A few years ago, I received the following email from some clients just getting ready to buy their first home.
Dear Jeremy, Thanks for all of your help! Please don’t let Jed and I make any major mistakes during this process. We really don’t know what we’re doing, but we have worked hard to save money and we want to spend that money wisely. We appreciate you. Tami
Perhaps better than anything else I’ve ever heard or read, this nails my job description and my responsibilities to my clients. These clients happened to both be college graduates and both had successful careers. Most of my clients are high achievers. That’s why they’re buying homes!
But somewhere along the line, we agree to take jobs that pay us money to work 40 hours per week. We spend most of our lives working for money. And I guess we assume that somewhere along the line, we learn how money works. This email hit me hard. My good friends were trusting me with their hard-earned money. My professional advice would have a huge impact on these good people.
Maybe my negotiation skills or my home finding skills can save someone $5,000 or $10,000. But the real secret is that the savings begin AFTER they get into their homes.
These clients had really done a remarkable job saving money for buying their first home. And they practiced good financial sense after they got into their home. Like most homeowners, these clients ran into some unforeseen financial difficulties after they got into their new home. But because they had made good financial decisions, they weathered the storm. In fact, not only did they weather the storm, but they came out much, much better.
Financial Success or Failure depends on decisions we make today. $1=$5. Would you rather have $1 today, or would you rather have $5 tomorrow? Would you rather have $2 this month, or would you rather have $1,000 later.