More and more these past years I have found fewer buyers and sellers stepping back a bit and considering the whole picture of where they see themselves in the next five or ten years. Since I work with the crosscut of buyers, I see the same thought processes in all age groups. For example, I am working with a couple who have two teenage children who will likely be living at home for five years at the most. They are looking at homes that will in 7 years be nothing more than under-utilized zones of living. While showing homes this evening, I went down a street and noticed a woman walking her dog who lives with her husband in a giant two story home they had built when their daughter was in high school. I thought to myself, “What must those two who don’t even entertain say to each other to justify living in that monster home?” Yes, I know how society has a way of pressuring people to show signs of conspicuous consumption when doing business with the public. If you “appear” to be successful, then you must be successful. Right?
Well, this all goes back to consumerism. The media is very good at convincing us that we have to have this or that to make our lives more fulfilled. Perhaps I’m going against the grain and saying, “Step back and look at the whole picture and see what is really the most important in our lives.” In talking to two other Realtors at a meeting today, I was delighted to find that these two who grew up in similar environments as myself, were speaking about how their youth was filled with much work and little material reward. What was most interesting, is we all agreed that those were the most beloved years of our lives. So with that said. I challenge you as well as myself to step back a step or two and start thinking forward about what is best for the future of our communities, our nation, and our world.
