7 minute read
Finance/Children
Hi Taylor - My husband and I were thinking of buying a house in the spring but held off because of everything Taylor that’s going on. Kovar What are you thinking might happen with the market in the next few months? - Valerie
Hey Valerie - I’ve been trying to stay out of the prediction game in 2020 since every month seems to throw a new wrench in our gears. Honestly, I feel like house prices will be all over the place depending on where you live and what’s in the news that week. Some points to consider:
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Springs sales may have moved to summer. Most realtors I have talked to are seeing good signs after a shaky March, April and May. Confidence plays a massive role in house prices, so the drop in stock prices sent a lot of people running scared. Even though unemployment numbers are relatively high, a large crosssection of the population hasn’t felt the economic hit and is regaining confidence in real estate. Who knows when things will change again, but right now it looks like there might be a summer surge that could, in part, make up for any dip in the spring.
Keep an eye on the renters market. Property owners haven’t seen a fallout in home prices, but we might be looking at more and more empty rentals if we can’t move forward with a safe reopening. If workers have to move out of apartments because they can’t afford rent, and then landlords can’t find people to fill those vacancies, we’ll suddenly have a ripple effect that will touch all sectors. If you see a rise in empty rentals, it might be a good time to put in a low bid on a
#AskTheQ
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structed through a mind numbed by a false reality. … They are just a husk [as a result].” Nobody wants to wake up to find their understanding of the world has collapsed, and their sense of identity has broken. Yet it has to happen.
The sneering condescension that many Q followers have experienced, simply for taking a rational path of inquiry, will boomerang. It will take great fortitude by the slighted to offer compassion and grace, given their mistreatment.
Nonetheless, it is necessary so that we can all heal, and unify against evil. “Where we go one, we go all” recognizes we all have been deceived, and all are complicit to a degree. house and see what happens. Don’t forget to look at other market indicators while you’re checking the house trades.
Be conservative. I’m all for homebuying, especially if you’ve saved up a good down payment and have a steady income. However, with things being what they are, you should make sure you’re not rushing a decision or taking on more debt than you can handle. Consider that it takes a few months for a sale to finalize, and then think about how much things have changed in just the last three or four months. Maybe this ends up being the perfect time to buy a home, but if you have any doubts you should give serious thought before acting. It’d put a strain on your finances if you took on a mortgage and then you or your husband got laid off the following week.
In short, the decision to hit pause in the spring was probably the right one. If you still have some of the same apprehensions now that you did then, sit tight. If the money is there and the perfect house pops up at the right price, go for it. Good luck!
Legal Disclaimer: Information presented is for educational purposes only and is not an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and, unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial adviser and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed herein. To submit a question to be answered in this column, please send it via email to Question@GoFarWithKovar.com or via USPS to Taylor Kovar, 415 S 1st St, Suite 300, Lufkin, TX 75901.
The difficult journey from dark to light that we collectively face was outlined 200 years ago by American orator Patrick Henry:
It is natural for man to indulge in the illusions of hope and pride. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it. #AskTheQ tells us all where the whole truth lies. Only you can provide the eyes to see and ears to hear it. Accepting the worst of our reality lessens the spiritual cost; fighting it only stores up beastly anguish.
Q: When my two-year-old gets angry, he sometimes gets down and bangs his head on the floor. This John happens two or Rosemond three times a week, generally speaking. He’s not bruised himself, yet, but I don’t know how long that’s going to last. To make matters worse, I’ve made the mistake of reading about various psychological disorders and have started to obsess about the autism spectrum thing. Other than the headbanging, he’s a happy, verbal, and very imaginative child, able to play by himself in his room for several hours at a stretch. I’m blessed and worried at the same time. Can you give me some reassuring words? To continue…and the more confused and anxious the parent becomes, the more the parent reads in a never-ending and vain search for the new idea that will end all new ideas. This craziness is why I have a job. Like I said.
Unlike most people of my ilk, however, I am a proponent of the ancient kisaii school of wisdom parenting, kisaii standing for keep -it-simple, as-it-is. In the raising of a child, the simplest approach (unconditional love and an equal measure of unequivocal leadership) and the simplest explanations rule. You, dear mother, are thinking too much. You are indeed blessed! He entertains himself for hours? That’s as clear a sign of good development as any. But, keep in mind, nearly all toddlers are haunted with episodes of kick-out -the-jams insanity.
A: That’s not an unreasonable request. Try these: Far as I can tell, you have nothing to worry about. Hold that thought. I’ll come back to it in a moment or three.
It’s a fascinating fact, human beings are the only species that need – or have recently come to thinking they need – speciallytrained, highly-evolved, supersages like myself to help them navigate the fundamentally simple, non-intellectual process of raising a child to competent adulthood. Since 1970, more than 100,000 books on how to raise children have hit the market. Around twenty were written by yours truly (with more to come). God help me.
The irony in all of this is the more the experts have published, the more difficult childrearing has become. A good part of the problem has to do with the inherently progressive nature of the publishing business. To be published, an author must come up with a new idea, a novel approach, something “fresh.” It follows that the more parenting books, articles, columns, and so on a parent reads, the more the parent is bombarded with new ideas and approaches, and the more confused and anxious the parent becomes. Too much information! I flunked Diagnosing Across the Miles 101 in grad school, but I can tell you that two-year-olds –being the nut cases they can become in a heartbeat – are prone to doing things like banging their heads on the floor when they don’t get their way. I might be concerned if he was oblivious to hurting himself, but the absence of bruising and the fact he’s still acting normatively in every other respect (he’s not acting like a drunk, e.g.) suggests strongly that he knows when to stop.
To bring this chapter in his life to a close, draw a chalk circle on the floor in a side room. Tell him his doctor says he can bang his head all he wants, but only inside the circle. If he starts banging, take him to the circle (drag gently), say, “Bang your head here, my love,” and walk away.
This too will pass. I give it two weeks, tops. See how simple that was?
Family psychologist John Rosemond: johnrosemond.com, p arentguru.com.
