December 14, 2020
The Blessings of Home
If 2020 has taught us anything, it is the importance of HOME. We are doing EVERYTHING from h
ome:
- Sheltering
- Schooling
- Working
- Playing
- Eating
- Drinking (!)
- Working Out
- Fixing Up
- Watching Movies
- Shopping
You name it, it is all happening at home. And this has emphasized the point that it is not just HAVING a home that is important – but having the RIGHT home in the RIGHT place.
The buyers and sellers in this market have changed over time. Initially, we saw abject terror. Folks were literally paralyzed when the pandemic hit and stay-at-home became a way of life. About six weeks later, after the initial shock wore off, the real estate market begin to heat up – and it has not stopped.
Whether they were coming from a more densely populated spot, leaving Mom and Dad’s house, or getting out of a rental, people wanted a place of their own. A place where they could do all the things they needed and wanted to do. A place to feel safe.
Then we started seeing another change. People were re-thinking their lives and taking a long, hard look at what they were doing and where they really wanted to be. The pandemic sparked an awareness that life is fleeting. They realized things they thought were important were really not – especially now. They started asking themselves:
- What am I doing?
- Why am I (literally) here?
- Why am I waiting to retire when I have all I need and want to take advantage of the time I have left?
- Why am I waiting to move near my children and grandchildren, or near my aging parents?
- Why am I living in this cold climate when I crave the warmth of the South?
In many cases, folks are not happy with their answers. And for these – and thousands of other truly monumental reasons – they are deciding to move.
We see so many people on this journey right now. 2020 has given us this gift of introspection. It has allowed us to slow down enough to understand what is most important to us, and where we should be headed. And as this unpredictable year draws to a close, this is one gift that will keep on giving.
