We have been learning, over the past few decades, that our doctors are not infallible seers—that what they offer is their best advice based on all the evidence they can find and we can give them. Indeed, the best approach to our own health, is to own our own health: to make it our responsibility to find out what we need to know and to do what we need to do.

The same may also be said of the major purchases we make in our lifetimes. We don’t buy a particular car simply because the auto salesman tells us it fits our lifestyle or an article in the newspaper. We do our own research based on our awareness of our own driving patterns and needs, and we do a lot of test driving.

It’s the same with our homes. First, we gain a careful awareness of our own financial profile—what we can afford, what would serve us best, where the down payment and transaction money will come from, and more. Then, we gather the household together and discuss what everyone wants from our home. Next, we do some preliminary research on the Internet to find the areas that look most promising, and to assess what we can reasonably afford to buy.

Then we take all of this information to a real estate professional whom we can relate to and trust, and we talk. One of that real estate professional’s jobs is to be able to translate our needs and wishes into “sticks and bricks” reality—but no professional can dictate to us what we should buy. Our real estate advisor is like a personal training coach, helping us meet our goals, showing us the work we need to do, opening doors that we may or may not choose to go through. An invaluable advisor, indeed—but never the decision-maker. To discuss this more call Lil at 530-550-5007 and visit our web site at www.alltruckeehomes.com.