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"Sail Away From The Safe Harbor..."

By
Real Estate Agent with Exit Realty Paramount

Photo of Mark Twain           "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain  

I think Mark Twain had it right when he spoke so many years ago about regrets and lost opportunities.  It's also my belief that many, many consumers will look back to 2010 and kick themselves for not taking a chance on today's real estate market.  There are so many opportunities to create lasting investments, to create positive cash flow, and/or yield a nice return on investment down the road. 

Have you ever seen restaurants advertising special prices from 10 years ago?  Good lord, man, the lines are out the door and around the building!  Consumers recognize value, and discounted prices represent good value.   We are in the midst of that same value scenario in our real estate market right now.  Houses are not restaurants, of course, and a good meal shouldn't entail a risk.  Real estate does entail some risk taking.  But savvy consumers understand that with risks come rewards, and the rewards for investing now are:

*Opportunity to create equity;

*Opportunity to create positive cash flow;

*Ancillary revenue streams.

With housing prices here in the greater Traverse City area at 10 year lows, and interest rates at all-time historic lows, and inventories very high, you'd think that consumers would be lining the sidewalks, beating down the doors to take advantage of this situation.  But these are difficult times, and caution is the keyword of the day.  I understand and respect that.  But such a confluence of events is not likely to be seen again in our lifetime. 

To continue the sailing analogy, consider this quote from Guy Kawasaki, "Every boat is safest in the harbor - but boats aren't meant to sit in the harbor. Boats are designed to go sail the ocean blue. So while it's safer to sit in the harbor, all the action is OUT THERE."  If you let your boat sit in the harbor too long, it will be crippled by barnacles. There will come a time when it won't even sail. And while it will have been "safe," it won't have fulfilled its purpose - that is - to sail the ocean blue and make something new!

To those who have the means, this is THE time to take that risk.  Invest in real estate.  Choose to work with a real estate professional who can assist you in the search for and procurement of investment opportunities.  Rental demand is high, and multi-family units are likely to generate significant cash flow for years to come.  Safety means caution, but playing it too safe will mean lost opportunities.   So, if you've been contemplating investing in real estate, now is the time to throw caution to the wind.  Cast off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the tradewinds in your sails.  Dare to dream, and dare to take risks.  Call me today, and let's work together to find the right investment property for you.

      

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