Last week I wrote that blogging can be many things. However, I must be the unfortunate one to inform you that blogging is not real estate.
2008 has been a year of a lot of change for me so far. Lee and I launched Epiblogger. I recently got a new job as a Web Project Manager (I need to update the About page). Last week I became an uncle for the first time and subsequently had to hold my niece (it was terrifying). Now, it turns out, that I am eligible for a mortgage and my wife and I have begun looking for a new house. I have been in a lot of stressful situations, but this might actually top all of them. I can’t sleep, I can’t stop thinking about it, I am worrying sick that I might actually end up with a mortgage payment I can’t handle and then I will be thrown out on the street and I will have to beg for money but people will think I just want drugs and they will kick me and then I will get a dog to protect me but everyone will be so afraid of the dog that they won’t give me money and they won’t allow the dog in any shelters so I will have to sleep outside in the streets and then I will get mugged for the 8 pop cans I found and I won’t have 80 cents the next day so that I can buy the delicious apple strudel that I want and sooner or later winter will come and I won’t have anywhere to go and so I will freeze and that will be the end of me.
As you can tell, and not in a crazy or rambling way, that real estate is nothing like blogging. The other thing I mentioned in that post last week is that I was going to be releasing an article. Honestly, I have been too busy and too stressed to get it to the point of being able to release it. So I do apologize for that. But I have a solid draft that needs minor editing. I am going to shoot a video for it. And I have a special surprise to go with it. Okay, back to the post.
One of my favourite things about the internet is the great community. I always tell people there is not that much too worry about on the internet. You just have to be smart about it. Don’t go to shady sites. Don’t buy things on insecure/non-trusted sites. Don’t download search tools or screen savers. And so on. But lately the internet is pissing me off.
Similarly, I like to watch a lot of home reno/first time buyer/real estate shows on HGTV. I approached this whole “buying a house/condo” thing pretty carefree. It’s not as hard as all the dumb people on those shows. Just stay detached, know your limits and don’t get talked into something you don’t want. Frig. Easier said than done. Last night, while viewing a potential home, it became evident to me that I was no longer carefree. I need this home. I have to have this home. We were not doing a good job at being detached. I asked our realtor if we should put in an offer and if we do how much. He said: We should go somewhere else to discuss this in case they are recording us. I couldn’t believe it. That is not something I ever heard about. Recording us is the equivalent of spyware, basically. Jerks. Get away from me.
Lately, it seems that the internet hasn’t been that friendly either. Last week I got an email from a supposed domain seller asking to buy one of my domains. I sent the email to Lee and we both thought he might be legit. I sent him a figure. He immediately replied—Sure, but you need to have the domain appraised. I told him I would not pay for an appraisal (which costed $200 and he was likely to get a cut of), but he could get it done and take the price of the appraisal off the total amount. He did not respond. Scammer. (There were actually about 16 messages by the end, but I shortened it up a bit.)
I realize that I tend to be a bit of a dreamer. I am an ideas guy. I prefer my head in the clouds. It’s much happier up there. I dislike being forced to deal with people who might record me to get an edge. I dislike people trying to trick me out of my money. Luckily, blogging is nothing like that. We have a great community and no scammers. A couple of scrapers, but that’s no big deal.
That’s it. I told you blogs had nothing to do with real estate. It might be a bit like the internet though. I just wanted to let you know that this isn’t a stressful place for me and I have really appreciated all of you and that you have allowed me to keep my head in the clouds and keep thinking of new ideas. Have a good day. Hopefully I will have an article for you soon.
Photo by DryIcons
Subscribe via RSS
Subscribe via Email
2 Comments
Rhett, just wanted to tell you that I can absolutely relate to what you’re going through as a house hunter. And also to give you heads up: you know what’s more stressful than being a first-time home-buyer? the next-time buyer. That’s what we’ve been going through last fall.
It’s catch22 - do we sell our place first and look for a new house (by adding a condition to buy a new place in the contract with our buyers), or do we find a place we like, put an offer with the condition that we first sell our place? The problem is that nobody wants and likes to sign a deal with buyers/sellers with conditions.
What happened in our case was that after a long search we finally found a place we liked, put an offer, with a condition that we’ll sell our place in one month. They promised to extend the date, if we don’t sell in a month. It was a crazy month, open houses almost every other day…. but we didn’t get a buyer, and they didn’t extend the date and broke the deal. Four days later we had a buyer for our place, but no place to go… now the condition was that we have to find a place in a month. We did manage to find a place after four weeks of searching, and moved to a new place before Christmas. Crazy, eh?
I agree, blogging is not that stressful, although it does come with its own anxieties.
Good luck with your house hunting!
Thanks Vivien. I am happy to not be alone (and happy to not have any extra “second time” stess). While I do agree that there are some anxieties of blogging, they anxieties I am happy to endure.