Good deals don’t wait for perfect timing

Timing the Market Is a Mirage. Ask Better Questions

In real estate, everyone talks about timing.
When to buy. When to sell. When to hold.
The myth is that if you get it just right, the profit falls into your lap.

But the longer you do this, the more you realize that market timing is mostly noise.

There’s no perfect moment. No bell that rings at the bottom. No whisper on the wind that tells you when to list. There are just people with more information, and people who wish they had it sooner.

Markets shift. Rates move. Inventory floods or dries up. Sellers get spooked. Buyers wait too long. It’s all in motion. And most of what looks like “good timing” in hindsight was actually someone making a smart decision based on what they knew, not what they guessed.

The truth? What matters is not when. It’s what.

Are you buying something that makes sense, in a place that holds value, for a price that feels like it still has room to breathe?

Are you selling something that’s run its course, or are you just trying to beat a headline?

Are you reading the story behind the comps, or are you refreshing Redfin like it’s a crystal ball?

I’ve seen buyers overthink themselves out of deals that would have doubled. I’ve seen sellers get greedy and miss their window by six months. I’ve seen people wait years for the “perfect market” only to end up with the wrong product when they finally moved.

Here’s what I’ve learned.

Buy when it makes sense. Sell when it’s smart.
Study the neighborhood. Study the zoning. Study the building itself.
Pay attention to the debt behind the development.
Look at the seller’s situation.

And know the difference between a pause and a pattern.

Anyone can react to a headline. Few people can read between them.

You don’t need to master timing. You need to stay close to the truth of the deal.

That means asking better questions.

Is this a first-floor unit with low fees and upside on rent?
Is the developer about to close their construction loan?
Are prices being quietly slashed while the marketing still says 2023?

Forget trying to time the top or bottom. Focus on knowing what you’re buying.

Patience helps. So does clarity. But real strategy lives in the fine print, not the forecast.

The sharpest players don’t win because they waited.
They win because they moved when the numbers made sense, not when the crowd said go.

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