Home Buying Stress? You are not alone!

It is not easy being YOU

It is another day in your quest to buy a home. Depending on the length of your current journey, at times you are feeling like that tiny bit of dust caught between a very solid rock and hard spot. You know all the things that are bothering you and nobody else seems to get it. You are not alone.

There is a very old saying "an apple does not fall far from the tree". You hear it when folks are describing how children seem to have many of the characteristics of their parents. People chuckle and give a knowing nod and the moment passes. Most of us do have some characteristics that seem awfully similar to our parents. Oh sure, we strive to be better. We secretly fear that we are becoming our mother or father. We all want to be in individual, viewed on our own merits. But still, we are all slaves to our up bringing and the world that formed us.

You may be wondering, what does this have to do with your current stress level? Everything. You see, the world that you grew up in was as large as the universe you understood and as small as the invisible barriers you did not realize existed. Your world was shaped at your dining room table. Dining room table worlds are like snow flakes, no two of them are exactly alike. Your experience and understanding are what you bring to the home buying process. It may be the biggest piece of the puzzle (after all, you are buying the home), but yours is just one piece that has to some how smoothly interact with all the other pieces.

They all apples and none of them are exactly alike.

Your real estate agent, your lender, your home inspector, your appraiser, your spouse or co-buyer (if any) are all apples in their own right. They all have fallen close to their own tree. They bring their background, belief system and personal style to your journey. Just like you, every single one of them believes what they are saying and doing is the right thing. Often, they use language from their industry that is comfortable to them but entirely foreign to you. You have to add to the mix that they are interpreting every thing you say based on their understanding of the words and phrases you use. In the effort to make sure everyone is on the same page, at the same time, the process may seem to slow down or come to a screeching halt. It is still moving forward, but it sure can feel like progress is not part of the equation.

Your stress is a direct result of the difference between your expectations and your perception of the reality of the moment. Whether anyone wants to accept it or not, perception is your reality. How well your expectations are being managed will directly impact your stress level. Something that may be overlooked is the fact that everyone else involved is dealing with perceptions, expectations and stress. You are not alone.

How do you take all these apples and make the best pie?

You can't. Individually, your agent, your lender, your home inspector, your appraiser, your spouse or co-buyer can not do it alone either. more ...