I wouldn’t call myself bitter at all. I’m simply acknowledging that my decisions are all compromises and – good or bad – I am the sum of those compromises.
The reason I’m holding is because it’s cheaper for me on a monthly basis than renting would be. That’s one of the benefits of buying at the better end of the cycle. I don’t need any luck to continue holding.
The reason I let those clients go and I allow some of my peers to be angry at me is because I know from experience that in the long run my professional reputation is worth a lot more to me than the fees lost during a boom. I recognize that any idiot can make money when times are good, which is why so many idiots think they’re geniuses right now. The mark of a winner in my line of work is how well I do when times are bad, not how much money I make when times are good. And I need to maintain a good reputation in order to do well during these more difficult times. It paid off very nicely during the last bust when a lot of those types of clients and a lot of those types of appraisers got starved out, and I expect it will be even more pronounced this time.
I do regret the MBZ, though, ’cause I feel like it makes me look like a yuppie and I absolutely detest yuppies. I’ll probably have to sell it in order to resolve that conflict. It’s either that or try to pretend I’m 30 again and need to impress other people.
