Why do we do this to ourselves?

Navigating the real estate market is not for the faint of heart.  It’s more like riding Greezed Lightnin’ without the lap bar (where are my Astroworld people?).  Just when you think you, the professional who has done all the right research, know how the market will trend—Loop and Reverse!Earlier this year I made predictions that interest rates will continue to dip slightly in the first, second, and potentially through the 3rd quarter.  After all, the word “recession” has been looming large from all angles.  What happened with the turn of the new year has been the opposite.  Job growth has been double than average and we are still struggling to curb this hideous inflation.  For anyone who has been to a grocery store in the past year, you get it.  For us Realtors and mortgage lenders it’s been a bit of a slow go lately.  Many folks want to wait until rates come down or are putting off a decision to buy or sell due to the scary tales of a recession on the horizon.  The housing inventory across the nation and at home has been at historic lows for a while now.  With housing prices coming down, potential sellers are even more motivated to stay put with their comfy low-interest rates as their friends brag about getting 38 offers over list price while only being on the market for 14.5 minutes last year.  Oh 2022, what a year you were!Insert my favorite economist, Patrick Jankowski, bringing economic knowledge bombs to the masses with his calm, cool, and collected manner of telling us how it is.  Each year the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership (shout out to Brian Freedman) hosts the Annual State of the Economy luncheon with an outlook on Metro Houston for the year ahead.  This year’s title: Growth, Stagnation, or Recession?.....it would appear we know exactly what to expect in 2023, LOL. As Patrick gave us an overview of the current global situation, showed his informative charts and graphs on local job growth and interest rates, and laid out the numbers with as much good humor as could be offered to the “I” word (I’m talking about you Inflation), I leaned in and thought the same thing everyone else in the room was thinking, “But what about me?” The presentation wrapped with this: the biggest threat to a recession is that everyone keeps saying we’re going to have a recession.  And I couldn’t agree more.  We keep hearing it, but that’s not what is happening.  So it’s time to stop talking about it and live your life already.  More specifically, go ahead and buy and sell.  Things are good right now in the Metro Houston economy.  Yes, interest rates are up, but you’d have to have a Delorian to get to when they were above 18% (and people still bought houses y’all).  Why do we do this over-analysis of the highly unpredictable and rapidly changing housing market?  Why do we track the daily rates to try and predict the future and lament that we don’t have a crystal ball showing us the perfect time to buy or sell when owning a home is so much more?  Chatting with Patrick after the luncheon, I was happy to hear his take was much the same as mine.  If you like the neighborhood, if you need a larger/smaller home, if you hate your commute (or in-laws), if you long for a pool in the summer heat, if you’re tired of watching your spouse WFH in the living room while you WFH in the kitchen, if you want to walk your child to school, if you want to move your elderly parent in with you, if your current home is too much for you, if you want to practice your DIY skills if you want to never see a “friendly” neighbor again, if you’re done with mowing for good, if your bucket list includes owning a beach house, if you’ve never felt the immense joy in owning your very own home for the first time……these are the true reasons to buy and sell.  Interest rates will come and go, but our lives are to be lived every day how and where we wish to live them.  So go ahead, make your move today for the right reasons, and find yourself right at home.  The experts agree. Oh, and here’s the cheese……..Brie: pasteurized or raw cow’s milk, soft, bloomy rindCREAMY RICH BUTTERYWith an origin from the seventh century, it was produced by monks in the northern region of France bearing the same name.  Being named The King of Cheeses at the Congress of Vienna, it holds high status in French culture.  A ubiquitous, gateway cheese, brie is a staple on any cheese board worth a damn.  Pair with Rhone blends or rich white wines.  Serve with apricot preserves or spicy honey and crackers.  Wrap in pastry and bake.Personal favorite brie recipe:  Take two whole garlic bulbs and cut the tops off all the cloves just enough to expose each clove.  Rub olive liberally over bulbs and place in an 8x8 or larger baking dish and cook at 350 degrees until bulbs are light brown (approx 25-30 mins).  During this time, slice a baguette into half-inch slices and lay in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake slices, watching closely, until just toasted.  Flip if desired and bake 1-2 mins longer.  Once garlic bulbs are browned, remove the dish from the oven and add one round of brie cut in half.  Turn the oven to 400 and bake the brie with garlic for 5-7 minutes more or until the brie is melted.  Let sit for a few minutes to cool, cheese will be very hot.  Serve with baguette slices.  Using a butter knife, scoop spreadable garlic from clove and onto a baguette slice then top with melted brie.  You’re welcome.