I took a bit of a hiatus from the blog… work got busy and I dunno, I just got out the cadence of writing/blogging. I’m told too that no one blogs anymore. Turns out it’s too long of a medium (TLDR) or whatever. People don’t have time for your wordy bullshit. Whatevs. I’ve never been one to follow what’s trending anyway. For example, I got into SATC like ten years after the series started. Same with rollerblading. And I still wear my low-rise skinny jeans even though high-rise mom jeans are the thing. So sue me.

Anyway, the thing about my blog is that it’s more for me than for others anyhow. I happen to like having a collection or history of my life stories and experiences… and I enjoy the catharsis that comes from writing. It helps my brain process and declutter. So that’s why I’m jumping back in. I’ve missed it.

So let’s see: what’s happened since I last left. I’m still in real estate. My parents moved back to Taiwan full time around 2021. The last several months, business for me has been tough. Interest rates jumped from the low 3s to now 7s, and that’s certainly done a number on the slowbo buyers (my specialty) who took too much damn time trying to find THE perfect house or wanting to score THE perfect deal.

I dunno how I get stuck with these people. I’ve always been a very strong driver, where getting things done trumps all other things for me… so even though I relate very well to the careful and cautious, strong-attention-to-detail type of clients (trained up with my dad after all), they also drive me craaaazy. I try to be very blunt with them: I tell them this market isn’t for everyone. You’re not going to check off all the items on your wishlist. If you can’t move fast and accept a higher-than-normal level of risk, please have the sense to drop out and wait for a different market. Know yourself. Maybe that’s the problem though. People don’t really know themselves, I guess.

Needless to say, after many months of activity but limited wins, I was feeling incredibly tired and frustrated. A few weeks ago, I made a change. A new opportunity cropped up where my Chinese friend/agent partner split from her biz partner, and she needed someone to join her, especially on listings. Up until now, I was primarily working with buyers. In a competitive market though, where each home receives multiple offers, it’s tough to pull out the W. If you work the seller/listing side, you have a higher chance of closing the deal, bc the seller is the fixed side of the transaction. So, I made the move. It wasn’t easy bc I have a lot of loyalty to my former team and brokerage, but like I said, getting things done trumps all else in my book. So, despite the awkward and difficult conversations, I couldn’t be stopped.

Since the move, things have been swinging up. Part of it is that buyers are getting motivated again now that summer is coming to an end. The other part is that my new partner is very savvy and entrepreneurial. In the last ten days, I’ve had a lot of activity: listing appointments, new buyer consultations, offer submissions, a closing, etc. I’m back to feeling optimistic, if you can imagine that.

In other news, I am continuing with therapy. It’s cut back now to once a month, and I feel like my issues are pretty ingrained but the awareness helps and certainly, I appreciate having a sounding board. I am going back to brainspotting to see if that can help dislodge some of my deep-set thoughts/attitudes.

I am trying to be a little more balanced with my life too. It’s very hard for me to get out of my work mode/zone, but I am going on more trips/getaways. Nothing excessive– a weekend here, a few days for a trip to Bend over July Fourth holiday, etc. but it’s a bigger deal for me than you think. I am my father’s daughter after all.