It’s the start of April, 2020 and it’s kinda anxious out there. It’s easy to focus on the negative things going on and media stories certainly trend that way.
There was a recent RBC report that predicts a 30% drop in real estate sales and a small, year over year, effective drop in price by the latter half of the year, before sales come roaring back.
That, of course, led to tons of media stories about a 30% drop in sales AND prices, which is not what was said in the one analysis written by someone at RBC. The name of that analysis by the way? It’s literally called “A Tough but Temporary Blow to Canada’s Housing Market”.
Given the lack of sunshine and optimism right now, we thought it would be nice to take a bit of a light-hearted look at the real estate market. Here you go, all you need to know about real estate you can learn from dogs.
This is mine now.
The first lesson we can learn from dogs is that it doesn’t matter who used to claim it, you can make it your own.
When dogs go for a walk, they claim their territory by peeing on it. It’s a constant battle against other neighbourhood dogs to see who actually owns that tree, fire hydrant or bush now.
The lesson we can learn is that you can make a home your own. It doesn’t matter how it looks right now or if you wouldn’t ever want to live there like the current owners do. Renovate, build on, tear down – turn it into a place you are claiming as your own!
You gotta try.
The second lesson that dogs can teach us is that you never know unless you try.
When dogs smell something tasty that their owner is eating, they don’t sit in the living room saying “I can’t have that so I’ll just stay here.” They get their snouts up as close to what they want as possible.
The lesson we can learn is that life is hard enough without denying what you want. Many people don’t look at a move because they imagine they’ll never be able to afford a new home that better suits their needs. It may be true, but you might also be pleasantly surprised. Ask any dog owner if they’ve ever fed a dog at the table and you’ll see that just because it doesn’t always work doesn’t mean it never works.
Put your best foot forward.
The third lesson that dogs can teach us is that you gotta play to your strengths.
Somehow, at some point in the distant past, dogs figured out that tilting their heads and opening their eyes wide made humans susceptible to doing whatever the dog wanted.
The same dog that was ignored or yelled at for barking or scratching gets what they want when they sit pretty and look adorable.
The lesson we can learn is that there is no such thing as a bad property. The worst house can be positioned in the best light and sell for more as a result. The tenant with the challenging credit history can be presented as a redemption story. If you look at almost any real estate listing, you’ll see Realtors have jumped on this lesson with a passion.
It’s not small, it’s cozy.
It’s not falling apart, it’s ready for you to add your own touch.
It’s not currently on fire, it’s warm and welcoming on a cold night.
Enjoy what you have.
The fourth lesson that dogs can teach us that you have to appreciate what you have.
While some dogs may enjoy a big yard or a nice circuit in the house to run around repeatedly, dogs have the ability to enjoy the little things. Whether it is a tiny apartment in a bad part of town or a mansion in a gated community, dogs don’t care. Any dog owner who has seen their dog fall asleep in what can only be an extremely uncomfortable position can attest to the fact that dogs make do with what they’ve got.
The lesson we can learn is that if we focus on what’s missing, we’ll be miserable. Instead, enjoy what you’ve got and watch as your life suddenly seems better.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this break from what’s going on in the world these days. Remember, change your thinking, change your world. After all, which of the dogs below would you rather be?
