Moving can be an extremely stressful time, and many homebuyers find that this is a surprisingly emotional experience. This is one of the many reasons it is important to choose your realtor carefully, as they will be there during your ups and downs and guiding you through a period of stressful decisions. You’ll want an agent who can support you emotionally and help keep things level when you get overwhelmed. 

Here are some tips for keeping your stress level to a minimum:

• Keep Your Eyes on the Prize: You have decided to move and buy a new home for many reasons, which are unique to you and your goals and dreams. Write out what you envision life will be like in your new home and the changes you want to experience there – rely on this ‘manifesto’ when you feel stress looming.
• Flexibility: Overestimate financial considerations at every turn. There are many, many steps to purchasing a new home, and different situations will incur different fees and costs throughout the process. Better to over-prepare for this than to become discouraged and frustrated later. 
• Have Faith: With so many steps and forms and tasks ahead of you, it isn’t surprising that you may feel overwhelmed from time to time. Just remember that your realtor has plenty of experience with the process and is there to answer your questions. This is a major and tumultuous event in your life, but it is worth every moment as you step closer to your goals.
• Educate Yourself: Many home buyers describe feeling a lack of control during the how buying process. With so many people involved who can alter or halt your plans at any time, this is understandable. The best strategy to keep yourself feeling like you’re in the driver’s seat is to be well-informed. Seek out as much knowledge about the steps you’re about to take as you possibly can.
• Distract Yourself: Sometimes, despite our best intentions and the most skilled of realtors, things get derailed and delayed. Hiccups happen. Maybe your financing paperwork didn’t come in on the day you expected it, or maybe your offer has been sent back with yet another counter-offer when you really thought this was the one. If the situation is stressful for you, and there isn’t anything you can do to change that, enjoy some activities where you can relax and feel more in control. Take a day trip perhaps, play with the kids – self-care is important to keep you positive and proactive.