I believe people come here for different reasons. I, like you, sold a home here in SD at the height of the market and am now renting, waiting for the right time to buy in again. Visiting this site and others keeps me informed as to what is going on in the housing market. I also learn more about the economy, investing and finances, which helps me decide where to put my savings.
I would guess that many others made the decision to sell their homes and realize once-in-a-lifetime profits because of information they found here and on other blogs. Buying a home is one of the biggest financial decisions people will make in their lives, and my philosphy is to do the research before buying or selling.
I can’t believe how many people make the decision to buy a home without doing any research, without understanding the terms of their loan, without even thinking about what they’re doing. This has been especially evident over the last several years here in SD, as people got caught up in the mania – but that’s what a bubble is, people make decisions based on emotion, not on rational analysis.
I suppose there are people who are bitter, jealous and angry. That’s their choice. The saying “drinking the poison and hoping someone else dies” comes to mind. If someone is bitter, jealous, or angry, it’s about them, not about the person or persons they are jealous or angry with. It’s just misplaced and wasted energy, IMO.
Do I want to see people’s lives get wiped out? No, and I won’t take any joy in it. But they made choices too, choices that many other people chose not to make. I will feel joyful and rewarded when my patience pays off, and the decision to sell at the peak turns out to be the right one. Will I feel bad if I were to buy a home from someone who was wiped out and took a big loss on their home? Of course I would feel bad for them and their situation, but not about buying their home at the best price possible. I will be making a choice and taking a risk too, the risk that the house could continue to fall in value.
