The Scottsdale Real Estate Files

We are all busy. Whether the responsibilities that overwhelm us are professional, personal or, most commonly, a combination of the two, who hasn’t lamented the lack of a clone for accomplishing the myriad tasks that 21st century living heaps upon us?  There are certainly days when I’d give my eyeteeth for an hour in the lab with the scientists who cloned Dolly the sheep.  Here’s my blood sample, now how soon can I get Paulie 2000 licensed by the Arizona Department of Real Estate?

Sharing the overscheduled and understaffed burden with the rest of society at large, one can’t help but find amusement in the march of technology towards supposed convenience.  Why, in no time at all, we’ll eliminate the 6-8 hour period of insufferable downtime that less assertive types passively refer to as “sleep.”  Productive little bunnies that we aspire to be, that precious block of REM is better spent chasing cabbage.  Against a backdrop of planned obsolescence, it is little wonder that we delegate the menial tasks whenever and wherever we can.  Secretaries to answer the phones, grocery delivery service, cardboard cut-outs of our likenesses to attend our kids’ soccer games … we, as a people, are a busy lot.

As the parental doppelganger is not recommended, there are a host of tasks that require eyes-on commitment.  Tucked neatly between personal attendance at an anniversary dinner and showing up for your own open heart surgery is viewing property.  While many aspiring titans of industry can likely conjure numerous higher and better uses of their time than knocking around houses for two hours on a Wednesday afternoon, this is one of those tasks that really does not translate well to delegation.  Enlisting an assistant to go in your stead is not only a mild affront to your chosen REALTOR (putting the value of his/her time on a par with said assistant), but much more significantly, a form of sabotage to your own interests.

Sure, who wouldn’t want someone else to fight through the forest of current inventory with a machete to blaze a clear path to the penultimate home?  In theory, the lackey can contend with the clingy vines and pit vipers while you focus on more important matters.  Let Indiana Jones return with a map to the treasure, and you can take it from there.  Simple.

Not so simple.  The problem with joining the adventure late in the game is that you lose the context, the knowledge gleaned along the way.  Even if your stunt double has your taste completely wired, and returns with an appropriate assessment of which home(s) is (are) worth your time, you will have missed out on valuable comparison shopping.  Stacking up neighborhoods head to head, comparing current values … every advantage gained through the cumbersome experience squandered.

Shopping for a home is a serious endeavor.  If you are not ready to commit to the process, you would really be better served to wait until your schedule opens up enough to permit a generous allocation of your time and energy.  With the advent of Internet home shopping, consumers have more ability than ever to research from the comforts of their own cramped apartments.  Agents, likewise, are better equipped to screen and vet properties before dragging their busy clients out of the office to see the latest hot bank-owned property.  Don’t miss the good ones (which still sell quickly, by the way) by adding a 4th layer to a 3 layer cake.  Glean what you can from the listings that don’t quite fit so that you are ready to act in a direct, unequivocal manner when you do see the right one. 

By committing to the effort now, your hunt will resolve itself sooner.  Don’t turn a 3-6 week tour into a 3 year search party by treating it like an adjunct to your day, rather than a primary component.  This is your new home we're talking about here, not a pair of relaxed-fit designer jeans.

See you at 3 PM, sharp. 

The assistant can patch any urgent calls to your cell while we’re out.