We are knee-deep in college applications at our house. As my son writes his essays, the word preparation keeps coming to the forefront. It’s one of the qualities he learned on the road to becoming an Eagle Scout. He’s not the only one thinking about the Boy Scout motto. Yesterday, in John Boe’s RIS Media article titled, “Planning Counts: Be Prepared,” Boe states, “I believe that when W.D. Boyce founded the Boy Scouts of America in 1910 he selected ‘Be Prepared’ as the organization’s motto, because he understand that preparation was the key to unlock the door of opportunity.”

I totally agree with both my son and Boe – and the Boy Scouts: Being Prepared is the key to success.

Being Prepared for our Lafayette Real Estate Market

I learned early about the importance of Being Prepared to closing successful real estate transactions for clients.

For me, “Being Prepared” starts with maintaining a deep understanding of market conditions. That continued commitment is paying off for my clients. Never has it been more critical to know the subtle and often-changing nuances of our current market. It is critical to decisions regarding pricing, staging, marketing and advertising strategies for each individual property.

“Being Prepared” is critical for home owners, too. Selling and buying a home can be a stressful time. What I’ve noticed is that their “Being Prepared” is a great way to relieve stress and ensure a successful transaction!

4 Tips for Reducing Real Estate Stress

Here are some easy things you can do now to help make your next real estate transaction successful and less stressful:

(1)   Stay Current on Home Maintenance, everything from cleaning the gutters to minding the plumbing. Spending a little time and effort now helps maintain your home’s value and decrease the cost and drama of quick fixes as you prepare to sell.

(2)   Stay informed about your local market if you’re selling and the market you want to live in if you’re buying. It’s not enough to just read the papers or go to online real estate sites. Real estate is a hyper local market. There’s no substitute for canvassing open houses to gauge not just price but condition of homes. When neighbors sell, walk through during their open house. That’s your lifestyle comparable – even if prices change. (I am at one of our open houses almost every Sunday afternoon – stop in and say hello!)

(3)   Tackle Financial Issues Early. Whether you’re a buyer or seller, entering the real estate market with limited financial flexibility increases the stress and reduces your options.

(4)  Reach Out Early and Often. Online tools are terrific but limiting. They can’t effectively gauge hyper local nuances about market conditions. I’m here to answer your questions. Call or Email. Stop me when you see me in town. I also invite you to join me online – commenting on this blog, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn or Twitter.  Collectively, these conversations go a long way to help you enter the market with price expectations that match market conditions, a combination that not only helps you pick your timing but is always the key to achieving top dollar for your property whenever you do decide to sell.

Speaking of Being Prepared… I guess I’d better start getting ready to watch my son go off to college. Any advice?