Depending on who you ask, I'm now a senior citizen. Not legally, I've got another decade to go before I turn 65, but Thursday was a significant birthday to me, the double nickel.
Now as an engineer I'm not much into my own birthday. For the most part it's just another day to me. I don't advertise the fact on my Facebook profile. We might go to a movie or we might go out to dinner, although often not on my actual birthday. And I don't consider it like Easter or Christmas, if a buyer has a need to see a home, I'll most likely be getting that scheduled.
But this year was a little different. Not in terms of wanting to suddenly celebrate, but recognizing this birthday brought with it a certain freedom that past birthdays hadn't.
As most of you know, I'm a dual career guy. I've been working for a Fortune 500 company for 27 years and the last 14 I've also been a real estate agent. Now my activity level in the real estate portion of my life has evolved radically in those 14 years, from someone that was a secret agent doing background work to someone who is fully involved in every aspect of the business. Listings? I'll analyze the market, determine what needs done to get the home ready, arrange for photographs and prep the marketing. Answer calls, negotiate offers, soup to nuts. Buyers? Start to finish, I'm the guy for that on our team. Tech stuff? I don't have to look any further than my mirror to find our website admin. Social media? I'm a blogger, every day. Most of the other venues I've passed on. Just so many hours in a day.
So from a real estate perspective, 55 isn't that significant other than I COULD qualify to live in a 55+ community! And while I love to help people find the perfect patio home, personally me & Liz and our "zoo" of cats and dogs need elbow room and acreage.
No, the reason 55 mattered a bit more than others is the significance in my engineering role. The one constant in corporate America? Change. Since joining the company in 1991 it's been evolving, and with those changes come personnel changes. You can pick a term, layoffs, rightsizing, downsizing, restructuring, I don't really care what you call it, what it means is some folks are going to be "seeking other job opportunities" as the phrase goes. And I've always been on the right side of those decisions because I've had a skill set the company valued. But I also recognize there can come a day when the number of dollars I'm paid may be seen as too costly and my name could be called. And while I've been vested for many years, reaching 55 means I could theoretically retire if push ever comes to shove.
Now that doesn't mean I'd totally quit working and just travel the world, but it provides a safety net and options that I wouldn't have at 54 years and 9 months.
So while I may have a little more gray hair this birthday than the ones before, there's a little more peace of mind, and maybe a few discounts I didn't get before :)
Ready to talk Cincinnati area real estate? Just give us a call at 513-520-5305 or email Liz@LizSpear.com.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Bill & Liz aka BLiz
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