Dating & Buying Real Estate - are they really that different?

Men have predominantly been the buyers & sellers for years in Real Estate– however as women become more successful & strive for equality we are finding a lot more women entering the market place. However for most women real estate can be a little boring & the negotiation is usually left up to the male partners, brothers & fathers. I have applied a few simple rules that most women know about dating in how to successfully find & negotiate your way to a new home.

All the rules that apply to finding a partner are exactly how real estate should be approached. For the male readers – what turns you off in a female is the same behaviour that should be avoided when buying real estate – I’m sure some of you will be nodding your head as I cover off on these 5 basic rules.

No. 1 See it as a game – don’t get too attached to any one property. We’ve all heard this before when looking for a partner – “don’t get attached too early otherwise you could wind up hurt” and it is very similar in real estate – don’t set your heart on one particular property. Do your research (Play the field).

No. 2 Buying real estate is like playing hard to get. Many females are very familiar with this term when applying it to finding a partner. However some buyers make the number one mistake of coming across as too “needy”. If the agent isn’t calling then move on to the next house. Agents should be calling you! When finding a partner, females generally give the male some attention and then act nonchalant once the male is interested. Exactly the same rule applies when buying real estate – throw the agent an offer, then wait.

No. 3 Don’t’ babble on (Less is more) – men generally find this boring – however real estate agents find this really interesting, the more you talk about the home your inspecting the more the agent can evaluate how much you actually like the property they are showing you. In saying that do communicate with the agent about what it is you like but be direct and to the point therefore giving yourself every opportunity to find the home suitable for you.

No. 4 Desperation to have someone, anyone, can cause you to settle for less and less is not generally more. Don’t settle for anything less then what you expect in a property – if there is something that doesn’t fit what you are looking for, don’t compromise as you will only regret it later.

No. 5 Too many women are waiting for a rich, handsome, prince charming to sweep them off their feet. I know I said previously don’t settle for anything less than what you are looking for – however there are certain things that you will have to compromise on. I have had too many inspections that find the fridge spot an issue and this has deterred some buyers as their current fridge simply would not fit. Nothing will ever be this perfect – so there are some things that you must compromise on.

By no means am I a wiz at dating however follow these simple rules and you can’t go wrong… don’t take it all too seriously, remember there is no rush – and always play a little hard to get.

Grand Final Day in Munich(Oktoberfest)

Back at work after 4 weeks away is always a little difficult – so to get me back into the swing of things I am going to recount some parts of my holiday for you.

The first destination of my trip overseas was Munich. I don’t know whether I can actually claim that I’ve been there however I was there in body, not in mind & spent most waking hours at Oktoberfest, (claimed to be the biggest party in the world & I’m certainly not going to disagree with that). The Germans know how to throw a party.

So I travelled to the other side of the world to be inside a tent during the day and to sleep in a room with 40 other people, sharing with them 8 toilets, 8 showers & 6 basins. You could say I was a little out of my comfort zone. For the record we were paying 190 pounds (roughly $126 a night to stay in this luxurious place in Munich). To add to all this I am not a huge beer drinker and one stein alone carries 4 Australian pots.

The first night in Munich I got little sleep – trying to sleep with ear plugs, eye mask & a towel over your head isn’t the most comfortable way to sleep however I was trying anything possible without taking a sleeping tablet I was prescribed for the long flight to UK.

We were up at 3:45am woken by a fellow traveller, slipped into our Heidi outfits and walked the streets of Munich to find the one and only pub televising the Grand Final & LIVE. Left the Hostel by 4:15am arrived at the Ned Kelly Bar by 4:30am. It must be noted that I do not love football this much however it sure beat staying in the dorm listening to the fellow travellers come home from their boozy night out. By 5:30am there was a line of 150 people deep – the pub finally opened and our first beers were ordered at 5:32am. It was mind blowing to see sooo many fellow Aussies desperate to get a glimpse of the Grand Final.

It didn’t even have to be the AFL Grand Final, it could’ve been any other sporting event that Australians were involved in and a crowd would have been there in full voice. And for those Aussies that hadn’t been home for years or those who had been travelling for long periods of time or people like myself who had just arrived a week ago, at that pub we were miles from Australia yet when Jimmy Barnes played Khaysan we all felt at home. We are a very patriotic and passionate lot; a little mad at times however we love our country and its sport.

It’s not unlike the Anzac Day tradition at Anzac Cove. What has kept this tradition alive is the patriotic Australians travelling around the world.

However, when it comes to Australians buying real estate all this is thrown out the window. We let the media influence our thoughts, we let the RBA affect when we buy, and we let our head control us over our heart. Buying a house or as Darryl Kerrigan from the Castle claims “it’s not a house it’s a home” should always be bought when it feels right for you. When you are financially able, not when the Government wants you to (which is when they are usually handing out the grants), not when your parents want you to (when they are offering to contribute towards your home), it’s when you feel ready to make that sort of commitment & find the right home that’s suitable for you.

If Australians were only this passionate about buying the right property as they are towards their sport then no one would have any regrets. In the end if you buy when you want and when you find the right property for you – there should be no misgivings.

It’s those little moments like at Oktoberfest & the Ned Kelly Bar when you see everyone come together that makes you proud to be an Australian – let’s convert this passion to every aspect in our lives.