “economic uncertainty” I am gonna……!!!! Honestly though, it’s getting a little tired. Time for us to move on with our lives, to bigger and better pastures. Surely many, if not most, of us have been affected by the changes in our economy of late, but that is not to say that we should stop living our lives.

This is where “buyer’s remorse” comes into play. I just leased a new car. Yes, I know, crazy! And I must tell you that I have not felt one iota of buyer’s remorse…regardless of the fact that California has a “no cooling off period” and even if I did feel remorse there would be nothing I could do about it. I want to tell you WHY I do not have remorse: I did my HOMEWORK. I shopped, and researched and read and bargained and haggled and FOUGHT and persisted and FINALLY I made a decision; I settled on the fees, signed the lease documents, procurred a new car loan and drove away…into the California sunset. Well actually it was raining as soon as I drove off the lot, is that good luck? Or is that only for wedddings and/or funerals?

I know that a car purchase and home purchase are not the SAME type of transaction, but the take-away from today’s post is that if you put the time in and really think about your decision to buy a property, and you and your realtor are aware of the market, regardless of WHEN you make your purchase, even in a time like NOW, you can feel at peace. You can make a solid investment. You can obtain a mortgage on a property and write the interest off against your income to help save at tax time. You can feel good, not guilty, about acutally buying something during these times. You are not necessarily going to have “buyer’s remorse” next summer after you’ve been living in your new home for half a year. Even if the housing market dips, why should that affect you? You made a decision, stuck to it, and you live with it. YOU LIVE IN IT.

It’s not like buying a CAR or a HANDBAG or a WATCH. You can’t live in those items. Well, you know what I mean.

You’re worried about losing your shirt in L.A. real estate? What if you continue to wait, even though you’ve done all of your research and are ready to go now? Are you just waiting because other people are waiting? Ask yourself that question, “what are you truly waiting for?” The market to “bottom out?” So that means that your proclivity to purchase property is completely dependent upon when other people decide it’s okay for them to buy too? If it’s because you truly cannot make that financial step right now, that makes sense, but if it’s because you think you’ll get a “better deal” at some unforseen time in the future, good luck to you. When that special “time” does arrive, you and everyone’s brothers and mothers are going to be in the same boat, all fighting over one property and the multiple offer will be alive and kicking.

If you are ready now, and you know of something good that would make you happy, go for it. Don’t wait until the end of time. Time is man-made, and your time could be now. When you are ready, be different, make decisions and move on, or rather, MOVE-IN!