Just Let Go

Many of us moved here at the top of the market.  We took advantage of the crazy rising prices in the north, sold our homes at a premium and moved south.  Adios cold weather, dreary cloudy days and hello sunshine! We bought a bigger house with a wee bit of land and settled in for the long haul. Several years later we realize it’s time to downsize to something a bit smaller with a wee bit less land.  The problem?  Remember how we sold at the top of the market in the North?  Well, we also bought at the top of the market in the South.  In today’s real estate world markets have adjusted to more realistic levels, which means they moved down in certain areas or held steady.  Some areas fared better than others. The appreciation so many of us enjoyed is simply not there.  Is this a bad thing?  Not necessarily! Today’s market allows you to buy more for your money and obtain a mortgage rate at record lows. This translates into smaller mortgages, not to mention less home maintenance if you’re downsizing, etc.  Some people may still have a hard time excepting the situation.  After all, no one likes to know their home hasn’t appreciated, especially if they’ve added things to enhance the home over the years.   

What do you do if you’re one of these sellers?  It’s really simple, seriously!  It’s important to keep things in perspective, not always an easy task.  But we need to step back and ask the question, “Will my life be better if I “just let go?”  I don't mean to sound like I'm minimizing this situation, I'm not!  You need to remember why you want to move and consider the quality of life you will have in your new home.  So many get wrapped up in the emotional aspect of the transition.  The mind set “I’m not going to give my house away” mentality.  You’re not.  You’re moving on to something better. If only you just let go.....