No, I haven’t started talking about boxing for this post! A jab, or jab stroke, in golf is a sloppy, jerky stroke. Too often, this happens around the green when touch and finesse are the most important. Most of the time, totally unintentional, a jab can be anything from an involuntary muscle twitch in the muscles of the upper body or a very poor technique. A great golf game can be totally derailed by a jab stroke and especially if the movement is involuntary then correcting it can be very difficult.
The real estate equivalent of a jab stroke comes in the form of bad buying practices that a Realtor can help a client to avoid. Some good examples of jab strokes in real estate are unrealistic expectations, bad attitudes and general mistakes that newbie buyers are often guilty of making.
Unrealistic Expectations:
These can be varied and abundant, ranging from unrealistic expectations about timelines and price especially can sully the buying process for any shopper. A good Realtor can help a buyer understand what a fair market value is for the home they are trying to purchase so that some of these unrealistic expectations can be alleviated. A buyer also needs to understand that the odds of finding absolutely everything on a very long wishlist can be challenging at best and may be out of budget or may take a long time to find. Again, a good Realtor can help a buyer to understand what is realistic in the market at the time. There will be no better resource for a buyer than their Realtor as the Realtor spends all day, every day in the market and knows for certain what the environment looks like. For example, I specialize in golf course homes and I am an excellent resource for any buyers interested in a home like that.
Bad Attitude:
As we’ve all seen in many motivational sayings, attitude can be everything. Of course, life circumstances such as death or divorce can certainly taint the buying process but overall this is not a good reason to have a bad attitude. Have a negative attitude about the buying process will make it seem long and unpleasant for Realtor and buyer alike and most of the time a bad attitude will not get any better results than originally intended. Buying a home goes best when the buyer and Realtor work together as a team and the buyer is somewhat happy about the process and finds something to be at least slightly excited about.
Newbie mistakes to avoid:
There is a learning curve to almost everything in life and buying a home is no exception. With so many steps and details to remember and think about, a new buyer especially should rely heavily on the expertise of the Realtor. Newbie mistakes can mirror the mistakes of seasoned buyers when it comes to price and deadline and again the best remedy to this it to listen to the Realtor. A Realtor’s primary goal is to do the best for their client and there should be a level of trust between buyer and Realtor. Another newbie mistake can also include trying to control too much of the process as many deadlines will be out of control anyway. Finally, a key mistake of a newbie buyer can be an unrelenting wishlist that far exceeds the budget. A newbie buyer must understand that real estate can often be a tiered game and that the dream home may not be the first home and that a starter home can be fun too while the upgrade to the dream home comes later. Besides, styles and preferences change over time.
When you’re ready to begin your home search, contact me at (720) 323-4176, I’d love the chance to help you caddy your home search! – Doug
