You Just Signed a 12-Month Lease? Good!
I’m
not sure who invented the snooze button on an alarm clock, but I’m willing to
bet that 99% of you have whispered a silent prayer of thanks once or twice for
the genius of that woman or man. The
snooze button allows us to more gradually transition from a dream state to
reality, if you will, and sort of prepares us to take on a new day. (Wow, that sounded REALLY corny!) I have a point, I promise.
not sure who invented the snooze button on an alarm clock, but I’m willing to
bet that 99% of you have whispered a silent prayer of thanks once or twice for
the genius of that woman or man. The
snooze button allows us to more gradually transition from a dream state to
reality, if you will, and sort of prepares us to take on a new day. (Wow, that sounded REALLY corny!) I have a point, I promise.
Any
realtor/lender worth her/his weight in goose down comforters is always on the
lookout for potential clients whether it’s in line
at The Home Depot buying PVC pipe, sitting at a local Starbucks sipping on an
overpriced beverage, or attending a local church carnival where the most
exciting “ride” is a tall sweaty guy who’s spinning kids around like a
helicopter. They’ll strike up a
conversation and somehow find out that the person they just met lives in AN
APARTMENT. Bingo! But then the new acquaintance utters THAT
phrase: “Yeah, I just signed a 12-month lease.”
A good realtor/lender will smile, hand the person her/his card, and say,
“Give me a call when you’re ready to move.”
But a great one will say, “Good!
You’re in the PERFECT position for buying a home.” They are?
realtor/lender worth her/his weight in goose down comforters is always on the
lookout for potential clients whether it’s in line
at The Home Depot buying PVC pipe, sitting at a local Starbucks sipping on an
overpriced beverage, or attending a local church carnival where the most
exciting “ride” is a tall sweaty guy who’s spinning kids around like a
helicopter. They’ll strike up a
conversation and somehow find out that the person they just met lives in AN
APARTMENT. Bingo! But then the new acquaintance utters THAT
phrase: “Yeah, I just signed a 12-month lease.”
A good realtor/lender will smile, hand the person her/his card, and say,
“Give me a call when you’re ready to move.”
But a great one will say, “Good!
You’re in the PERFECT position for buying a home.” They are?
When
someone has just signed a 12-month lease, they’re warm and comfy under the
covers, and they’re dreaming of living in a home one day –
and at this point, it’s not a reality.
If they get too comfortable, though, they wake up halfway through month
11 to a notice from their landlord/apartment manager that it’s time to renew
their lease – it’s a metaphorical alarm clock with no snooze button and no gentle
transition.
someone has just signed a 12-month lease, they’re warm and comfy under the
covers, and they’re dreaming of living in a home one day –
and at this point, it’s not a reality.
If they get too comfortable, though, they wake up halfway through month
11 to a notice from their landlord/apartment manager that it’s time to renew
their lease – it’s a metaphorical alarm clock with no snooze button and no gentle
transition.
That
first meeting between the great realtor/lender and the person who’s renting is
like the alarm clock going off and being able to hit the snooze button. Just before hitting snooze, the
realtor/lender plants the seed in the renter’s mind that buying a home is THE
next step –
nothing more, and the renter returns to blissful slumber and dreaming of being
a homeowner. Three months later, the
alarm goes off again in the form of the realtor/lender saying it’s time to look
at the renter’s credit so there’s sufficient time to do any repair or scrubbing
–
and it’s time to hit the metaphorical snooze again. At the six-month mark, the alarm goes off,
and it’s time to start a casual internet search to determine what types of
homes and areas the buyer likes and what it will take to qualify for them –
hit the snooze bar again. Nine months
into the lease, the alarm sounds, and it’s time to start looking at homes
because credit has been repaired and the buyer has a good idea of what she/he
wants and knows what she/he is qualified to purchase. When the 12-month lease is up, the buyer
wakes up to the reality of being a homeowner.
first meeting between the great realtor/lender and the person who’s renting is
like the alarm clock going off and being able to hit the snooze button. Just before hitting snooze, the
realtor/lender plants the seed in the renter’s mind that buying a home is THE
next step –
nothing more, and the renter returns to blissful slumber and dreaming of being
a homeowner. Three months later, the
alarm goes off again in the form of the realtor/lender saying it’s time to look
at the renter’s credit so there’s sufficient time to do any repair or scrubbing
–
and it’s time to hit the metaphorical snooze again. At the six-month mark, the alarm goes off,
and it’s time to start a casual internet search to determine what types of
homes and areas the buyer likes and what it will take to qualify for them –
hit the snooze bar again. Nine months
into the lease, the alarm sounds, and it’s time to start looking at homes
because credit has been repaired and the buyer has a good idea of what she/he
wants and knows what she/he is qualified to purchase. When the 12-month lease is up, the buyer
wakes up to the reality of being a homeowner.
So,
if I start seeing an increase of photos on Pinterest
of PVC pipes, Starbucks cups, and tall sweaty guys, I’ll know this little
missive’s message hit home. Meanwhile,
I’m going to see a doctor to find out if there’s any way for me to be less
corny. Pray for me.
