Walk a mile in your buyers shoes

I had an experience recently that all REALTORS should be required to go threough more frequently. I bought a house, closed and moved.

Hey these are things that we deal with every day. We understand and are at ease with. Right? Well yes, unless it is you and then you become the client with all the emotions, frustrations and joys that come with home ownership. Only as REALTORS we are mostly dealing in the abstract. So I recommend you go through the process again soon. It helps to understand your clinet.

My deal was really pretty simple. And not a lot of hang-ups or problems. But still, on me (AND my wife) it was fraught with doubt and concern even though we knew intellectually what was happening. Yet soooo many other people were in control. To wit:

  Closing had to be moved about five times. We were dealing with a presale and delays inevitably occur. But that still causes problems with vacating the old home, coordinating utilities, and planning the day of the move (movers, time off from work, etc).

  Our loan was a bit of a hassle. First it came right in the middle of the current debacle. Next because of the finish date of the house and increasing interest rates there was also some pressure. Underwriting and approval can be a bit of an embarrassment. You are kind of naked to a whole bunch of strange people.

Closing... did we have the right amount to close? What about all those docs? I am generally familer with but my wife.... Oh my God..that is the payment????

  Verizon completely botched the process. Had we closed when originally scheduled we would have been without phone service for six weeks. As it was we were only out one week. But literally hours of waiting on the line for a real person, conflicting stories from different representatives etc... I'm no longer a Verizon customer.

  Moving... all that stuff to pack...WHEW. Thank goodness for Goodwill. The movers themselves... efficient and friendly... but watch out that is a valuable heirloom...

  Unpacking...all the boxes and paper? I think I might start a recycle center in my back yard. My wife has been working for a week solid and we are 2/3rds unpacked... but I still can't find my slippers and the dog's bed seems to be lost...sigh.

The above is a short list of happenings. But they are all surrounded by a very large commitment to money. Doubts about should we or shouldn't we. Worries and planning. And of course the joy of the first night and first meal... yeah it was worth it.

But now I have to go sell some more Real Estate so we can afford the escalating cost of the yard.... this is a money pit... but a good one!