The Willow Bend Wake-Up Call š³
The One That Got Away
(And Why This Doesnāt Have to Be Your Story)
Everyone has a moment they wish they could rewind. For some, itās the job they didnāt apply for. For others, itās the person they didnāt call back. For Marissa, it was a house š”. Not just any house, but the house on Willow Bend Drive, the one she didnāt realize she was dreaming about until it was too late.
It was Spring 2024 šø. Marissa, who had spent months casually browsing listings without any real urgency, found herself scrolling one night, and landed on something different. Something special.
In front of her was the kind of listing that makes you sit up a little straighter.
āļø Sunlight pouring across kitchen counters.
š³ A backyard that felt like it was waiting for summer barbecues and a dog she didnāt even own yet.
š° A price that made her reread it just to make sure it wasnāt a typo.
But Marissa wasnāt ready. She didnāt have a pre-approval ā . She hadnāt organized her savings šµ . She had no clear plan because she kept telling herself she would āstart taking it seriously later.ā
So later came and went, and that dream house ended up under contract with someone who had simply prepared a bit earlier.
A week later, we sat together at a coffee shop while she stirred her latte in slow circles. She wasnāt upset at the seller or the market. She was disappointed in herself. Then she said it, the sentence that sits with you long after the conversation ends. āIt wasnāt that I couldnāt buy. Itās that I didnāt plan to buy.ā And she was right.
The market rarely waits for anyone ā. The perfect home appears when it appears, not when your paperwork or confidence finally catches up.
Which brings us to the coming year. If buying, selling or investing is even a small thought in your mind for 2026, the time to prepare isnāt when the dream listing shows up. It isnāt when rates adjust. Preparation starts now. The buyers who win arenāt just the fastest movers. They are the ones who quietly set themselves up long before the opportunity arrives.
And 2026 is closer than it feels š . When your own Willow Bend moment appears, and it will, I want you opening the front door šŖ with confidence instead of watching someone else post it online first.
If you want to start planning for your 2026 move, click here when youāre ready, and letās get started š.