I was shocked. Actually I was probably more like astounded than anything at what I had just read. On this rainy dreary morning on the gulf coast of Texas, currently suffering the hangover of Hurricane Dolly, I needed to refill my coffee mug, grab a cigar, yes I smoke those when I need to contemplate the world, and think. I had just finished reading a daily briefing I receive from a well respected real estate website that said 4 out of 5 (84%) adults say there is something intimidating about buying a home. One out of three adults says money-related issues are a concern. Okay I can understand the money-related issues, particularly in today's economy with astronomically high gas prices and the usual amount of fear mongering that comes with a presidential election year. But that still leaves 50% of home buyers with some form of fear involving the home buying process. I need to digest this and see if this could be the problem with any of my current fence-sitting buyers. Maybe that is a question I need to incorporate into my initial home buyers interview....."Is there anything you fear or that intimidates you about the home buying process?". Time to contemplate this with my coffee and cigar.
What is intimidating about the home buying process? Could it be me the agent? I hope not. If you will let me gain your trust by showing you that I really do have your best interest at heart and not my pocketbook there should be no fear of me. Heck I can't intimidate the 10 year olds on the baseball team I coach so I certainly should not be intimidating to you. Will you always like what I have to say? Probably not. When I tell you that submitting an offer 25% below a correctly priced listing is a waste of time that doesn't mean I am not on your side. It means my loyalty is to you but my duty is to all involved in the transaction and that I do not like killing three trees because of all of the paperwork involved in submitting a very low offer that I know is going to be immediately laughed at and rejected. Please don't feel intimidated when I tell you it is a waste of time to go look at a 1,800sf home because you liked the pictures when you have told me you need a minimum 2,200sf home. I am saving us both time and money. I am on your side. I hopefully am not an intimidating factor in the home buying process.
Could the loan officers be an intimidating factor in this process? I hope not. I understand that the Good Faith Estimate (GFE) they provide can be financial gibberish but that is the governments fault and not theirs. A good loan officer and a good real estate agent will explain every number on the GFE to you. Can it be intimidating when the loan officer tells you your credit score is not as good as you thought? Yep, probably, but that is not their fault. It is them telling you the truth. I hope you are not intimidated by the truth. I have a credit restoration specialist who can help with low credit scores. We are all here to help and not be intimidating.
What else could it be? Could it be the title company, the long legalistic title commitment, the escrow officer, the seller, the other agent, the appraiser, the surveyor, the one-hundred papers you have to sign at closing, the homeowners association, the deed restrictions, the home inspection, the termite inspection, the move, the new school district, the nosy new neighbors, the number of homes available to view, the higher mortgage payment, game room, media room, family room, great room...what is the difference in those, granite or corian, am I moving to a Peyton Place, Stepford Wives, Mr. Rogers' or Desperate Housewives type neighborhood, will my kids adjust to the move, do I really want to retire here, am I far enough away from my in-laws, am I to close to my in-laws, am I to far from my aging parents, carpet or tile, pool or no pool, do I really need a formal dining room, one story or two story, new or resale home.........tilt, tilt, tilt, tilt!!!! Maybe I just got it.
Ahhhhhhh.......maybe it isn't the process that intimidates us but rather the fear we create by thinking of all the above mentioned possibilities and questions that loom in this actually rather simple process. Remember Winston Churchill said "All we have to fear is fear itself". I know what I am going to do. I am going to revamp my initial buyer's interview and incorporate within that the question "What intimidates you about the home buying process?". Do you think that is a good idea? Please tell me as potential home buyers and agents what you think intimidates home buyers about the home buying process. I would really like to know. Perfect timing, my coffee and cigar are finished. Okay it is time to call my fence-sitting buyers and talk with them about what might be intimidating them.
Have a GREAT day!!
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