Catch or Release? What Fishing Has Taught Me About the Home Buying Process
You know what they say about fishing? Good things come to those who bait. Corny, I know.
But all joking aside, I've been thinking a lot about the parallels between fishing and real estate. Trust me, there are a ton.
For those of you who don't know, I've been a big fan of recreational fishing since I first met my husband. Most of the fishermen I knew growing up were commercial fisherman, but it wasn't until I met Steve that I got to experience the real thrill of recreational fishing.
I was hooked! (pardon the pun again). It’s something we enjoy whether we're at home or on vacation.
Just a couple Christmases ago, my husband and I went down to Costa Rica to one of our favorite spots to hopefully catch some sailfish. It did not disappoint. The first day alone, after taking out two boats, we caught a total of 23 sailfish in a whopping 8 hours (catch and release, of course). Two days later, we were ready to go back for more. This time, it was just Ed (my brother in law), Steve and myself.
Just like most things in life, fishing has a way of surprising you.
While we knew we were smack dab in the middle of sailfish season and having the hottest sailfish bite we'd ever seen, we had no idea that the tuna bite was hot too - until our captain pointed it out to us.
"I noticed you had some pretty good luck with sailfish yesterday. But the word on the street is that the tuna bite is picking up right now," he said.
"What do you think about mixing it up a bit and trying for tuna today?"
Of course, we said "Yes."
On one hand, we knew we were doing the captain a favor, giving him a chance to see what the tuna bite was really like. But on the other hand, we also knew we were giving ourselves a challenge.
Let me tell you how glad we were to take that chance!
Honestly, it was a shame we were in Costa Rica and not in Florida. We could have brought home enough tuna to enjoy for MONTHS! Instead, tuna was our main menu item for the remainder of the trip.
Moral of the story?
We came for the sailfish but experienced the most joy and excitement from the last-minute tuna catch. It's the little surprises like that (or big, in this case) that make for the most memorable moments.
If we had not followed the captain's advice--the advice of the professional, who knows how to read the weather forecast, tides and ocean patterns-- we would have missed out completely.
It's a lot like a situation a good friend and client of mine went through when buying his new home.
My client, Blake, is a good friend of ours. He lives in our neighborhood and, until now, has found the golf scene to fit him perfectly. It was right in line with his lifestyle and current needs. It was a place he saw himself living forever.
So, naturally when it came time to invest in a new home, he wasn't looking too far outside of his current zip code. At first, anyway.
But, just like the catch of the day, life has a way of surprising you.
A little while into his home search, Blake's life situation changed quite a bit. He ended up getting back into farm-life, got engaged and decided he wanted to do a lot more entertaining now that he’d have his own version of the Brady Bunch. 6 kids, 3 dogs and a horse!
Long story short, the golf course community he lived in was not going to cut it anymore.
He wanted to find a farm, with open space and plenty of opportunities to build a new kind of life for himself and his fiancé. At first, however, both Blake and his fiancé thought they would have to spend a ton to enjoy that kind of lifestyle.
Usually, in these situations, buyers do one of two things:
1. They scour sites like Redfin or Zillow and come to me or another agent with a home they want to see.
2. They give up because they just can't find what they're looking for in their price range.
In this situation, I got to do something most agents rarely ever get to do anymore. I got to find Blake and his fiancé their dream home!
They knew they wanted something on at least 4 acres, close to commuter roads and move-in ready with some areas that could be customized to their own style. All of their online searches were done with that criteria. They typed in a desired area and used the minimum acreage of 4.0 to see what was available.
One clear way that computer algorithms fall short is that they can't think outside of the box.
The home I found for Blake (the home he decided to buy) was 3.98 acres. So, it was never going to show up in their search results. Lo and behold, it ended up being the home they fell in love with.
Located in a peaceful, private country setting that was right inside their desired school district, it could not have been more perfect. It is an updated country home, less than 10 minutes from Route 50. It is well taken care of and has the perfect set up for entertaining.
Once they saw it, they were home.
Just like what happened with our sailfish expedition, they went out thinking they were going to get one thing and ended up coming back with something totally different. I was thrilled to take on the role of "Captain" for them this time and put them on a property that was exactly what they were looking for.
Whether you are fishing or making one of the biggest purchases in your life, this is what it means to work with an expert.
At Benson & Mangold Real Estate, we work with clients on every end of the spectrum and with as different needs and wants as you can imagine. Some sellers can invest up to $20K in our documented approach, while others rely on us to maximize the perceived value of their home.
Some buyers come to us with the exact home they want and rely on us to handle the negotiating process in their favor. Others are unsure what they're looking for and rely on our expertise to find them a home they will ultimately love for years to come.
No two buyers (and no two fish) are alike.
One minute you think you’re going on a trip to catch sailfish and the next minute you’re reeling in yellowfin tuna.
For Blake, one minute you’re settling down in an active, golf and boating community. The next, you’re starting a new life in the country with the love of your life. Either way, you need an expert by your side to guide you along the way.
Thankfully, we had that expert in Costa Rica. I get to be that expert right here in Maryland, helping buyers and sellers navigate the crazy rollercoaster ride of real estate in a way that gets them exactly where they want to be - whether they pictured themselves there or not.
That's what makes what we do so fun!
If you have someone you know who might need a little help with this process, tell them to give me a call. Or, if you just want to hear more crazy fishing stories, give me a call, too. I have plenty.
Until next month,
Courtney