Taking My Own Advice. . .

It’s official.  I’m buying!  The official closing date on my condo is March 20th and I’m sitting here in my rental home living room thinking, “I need to take my own advice – and get my act together.

Life comes at you fast, the commercial goes, and it certainly was true in this case.  From the moment my wonderful young landlord couple announced they had decided to sell their home (2 weeks ago) I’ve been up and down – should I rent another place or try to buy?  Interest rates are certainly good, and the market is definitely leaning towards the buyer here in Seattle.

After I ruled out purchasing a house (didn’t want the maintenance), I took a look at the condo market and found one I liked right away.  I found a great agent right away and an extremely helpful lender seemingly dropped out of nowhere almost before I had even started looking.
Before I knew it, I’d made an offer, it was accepted and I found myself handing over my earnest money check and looking to move by April 1st.  Sometimes in life, the road doesn’t just open up - it actually rolls out right in front of you, like a red carpet.

The truth is, I missed out on a great opportunity to buy a home right after my divorce, and then again a couple of years later.  Both times, I hemmed and hawed, waited too long and ended up paying the equivalent of a mortgage payment every month in rent.  I decided I wasn’t going to make that mistake again.  I encourage my clients to follow their instincts when it comes to living authentically and not procrastinate on important decisions that advance or enhance their lives.  I realized I needed to follow my own advice.

I totally agree with David Bach, author of The Automatic Millionaire Homeowner – you don’t build wealth by renting.  If I haven’t mentioned this before – this is a GREAT book – great tips for experienced buyers – and a MUST if you are a first time homebuyer.  It’s available at Amazon.com (used or new) or any bookstore (I got mine from the library).

Almost instantly after I firmly set my intention, God started opening doors.   The best agent, a lender committed to getting me the best deal, the right location, the perfect condo, the right price – all fell into place.  Ok, it’s not a done deal yet, but starting out of the gate was a real confidence builder!