How to Appeal to Buyers' Senses at a Moment’s Notice

Appeal to Buyer’s Senses at a Moment’s Notice

Fear & Financing

The process of applying for a mortgage intimidates most people, especially first-time home buyers.  Whether you're renting a tiny apartment or a big house, or still living with your parents, people who haven't been through the process have no idea what to expect, which causes fear of the unknown.  Oftentimes they assume they won't qualify to a buy a house, so they continue to rent instead of investing in their own future, which is fear of rejection and disappointment.  Others have kept such poor records of their finances that the thought of getting organized is just too overwhelming, which leads to more procrastination.  

 

Regardless of the reasons for your anxiety, it may help to know that it's fairly universal.  Ask anyone else that's gone through it recently and you'll hear similar stories over and over.  The mortgage application process really isn't that scary or even difficult if you know what to expect. 

I think the very first step to reducing application anxiety is to find a lender that you like.  There is no one-size-fits-all; every buyer has a unique personality, so what matters to you may not matter to someone else.  Recommendations from friends and family are great, but just because you trust them doesn't mean their needs are the same as yours.  Think about your preferred communication style, for example.  Do you want someone that can chit-chat for hours, or do you want to keep the dialogue to necessary information only?   Are you someone that feels more comfortable talking about private matters in person, over the phone, or via email?  How quickly does this lender typically take to respond to questions?   You should pick a lender that will work well with your style and expectations for customer service.

The second step is to gather up the documents that the lender is going to need to process your application.  Doing this ahead of time can save on numerous hiccups down the road.  However, no matter how much documentation you provide up front, still expect the lender to request more from you once you're under contract to purchase a particular home.  To streamline the process as much as possible, though, you should plan on producing the following documents: your driver's license, bank account statements, W-2's and tax returns for the past 2-3 years, and pay stubs for all sources of income (including child support, pension, disability, etc).

The last and most important step is to summon all your courage and just do it.  You'll never know whether you qualify if you don't apply. 

Buying a home is like a marathon, not a sprint.  The process may test your endurance and commitment.  Consider asking friends and family to be your cheerleaders and sounding boards, providing support and encouragement along the way.  It's a big decision, but remember that you are in charge every step of the way.  

 

Hiring a Buyer's Agent to guide you through the process is a great idea, too.  More to come in a future blog about that topic. 

Puzzles

Real estate is an especially unpredictable business.  Some days you think you know what will happen, but then it often doesn't work out the way you expected, so most days are anyone's guess.  The essential function of this business is to bring people together to accomplish their housing goals.  It's a puzzle, really.  Matching buyers with the right house, and finding sellers the right buyer at the right price.


I love a good puzzle.  Not crossword puzzles; they're too hard.  But the kind where you fit the variably shaped pieces together.  (I googled it and learned that they're called jigsaw puzzles, which is also ironic because my boyfriend is a builder... but, I digress).  I'm not a fan of the ones with like 1000 pieces that take forever, but more basic ones with anywhere from 10-250 pieces.  Many of them look like they'll fit together, but they don't, so you have to keep trying to find where it goes.  Each time I place a new piece I feel an internal relief and sense of satisfaction.  It probably has a lot to do with my undiagnosed OCD tendencies and craving for organization.  Hmm, never really thought of it this way, but makes sense.

As a child, I remember getting a Nintendo Gameboy for Christmas one year, and being mesmerized while playing Tetris.  This game took the puzzle to a whole new interactive level, where I could move and turn the pieces to make them work.  Sometimes I didn't have a good place to put a piece, but inevitably, I had to find a way to make it work, or else the game was over.


Working with buyers is a lot like playing Tetris.  You would think it's easy enough to match Buyer A with House D.  Or Seller B with Buyer G.  You show a prospective buyer enough homes for sale, and they're bound to find the perfect one for them.  Or show your listing to enough buyers, and one of them will buy it.  In theory, this is true, but it doesn't always work out that way.

Sometimes what they're looking for isn't available right now, or not in the town where they're looking, or in their price range.  They could choose to change some of their puzzle pieces in order to find the right fit, but buyers are reluctant to do this, hoping that the right one will come along if they just look hard enough.  Several times I've experienced cases of it just not being the right time, no matter how many adjustments and compromises are made.

When something is too difficult, I believe the universe is trying to tell us something, so rather than force a bad fit (whether it's a house, job, relationship, etc) it's better to take a step back and wait.  Let things settle naturally in their place.  When the time is right, it will all work out.

This spiritual approach helps me find acceptance for the unpredictable things that happen constantly in this business.

People are anything but simple.  We are complicated creatures.  Thoughts, moods and behaviors can change from one moment to the next.  What you thought was a "done deal" or a "sure thing" can turn out to be anything but straightforward or finished.  Having the right attitude is everything when it comes to buying, selling, and brokering.

Luckily for me (and the people I work with), I enjoy a good puzzle and have the patience and determination to keep working at it until it's solved.  Who would have thought that puzzles had anything to do with real estate?

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