A Rorschach Test for Oklahoma City Homebuyers
The Rorschach (or inkblot) test is the one where a psychologist shows you a series of pictures that seem to be random black-and-white splatters. The shrink asks you what you think they look like. What you “see” in the inkblots tells something about who you are—how you look at things.
If someone were to create a pack of inkblots to test for who would be best suited for the tasks facing Oklahoma City homebuyers, they’d be designed to pinpoint character traits that come in handy during a typical homebuyer’s quest. I don’t know how Dr. Rorschach came up with the shapes he chose (what was he thinking?)—but at least four characteristics to look for would be:
Low financial anxiety. One trait that’s common among those who are well prepared to go after their first Oklahoma City home is command of their financial affairs. If that’s not present—if finances are amorphous or if creditworthiness is shaky—potential first-timers are almost certainly jumping the gun.
Patience. The probability of winding up with exactly the right Oklahoma City home increases in tandem with the ability to resist hasty impulses. The first or second property visited might ultimately turn out to be the best one—but there is wisdom in verifying that through comparison with a range of other possibilities. Patience in house hunting makes for an informed homebuyer.
Flexibility. Having a firm list of requirements is helpful to get a house hunt off to a productive start, but if those requirements are set in concrete, some of what might turn out to be the best candidate properties can be missed entirely. I can’t tell you how many great finds have resulted when we took a little extra time to check out what had seemed to be an iffy prospect.
Openness. Homebuyers increase the likelihood of winding up with the most suitable Oklahoma City home in their budget range when they aren’t shy about sharing their ideas and reactions with their agent. Being talkative is perfectly okay for engaged homebuyers—just as being closed-mouthed is something of a drawback. The more feedback that’s freely exchanged between the boss (you) and your Realtor® (me), the better!
For Oklahoma City homebuyers of all stripes, another kind of “inkblot test” occurs when you walk through the front door of what ultimately becomes “the one.” That’s an experience it doesn’t take a shrink to interpret: it’s the feeling that you’ve found your home!
When the time is right to start looking, I hope you’ll give me a call.
