When I was growing up, my mother had a way of knowing when I was getting too restless or I just needed to relax. She would ask me, “what’s the matter, do you have ants in your pants, or fleas in your bloomers”. 

 

That was a good notice then, and I sometimes catch myself now getting too worked up about something. It helps to remind myself of that question. 

 

A perfect example of that has been my house buying late this year. In the fall, I bought several REO (bank owned) properties. I thought the flood gates were really going to open up on bank owned properties for me. 

 

But it hasn’t worked out that way. I’ve been consistently putting offers in, but I just haven’t gotten the good deals that I thought were going to be coming my way rolling into the holiday season. 

 

Don’t get me wrong. I certainly haven’t given up on buying bank owned properties. I put in numerous offers each week. 

 

But I’m putting out offers that make sense to me. I’m not putting out offers that I’m going to regret later. It makes more sense to put out dozens of offers and get great deals on a small percentage of offers that to get yourself into a deal where you have paid too much. 

 

If that means I don’t buy a house this month, so be it. What I know is that if I take a consistent approach with my marketing, I’ll buy the right deals. Often times they come in batches (3 or 4 in month, then perhaps 1 or none the next month). But what doesn’t make sense is to violate your buying criteria just because you are uncomfortable with the notion that you haven’t bought a house this month. 

 

My mother was smart. I’ve adopted her laid back way of approaching life. Thanks, Mom.