Christmas In July: The Gift of No Fear

Recently, on a particularly hot day, a friend handed me a bottle of water and said something to the effect that I’d be safe drinking it from the bottle. I immediately broke into my typical response “when I was a kid we used to drink out of garden hose, and I’m still here!”

It got me thinking about unrealistic fears. For example, drinking from garden hose in 2026 is completely feared by most everyone. The Hose-ness Monster will undoubtedly jump through the hose and eat you alive in one bite the second you put your lips on the nozzle!

It is a pretty long list of things that drive common fears among us. Humans have the uncanny ability to worry about things that usually never happen.

For example, some people are terrified of spiders, even though most spiders are completely harmless. Have you heard that lightning strikes every person under the storm cloud! Actually, the odds of being struck are very small. The fear of public speaking ranks above the fear of death! True story!

How about the things parents fear? Moms have told kids for years not to swallow chewing gum unless you want to carry it for seven years. Not True. Kids were also told that knuckle cracking would guarantee arthritis. Also, not true. Quicksand was also the most dangerous concoction anyone could ever fall into. True, if you consider wading waste-high in a mud bath is dangerous.

The one fear that actually inspired the title of this blog, Christmas in July: the gift of no fear, came from the thought of a retailer breaking out the Christmas decorations in July to get a head start on the season. Now that’s scary!

Let me relieve you of those fears. None of them are worth the breath you’d use to blow on your hot coffee. Actually, less than that because cooling your coffee with that breath actually has a useful purpose.

Fear is not my future

Interestingly, the fear culture is also present when it comes to real estate in our beautiful Temecula Valley. Here are some real big nonsensical incantations:

• What if I buy and prices drop next month?

• What if interest rates change?

• What if I end up with unexpected Mello-Roos taxes?

• What if the HOA fees go up?

• What if the school boundaries change?

• What if traffic on the 15 gets even worse?

Now, unlike worrying about killer quicksand or seven years of bubble gum gut purgatory, these questions deserve thoughtful answers. Buying a home is one of the biggest financial decisions most families will ever make.

How on earth do you get rid of the future-crushing fear in the midst of frantic and dramatic headlines? One week the market is crashing and the next week it's booming. One expert says "Buy now!” and another says "Wait six months!"

• Here are some current facts about the real estate market according to Realtor.com:

• Pending home sales rose 3.7% from a year ago (that’s seven straight months of gains).

• Home Inventory continues to climb about 1.9% from a year ago (and 4.1% from May).

• Plus, for the first time in over two years – The typical home spent 53 days on the market which brings to an end a long (2 year) time period in which homes had been sitting longer each year.

• Buyers are sticking with their contracts – Contract cancellations held at 6.9% of pending sales, down from 7.3% a year ago, suggesting buyers are more confident as the market stabilizes.

• While these facts are positive, the truth is, there has never been a "perfect" real estate market. Interest rates move. Inventory changes. Prices adjust.

One thing is sure, life keeps happening! Families continue moving into wonderful neighborhoods across Temecula, making memories, decorating Christmas trees in December... and, without fear, occasionally putting one up in July.

Christmas In July: the gift of no fear

While there has never been a perfect real estate market there IS a perfect time to sell or buy a home. And that perfect time is NOW!

IF now is the perfect time for you then the time is perfect.

Let me help you gather good information for YOUR circumstances. Let me help ask the smart questions. I know the Temecula Valley inside and out and I understand the numbers. Let me show you the encouraging facts that never appear in the hyperbolic headlines. Let me help you trade fear for confidence.

I love the song by Maverick City Music with Brandon Lake called Fear is Not My Future. It is a reminder that you and I are not created to let fear rule our lives. The chorus finishes with the words “hello hope, it’s a new horizon.”

It would be my honor to give you the Christmas in July gift of no fear and help you find what is your perfect time for your new horizon.

The coffee and conversation are free. The time investment could change the direction of your future.