JULIE GARDNER
  • HOME
  • COMPASS
    • WHY COMPASS?
    • COMPASS CONCIERGE
    • COMPASS BRIDGE LOANS
  • LISTINGS
  • ABOUT
    • ABOUT JULIE
    • A DYNAMIC PARTNERSHIP
    • CONTACT
    • PROCESS
    • TESTIMONIALS
    • PRESS
  • PROJECTS
    • BEFORE & AFTER
    • GARDENS
    • OUR TEAM
    • VIDEOS
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • UTILITIES
    • SCHOOLS

Vol. 276 - Happy Anniversary, Honey

5/3/2013

0 Comments

 
On Monday, Cliff and I celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary. (Happy Anniversary, Honey) That's about half as long as my parents have been married, but certainly enough years to have to have set down roots, to have established a family (the boys are practically grown now) and to have built an incredibly rewarding life together.

Anyone who's walked down the aisle or stood in front of a Justice of the Peace, can tell you that it's not always easy.  Marriage is a journey of ups and downs, rewards and challenges, and unexpected turns; it's promises kept and forgotten, commitment and duty, and a great deal of acceptance along the way (okay, I'm still working on that part). Above all else, a successful marriage involves a great deal of love, respect, and compromise.

Truth be told, most of us marry one another on "potential."
We don't really have a clue what's in store for us in the long haul, but we take the plunge anyway with faith and perseverance, secure in the belief that love and laughter will pull us through (note to my boys, marry someone who makes you laugh and whom you make laugh, in turn - it does!)  Add children to the mix, and it's a whole NEW opportunity for growth . . .  Still, on balance, it's a journey well-worth taking.  I guess it would be fair to say: I've been"lucky in love."

Nevertheless, "luck" has less to do with love, than do faith and perseverance. The same can be said with respect to Real Estate as well.  First and foremost, you have to believe in the marketplace and you have to have faith in the security of your investment; faith in the concept of future appreciation, AND then you persevere . . .     Successful Buyers believe in the "potential," whether in the "fixer," or in the "turn-key" opportunity, whether in an UP or DOWN marketplace, and whether in a secure or a volatile economy. They also, believe in the dream, which is why real Buyers are often willing to battle time and again before securing the perfect property. (Well . . . almost perfect.) 
As of late, there have been a fair number of homes sold on "potential" and in most cases, they have gone in incredibly competitive situations, which means the "lucky" Buyers weren't just lucky, they were prepared AND to my point, they had also persevered.     I've spoken to preparation and perseverance many times before and it has never been more important than it is in today's highly charged, incredibly challenging marketplace. Speak with a local lender, get a pre-approval letter qualifying your credit-worthiness, and be prepared to go to war.  (There's no point in writing offers that don't stand a chance.)    Meet with a local Realtor, tour the area, identify the communities that you desire, become familiar with the inventory, track the sales prices, and then commit fully to the process.    If you need to sell first in order to purchase, start that process right away: prepare your home for sale, investigate, inspect, and disclose (a real act of commitment) and then make your next move.      BTW - while the majority of capable owners can handle many of these steps on their own, aligning yourself with an agent UPFRONT gives him/her the legal capacity to aggressively step in and take on much of the stress buying or selling a home entails. In other words, put an agent to work!  (We're more than happy to earn our fee and your trust along the way.)
Hey, I'm here to help you set down roots, meet your goals and take the next step.  After many years of practice, I've gotten very good at supporting dreams (that's a mother's job). It's also your Realtor's.  Please give me a call.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Subscribe

    Author

    Julie Gardner, has been writing The Perspective for 18 years and has published more than 670 essays on life and real estate. 

    Picture

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    March 2009
    February 2009
    January 2009
    December 2008
    November 2008
    October 2008
    September 2008
    August 2008
    July 2008
    June 2008
    May 2008
    April 2008
    March 2008

    Categories

    All
    Business
    Design
    Drought
    Holiday
    Home Maintenance
    Homes For Sale
    Life
    Market
    Politics
    Renovation

    RSS Feed

    View my profile on LinkedIn
Piedmont · Oakland · Berkeley
 510.326.0840
julie@juliegardner.com
DRE# 01431765
​COMPASS

  • HOME
  • COMPASS
    • WHY COMPASS?
    • COMPASS CONCIERGE
    • COMPASS BRIDGE LOANS
  • LISTINGS
  • ABOUT
    • ABOUT JULIE
    • A DYNAMIC PARTNERSHIP
    • CONTACT
    • PROCESS
    • TESTIMONIALS
    • PRESS
  • PROJECTS
    • BEFORE & AFTER
    • GARDENS
    • OUR TEAM
    • VIDEOS
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • UTILITIES
    • SCHOOLS