Mike Browning

Tag: Collin County Land Sales

  • If Rates Drop, Lots Could Pop

    If Rates Drop, Lots Could Pop

    Just because you don’t control rates doesn’t mean don’t prepare

    A little after lunch Wednesday (about 1:00 p.m. Central), the Fed will announce what they’re doing with rates.

    Most folks expect a cut. We’ll see.

    Most of us aren’t economists, even if we like to think we understand what’s “best” for everyone. Funny how what’s “best for everyone” often looks a lot like what happens to be best for us at the moment.

    If you follow real estate at all (and you’re here, so I bet you do), you know a lot of people have been hoping for a rate cut. Buyers want lower payments so high prices feel tolerable. Sellers are hoping those “cheapskate buyers” finally quit asking for discounts and pay the number.

    I’m not big on discounts myself. Depends which side of the table I’m on tho (I guess).

    Big picture, none of this is in our control. Spending hours tracking every political angle, conspiracy theory, and tea-leaf reading is a waste.

    You have a life to live. Execute to the best of your ability, regardless.

    Also worth remembering: today’s rates are pretty normal in historical terms. Maybe even a bit low. It just doesn’t feel that way to folks who came of age after 9/11 and only saw ultra-low money.

    (yes I’m old).

    So how do you handle Fed Day?

    First, don’t obsess. Operate the same either way. If they don’t cut, carry on. We’ll be in more of the same, and the playbook doesn’t change.

    If they do cut, don’t be surprised if some people move quickly—especially in the custom home lot segment. Single lots can go from “thinking about it” to “go” much faster than a subdivision or a big rural tract.

    Development land and rural acreage usually lag a little. Not always. But usually.

    If you’re buying, assume you’re not the only game in town. The best lots go first. If a lot looks like a good deal to you, it probably looks like a good deal to someone else. Be first. Have your financing lined up, your questions ready, and your offer clean.

    If you’re selling a lot and sat on the sidelines during the slowdown, this could be your window. Get pricing dialed. Have the paperwork ready so a real buyer can say “yes” on the spot. Any pop could be short-lived—prepared sellers win the moment.

    None of this is pressure to take less than you want. It’s a reminder to act when the window opens.

    You can’t control the Fed. You can control whether you’re ready.

    You know what to do.

    Got a lot you might want to sell?
    Get a FREE, no obligation report on what it could sell for today.
    Get Your Lot Valuation

    Own land instead?
    Get a report for that here:
    Get Your Land Value

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  • You never know ‘til you know — and sometimes not even then

    You never know ‘til you know — and sometimes not even then

    That line on the map just won’t sit still

    Back in June I wrote about how new roads distort the land market. Once a major road is under discussion, landowners nearby often decide their property should be priced as if the road is already built. And once a route is published, it can get worse.

    Never mind that it isn’t there yet.

    Or that the “route” is just a line on a map, not an actual plan.

    Or that construction might be decades away.

    It takes years for these things to get decided, funded, and built. And any time along the way, the path can shift. Until the asphalt is down, nobody knows for sure where it will go.

    And you never know, til you know.

    If it sounds like I’m speaking from experience, I am. Not just from the past, but from Monday morning.

    A client of mine bought a small tract near the published route of the Collin County Outer Loop a couple of years back. After the maps came out, development sprang up right where that line had been drawn.

    So we expected an adjustment.

    The logical spot was right next to his property, along a transmission line. The gap between the line and the neighborhood was almost the exact width of the needed right-of-way. It looked planned that way.

    When the new maps came out? Bingo. Four options, all right by my client’s tract. Suddenly, what had been a nice property in a fast-growing area was also a potential freeway corner.

    But not so fast.

    Whenever routes are announced, there’s a comment and review period. Usually it’s a formality — they collect feedback and do what they intended anyway. But this time was different.

    The new preferred route released Monday was shifted to avoid a neighborhood. Not sure who lives there, but somebody had some pull.

    For my client, that meant the road ended up on the opposite side of the property. Disappointing, sure.

    But he hadn’t bought it at a “future freeway corner” price. It was a good deal then, and it still is now.

    And remember, this new route isn’t final either. There’s another round of comments and more chances for change.

    And guess who will be one of the commenters?

    Like I said — you never really know.

    But uncertainty doesn’t mean you can avoid making decisions.

    Got a lot you might want to sell?
    Get a FREE, no obligation report on what it could sell for today.
    Get Your Lot Valuation

    Own land instead?
    Get a report for that here:
    Get Your Land Value

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  • Only the Wrong People Say No

    Only the Wrong People Say No

    You can’t reject someone who doesn’t need you.

    Most people hate rejection. It feels personal. Like somebody slammed a door in your face.

    That’s because most people approach rejection with neediness. They think they have to win over this client, or get that deal, or land that one opportunity. When you need a specific outcome, rejection feels like failure.

    But that’s the wrong lens.

    Rejection is a filter. It’s not an insult or a loss — it’s information. It tells you who’s not a fit so you don’t waste more time.

    An example from just last week. Through my direct mail program, I’d been working with a lady who owned a lot she wanted to sell. We had been in contact for quite awhile — years, actually. The first time she thought she might be ready, she ended up needing to wait. She circled back a few months ago, got tied up again, and was finally ready to move forward.

    I sent her all the documents to review, which is when it went sideways. The documents were too long (same ones everyone uses), costs were too high, price needed to be higher, and so on. Then she texted and said she wasn’t going forward. Maybe it was an attempt to get me to reduce my fee — I don’t know. But my response was simple: “OK! Good luck!”

    She may think she rejected me, but she really just filtered herself out. Truth is, I had basically decided to get away from it anyway before she pulled the plug. My time is valuable, and I only want to work with the best clients — not flakes. So I didn’t lose anything.

    To be my client, you’ve gotta meet the standard. She didn’t.

    Jim Camp, in Start With No, calls neediness the killer. And he’s right. If you walk into a negotiation thinking “I have to get this person to say yes,” you’ve already surrendered your leverage. Because the other side can smell neediness. They know you’ll bend to keep the deal alive.

    The truth is I need clients and transactions, sure. That’s the business.

    But I don’t need any one particular client or transaction.

    If you say no, you haven’t rejected me — you’ve just put yourself on the “not a fit” side of the filter.

    And that’s a good thing. Every time the wrong person filters out, I have more space for the right person.

    Think about it in everyday terms. When you shop for a truck, you don’t test drive one, decide it doesn’t suit you, and call it a personal failure. You just learned that wasn’t the one. Same with hiring an employee. Or a real estate broker. The whole point is to sort out what doesn’t work so you can find what does.

    And when you do find the right truck (or whatever else), you don’t get needy then either. It’s fine to want it, but you don’t need it. There are other trucks. Odds are you’ll find one you like just as much — if not better — pretty quick.

    That’s what rejection does. It’s not failure. It’s the process working.

    So when someone says no to me, I don’t take it personally.

    I don’t need them. I need the right people.

    And if I’m willing to let the wrong ones pass by, I’ll find the right ones a whole lot faster.

    That’s the filter. And once you see rejection that way, it stops having power over you.

    Maybe you understand why I don’t deal in pressure now. If I’ve done it right and it’s a fit, you’ll come find me when it’s time.

    But how do you know it’s time if you don’t reach out and let me give you current market info?

    Is there ever a bad time to know where things stand regarding your property’s value?

    When you’re ready, click below.

    PS- I read Start With No at least once a year, it’s that good. Once you realize negotiation is a part of almost everything in life, you know that if you improve that skill you improve everything.

    You can get it on Amazon here

    (Yes, I’ll get a small commission if you use that link, but it doesn’t change your price.)

    Got a lot you might want to sell?
    Get a FREE, no obligation report on what it could sell for today.
    Get Your Lot Valuation

    Own land instead?
    Get a report for that here:
    Get Your Land Value

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  • Temporary Pain, Permanent Gain

    Temporary Pain, Permanent Gain

    We know where this is headed, even if we don’t see how today.

    Romans 8:18 says:
    “The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

    God knows what He’s doing. Always has.

    That doesn’t mean it’s clear to us. Usually the opposite.

    Children get fatal diseases for no reason we can see.

    Men get gunned down for debating (and winning) arguments on issues that not long ago weren’t even up for debate.

    And after it happens, people publicly celebrate their death online — even hope for more.

    Nobody can give a good reason. The only silver lining is it shows you who to avoid without having to confront them.

    But here’s what I rest on: God is working. He’ll finish His plan even if we don’t understand it. And the end will be glorious.

    A less extreme example:

    When I was in middle school athletics, we had to run laps around the campus. Most guys took a shortcut — jumped the fence as soon as they were out of sight. I was too scared to.

    One day, our meanest coach hid between two cars and caught them.

    As I finished, I saw all the “fast” guys standing to the side. The coach asked if I jumped the fence. I said no.

    “Take another one,” he barked.

    I protested. “But I didn’t jump the fence!”

    “Take another one!” Louder this time.

    So I ran again, muttering under my breath, frustrated and discouraged.

    Until I realized those guys who cheated weren’t resting. They were doing bear crawls in the parking lot until they threw up.

    Turns out the coach knew exactly what he was doing. I just didn’t see the plan. I got worked up and worried for nothing.

    Same with life. We don’t see the whole picture today. But we do know how it ends. And it’s so good we can’t even comprehend it.

    Kind of like trying to explain the internet to an ant.

    God’s already worked it out. The game is won. The only question is whose side you’re on.

    No matter what evil happens, victory isn’t “if” — it’s “when.”

    Does that make today’s pain easy? No.

    But it does make it bearable knowing it’s temporary.

    Whatever you’re carrying, it won’t last forever. What’s waiting on the other side makes today’s trouble look small.

    Will there be suffering? Yes.

    Will it be bad? Possibly. Probably.

    Should you worry? No.

    Everything will be set right. And when we see, then we will understand.

    Not to be a downer after all that, but consider this.

    Many (if not most) people who actually read the Bible now do so electronically. Nothing wrong with that.

    But what if that were taken away? Access to those things could be cut off at the source. At any time.

    Sounds far-fetched, I know. But there are lots of places in the world where you can be punished for reading the Bible today. It’s not impossible.

    Charlie Kirk was killed for saying things that not long ago wouldn’t even be objectionable. He would have been seen as a kook for thinking it even needed to be said.

    It changes fast.

    Just saying, if you don’t already have one, it might be a good idea to get a hard copy of the Bible. Or more than one so you can share.

    I’m not going to go down the rabbit hole of telling you which translation is best or any of that. Just make sure you have one.

    Then make sure you read it.

    You can buy one here on Amazon

    (Yes, I’ll get a small commission if you use that link, but it doesn’t change your price.)

  • It Doesn’t Have to Be Overwhelming (Start Early)

    It Doesn’t Have to Be Overwhelming (Start Early)

    Plus- how to avoid getting guilted into letting your ditzy cousin list your property.

    When you try to do something big—invest for retirement, lose weight, or improve yourself—it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

    Walk into a bookstore and you’ll see an entire aisle of books on each subject. All promising the secret.

    All basically saying the same thing.

    Nobody tells you that part.

    Then you see the ads. On TV, radio, social media. Promising the moon, rarely delivering.

    After a while it’s easier to tune it out and go back to your old routine. Which is why most people end up with the same middling results year after year.

    Just go back to the old way. At least your head stops spinning.

    You can run into the same thing when you start thinking about selling land.

    Everywhere you look there will be agents pitching the same line: “Hire me! I’ll get you the mostest the fastest!” They all sound alike.

    But most don’t know land well enough to back it up. They know houses. Houses are different. And if they don’t know what they don’t know, it can cost you time, money, or worse.

    And then there’s cousin Karen. Everybody has one.

    She doesn’t do much business, but she’s family. She’ll expect the listing.

    And your land sale might bring more in commission than she made all last year. That kind of pressure makes it even harder to say no—especially since most agents are masters at using pressure to serve their interests, not yours.

    So what do you do?

    First, start early. By looking at things months (or years) before you’re ready to do something, you can go slow and prevent that overwhelmed feeling.

    Next?

    (guess who I’m about to recommend…)

    I’ve been focused on lots and land for over 25 years. Not houses. I stay away from those because I don’t know what I don’t know. And I don’t want to put people in a bind by screwing up.

    The house agents don’t return the favor, though. They’ll tell you they can handle land. They can’t—not properly. So you have to be careful.

    Want proof I’m real? Take a look at some of my recent sales.

    If you want someone who shoots straight, takes no for an answer, and actually understands land, that’s me.

    As for cousin Karen, here’s your out: after you get your free value report, send her a link to my blog.

    Tell her you think I’m sharp and you enjoy reading my stuff. She might even learn something.

    More importantly, she’ll start to realize you’ve already got a real land broker in your corner. And when you’re ready to jump, she won’t even expect the listing anymore.

    You can always go back to the old way.

    Got a lot you might want to sell?
    Get a FREE, no obligation report on what it could sell for today.
    Get Your Lot Valuation

    Own land instead?
    Get a report for that here:
    Get Your Land Value

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  • Perfect Raises Questions, Not Trust

    Perfect Raises Questions, Not Trust

    Remember what people say about something that sounds too good to be true.

    We all want to make a good impression. That’s normal. But push it too far, and it starts working against you.

    Think about it: whenever you meet someone who seems a little too polished, too smooth, or too good at talking, it sets off alarms. You might not know why, but something feels off.

    Same thing happens with salespeople. Picture test-driving a car.

    The salesman’s in the passenger seat pointing out every “amazing” feature. No matter what the car does or doesn’t have, he claims it’s exactly what everyone wants.

    He won’t mention any downsides—and if he does, he’ll spin them into “hidden benefits.”

    It doesn’t work. You know he’s lying. Even if you’ve done zero research, you can feel it.

    When it comes to dealing with people, you usually get the best results when you let the other person feel like the more important one. A little more “okay.” Where they feel like they measure up, like you’re not looking down on them.

    There’s only room for one person to feel truly “okay” in any negotiation, and that person should be your counterpart.

    Same idea applies when you’re selling land. No matter how perfect you think your property is, there’s always a little “hair” somewhere. Something minor at least.

    It doesn’t pay to work with someone who hides those things or glosses them over. If your buyer—or their agent—has any sophistication at all, they’re going to find whatever’s there during due diligence.

    And when they do, even if it isn’t a deal-breaker, you’ve planted doubt. Now they’re wondering what else you’ve hidden, and that doubt can cost you the sale.

    And that’s the best-case scenario.

    Worst case, they don’t catch it before closing. Later, they find out. And if it’s something you should have disclosed, you’ve opened yourself up to a lawsuit. Maybe it never comes up. But you’ll always be worried it could.

    That’s no way to live.

    Much better to just be honest. That doesn’t mean you lead with every single flaw or put the baggage on the table first thing. Sometimes that’s the right move, but most of the time it just means doing things the right way and being transparent.

    I’m not perfect. I don’t drive an expensive car or wear designer clothes. If we meet, you’ll see that right away. But you’ll also see that I do my best, I’m real, and I tell you the truth. I expect the same from you. And I listen—even if your answer’s “no.”

    Actually, no is better most of the time.

    I try to be the kind of person I’d want to work with. I think you’ll like that approach too.

    There’s never a perfect time to act in real estate, but is there ever a bad time to understand what’s really happening in the market?

    Got a lot you might want to sell?
    Get a FREE, no obligation report on what it could sell for today.
    Get Your Lot Valuation

    Own land instead?
    Get a report for that here:
    Get Your Land Value

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  • There Are No White Lies

    There Are No White Lies

    Telling the truth when it’s easy makes it possible to do so when it’s hard

    You’ve probably heard the saying “don’t sweat the small stuff.”

    Maybe good advice most of the time. Especially for dealing with others. But when it comes to personal honesty, you have to sweat the small stuff most of all.

    Lots of times, we end up in situations where it would serve our purposes to be a little less than 100% honest.

    Nothing earth-shattering, of course. White lies.

    We’ve all heard them:

    “I had a flat tire.”
    “Your email went to spam.”
    “I didn’t see your text.”
    “My alarm didn’t go off.”

    You know it’s probably a lie. We all do. But most of us let it slide — in the interest of expediency.

    Besides, it’s such a small thing. Does it really matter?

    Subconsciously, you know it does.

    We’ve all heard the saying: “If you can’t be trusted in small things, you can’t be trusted in big things.” And it’s true. If someone will lie about something meaningless just to make life smoother in the moment… what are they going to do when the stakes are high?

    People like to say they’d “be honest when it really mattered.” But do you believe that?

    It’s like when you’ve known someone who’s a little lax about not picking up things that aren’t theirs. No matter what they say, when something of yours goes missing… who’s the first person you suspect?

    The small stuff is practice. Every time we choose to tell the truth when it’d be easier to lie, we build our “truth-telling muscles.” And if you don’t build those habits when the stakes are low, there’s almost no chance you’ll do it when the chips are down.

    We’re all born with the inclination to take the short-term win over the long-term reward. But if we want to get to the long term — where the rewards are bigger — we have to train ourselves to do it right when it “doesn’t matter.”

    I want my kids to know that if I tell them something, that’s the way it is. I might be wrong sometimes, but they should never wonder if I’m lying. That only works if I’m honest all the time.

    Not to mention, I’m in a high-trust business. If people are going to rely on me to help negotiate the sale of their property — maybe the largest transaction they’ll ever be a part of — they need to know I’m telling the truth.

    So we should build the habit now, when the stakes are small, so we’ll instinctively do it when the stakes are high.

    Now that I’ve spent a few minutes telling you how honest I am…

    When it’s time to discuss buying or selling real estate, does it make sense to consider people that aren’t as honest as they can be?

    Here’s the links:

    Got a lot you might want to sell?
    Get a FREE, no obligation report on what it could sell for today.
    Get Your Lot Valuation

    Own land instead?
    Get a report for that here:
    Get Your Land Value

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  • It’s a Long Way To the Top….

    It’s a Long Way To the Top….

    Sounds simple. But it’s not easy.

    It really doesn’t matter how old you are, or what kind of music you like. Just about everybody knows at least a few AC/DC songs.

    And generally likes them. There’s just something about it.

    The songs are basic. Formulaic. They don’t deal with complicated subject matter.

    But they’re catchy. They sound great loud. And nobody starts acting highbrow when AC/DC is playing — it’s just fun.

    That’s effective simplicity. On the surface, it looks simple. Underneath, there’s intentional design, clarity, and focus that make it work exceptionally well.

    AC/DC embodies it — to the tune of over 200 million albums sold. And they’ve never run from it.

    Here’s how they put it over the years:

    “I’m sick to death of people saying we’ve made 11 albums that sound exactly the same. In fact, we’ve made 12 albums that sound exactly the same.”

    “We’re just a band that plays rock ’n’ roll. We don’t mess with it. We don’t try to be clever. We just make records we like to play.”

    “To us, the simpler a song is, the better, ’cause it’s more in line with what the person on the street is.”

    They make it look easy. It sounds easy. Like you could do it yourself if you tried.

    But you can’t.

    Real estate brokerage can be the same way. Done right, it can look like I click a few buttons, take a few calls, and next thing you know there’s a closing where both of us are getting paid.

    And if I do my job properly, if you broke my fees down to a per hour rate it could make a lawyer blush.

    It looks simple — like anyone could do it on the first try.

    (self-serving line of the day alert)

    But I don’t recommend it.

    Yes, anybody can throw a listing online and sit back waiting for the phone to ring. And from the outside, it might even look like that’s all I’m doing. But it isn’t.

    My value is in the things you don’t see and don’t notice:

    • The pitfalls you avoid because of my experience (most of which I learned the hard way).
    • Knowing who the likely players are for your property — and having a good relationship with them.
    • Negotiation experience that gets results.
    • Getting to the closing table without ever having to wonder whose side I’m on.

    I value functionality over flash, and I don’t go out of my way to look fancy. I don’t speak in buzzwords.

    (But if I did, I might say my motto is Effective Simplicity.)

    Do you prefer being talked at rather than to?

    Do you like wondering if an agent is working for you or just working you?

    Is it ever a bad time to start a conversation with somebody different?

    You know what to do:

    Got a lot you might want to sell?
    Get a FREE, no obligation report on what it could sell for today.
    Get Your Lot Valuation

    Own land instead?
    Get a report for that here:
    Get Your Land Value

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  • Slow…Then Fast! (Then Slow)

    Slow…Then Fast! (Then Slow)

    When the market isn’t supercharged, timing matters even more

    Short one today.

    Before I get started, quick reminder: I’m not a CPA, attorney, or mortgage pro. I’m a real estate broker. This isn’t financial or legal advice — if you need that, talk to someone licensed in those areas.

    Now, let’s get into it.

    Everyone knows higher rates have cooled the housing market — but let’s be clear: what we have now is closer to “normal” than the supercharged chaos we had before.

    Don’t let agents who started five years ago convince you otherwise. They’ve only ever known the sugar-high years and think today’s market “sucks.” It doesn’t.

    Not really. It’s just different — it takes work now.

    Where you really feel it, though, is custom home lots.

    Unlike a starter home, nobody needs a 2-acre tract for a dream house. It’s a want-to-have, not a have-to-have. And if you’re borrowing $500K to build, a 1% rate bump adds hundreds a month — that slows buyers down fast.

    The Fed meets next week, and there’s a decent chance they cut rates. Here’s what usually happens when they do:

    • There’s a burst of activity right after the cut. Buyers who’ve been waiting jump fast.
    • Then, just as quickly, things settle back down until the next cut.

    If you’re selling, this window matters.

    If you’re buying, positioning yourself now matters even more — because when rates drop, the best lots go first.

    I’m already getting calls from custom builders looking for lots. Does that guarantee anything? No. But it’s a good sign.

    Nobody knows exactly what’s coming.

    But when things move, they move fast — and being prepared is the only way to take advantage.

    There’s never really a bad time to know where the market stands. Even if you’re not planning to sell, it never hurts to stay up to date and establish a relationship with someone who lives in this market every day.

    You know I don’t deal in pressure — and I don’t want to work with anyone who doesn’t actively want to work with me.

    But with the Fed meeting about a week away, if there’s ever a time to pound the table, this is it.

    Click below to make sure you’re prepared.

    Got a lot you might want to sell?
    Get a FREE, no obligation report on what it could sell for today.
    Get Your Lot Valuation

    Own land instead?
    Get a report for that here:
    Get Your Land Value

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  • Life Isn’t Blackjack — It’s Poker (Sort Of)

    Life Isn’t Blackjack — It’s Poker (Sort Of)

    Even if you knew all the rules, they’d still change. Do your best.

    It doesn’t happen every time, but when people get a valuation from me, it’s pretty common for them to ask something like:

    “What do you think it’ll be worth in two years?”

    The short version of my answer is always the same: “I don’t know.”

    If I did know what was going to happen in the future, I’d probably be doing something else.

    Most people want decision-making to feel like blackjack. You get your cards, the dealer flips theirs, and you can run the numbers to figure out the “right” play. The uncertainty is contained — there are only so many cards in the deck, and if you know the odds, you can act with confidence. You might still lose, but at least you made the correct move.

    (The real correct move is “don’t play blackjack in a casino,” but that’s beside the point.)

    That’s how most of us treat life. We think if we just gather enough information, we can make the perfect decision. Buy here. Sell there. Wait until rates drop. List when the market “stabilizes.” As if God handed us a rulebook and said, “Play this right and you’ll always win.”

    (Actually, He kind of did — but it doesn’t apply to the short term as much as far as winning.)

    But life isn’t blackjack. It’s poker.

    And poker’s a whole different animal. You don’t know what anyone else is holding. The “optimal play” depends on information you can’t have — what cards are left, what other players are holding, how likely they are to bluff, and what they’ll do if you push hard.

    And unlike blackjack, poker isn’t you against the house. Other people have agency. They adapt based on what you do, and what they think you’ll do. The “right” move isn’t fixed. It shifts based on incomplete information and moving targets.

    Even worse, it’s really like playing poker without knowing all the rules. You’re pretty sure a flush beats a straight, but then there’s some weird side pot you didn’t even know existed, and the guy next to you just announced you’re all playing Omaha now.

    That’s real estate. That’s business. That’s life.

    You never know all the variables. You never get all the cards face-up. You think you know your odds, but you don’t control the other players. You don’t control the Fed. You don’t control whether a better buyer shows up next week or if a road expansion gets funded next year.

    Yes, we can say values have risen in the past, so they probably will in the future. And we’ll probably be right. But not always. It’s not linear. After the S&L crisis, there were properties that sold for less than the commission paid on the prior sale. They’re worth more now, but timing is everything — and you can’t know the timing.

    And yet, most people want to make decisions like they’re sitting at a blackjack table with perfect information. They freeze until they “know what’s going to happen” — which usually means they freeze forever.

    The best decision-makers don’t waste time pretending they can eliminate uncertainty. They accept it. They move forward knowing they’ll never have perfect information, and they focus on managing risk instead of avoiding it.

    We’re all making decisions under uncertainty all the time — we just forget until the stakes feel high. You can’t wait until the whole picture is clear. It won’t be. The job isn’t to know the future. It’s to make the smartest move you can with the cards you’ve got, knowing you’ll never see them all.

    Because the truth is, you’re playing poker. You just keep acting like it’s blackjack.

    And when I say you can’t wait to know everything, I’m not telling you to “sell now.” What I’m saying is this: once you think it might be time, and the best info you have says you’re right, don’t freeze up. That’s when it’s time to go.

    Getting the right info starts with knowing what the current market looks like. It doesn’t cost anything, and it can only help.

    Is it ever a bad time to start that process of knowing what you can?

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