Procrastination

Procrastination

Real estate gives me the flexibility to arrange my schedule. Traditionally, realtors work when the rest of you don’t work including a lot of nights and weekends.  Coming from retail, I was okay with that. It also gives me the opportunity to volunteer for something I believe in. Because my mother-in-law was cared for at Ohio Health’s Hospice, I was drawn to volunteer there.  For over 25 years, I have been volunteering and financially supporting Kobacker House, which is the free-standing hospice facility off Riverside Drive.

I have learned from many families who have gone through the program that there is no right or wrong way to grieve.  Being around patients, their families and the nurses, I am privileged to get perspectives and wisdom from loved ones facing end of life.  What I hear many times is summed up in a book by Bronnie Ware called “The Top Five Regrets of The Dying.”

The regrets usually start with “I wish I would have….”

I’m a procrastinator.  Many of you are procrastinators, admit it.  We try to avoid the things we procrastinate over because they might cause some pain, while kicking the can down the road only makes us feel guilty.  Of course, once we do it, the thing we procrastinated over wasn’t such a big deal. We got through it.

In no way will I ever equate end of life perspective to buying or selling a house but both involve procrastination.

We know there is a shortage of homes available.  We use logical reasons not to sell and we justify what those are.  I’ve spoken of the “golden handcuffs” where you have a 3.5% mortgage rate and current rates are in the 6% range.  Many say “even if I sell, where am I going to go?”  “There’s nothing for sale that I like” or “that financially that makes no sense.”  “Why would I sell my big house, and settle for something half the size that costs the same or more than my current home?”

All are great, valid, logical reasons.

But, do you still love your house? Can you still maintain your house?  Has your lifestyle changed because the kids are getting bigger and there’s no room? Are you working at home and you have no where to work that fits with the family coming in and out? Did you buy a house during a frenzy because you were afraid somebody else would get it?  Trust me, many did.   Did you buy only because the interest rate was so low you could get so much house for the money?

Stop procrastinating and move on to something you want and love.  There is always a solution.  If you have nowhere to go, think differently. Sell the house and rent downtown to see if you like that lifestyle.  Build a house with everything you every wanted or needed.  Get an apartment and travel.  Move into any area you want and have the kids go to a private school as there are so many other choices now.

The pain you will feel, pain of moving, pain of storing stuff, pain of higher interest rates are temporary.  At a certain point in your life, you know what you want and need.  Make the decision now so you can enjoy your choice. 

Stop procrastinating!