Tony Arko of LoudounStats.com wrote a post earlier this month encouraging readers to sign up for
several triathlons happening later this year in his area. The post wasn't all about just doing a tri and having fun though - if anyone participated in one of the tris AND used Tony to buy or sell a house in 2008, he'd provide them a $1000 gift card to buy more triathlon gear.
As someone who has done a couple of triathlons, and wants to do more, I perked up. Of course, I was also sitting on the couch reading the post so I got up and trekked outside for a run. I HATE running ... thanks Tony. I cursed you every step.
A quick story
I did a tri a few years ago called The Sandman, in Virginia Beach. The year before, I did it with some buddies and the weather forced the swim to be cancelled (because of the waves). This particular year, when I got to Virginia Beach, the weather was similar and the waves were up - I was certain we wouldn't do the swim. I had trained, but not as well as I should have, and mentally I had given up on that leg. The morning of the race, I discovered we WERE in fact doing the swim - GULP. When the race started, it took me nearly 10 MINUTES to get out to the first buoy, and I was beat. The waves were constantly crashing over me, I had swallowed more saltwater than I cared to, and I was done. DNF, Did Not Finish, had to be towed to shore and then do the long, shameful walk back to the starting line. I knew it was hard to train for open ocean swims in Blacksburg, but nevertheless I had failed to prepare, and therefore prepared to fail.
Prepare For Real Estate Success
After I finished the run the other day, hacked up my lungs and stopped weeping, I realized that once again I was failing to prepare. I hadn't run consistently in months, and I couldn't have reasonably expected to pick back up where I left off. Buying a house is the same way. When you're buying a house, you've got to train for the process; you don't just wake up one morning and buy a house that afternoon. There are a number of things you have to do to get ready. Your financial house needs to be in order, which might mean you need to raise your credit scores, or save some additional money. You need to shop around a bit, see what areas of Blacksburg or Christiansburg might fit your lifestyle. You need to find a good agent - I can help you with that. Once you've found that perfect house, it'll take more time to inspect it, work through the safety items that arise from that, and move toward closing. And don't forget the attorney - you want an attorney, this is a whole other post - and the lender who'll provide the financing!
Just as it's not an overnight process to find the perfect house, there's not an instant route to success in a race, either. The satisfaction of finishing both accomplishments is unlike any other, however. If you'd like to talk more about the steps necessary to buy a New River Valley home in today's market, let me know and we can talk. If you'd like to know how to prepare for an open ocean swim ... I can't help with that one, but I'm still looking for the secret!
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