I'm writing this on the eve of Chinese New Year (Year of the Monkey) while sitting in the Business Class lounge of the Hong Kong airport. I'm on my way to visit my brother, his wife and her family in Tainan City, Taiwan. While sitting here it has dawned on me again the importance of using an expert when buying or selling a home.

I had procrastinated booking this trip. Fortunately, I finally realized that my hesitation was due to fear. Not fear of going to Taiwan itself but rather fear of planning a trip to a country of which I was totally unfamiliar. You see this was a big deal and I didn't want to mess anything up. Once I recognized the reason for my resistance, I was able to take action. What did I do? I mentally reviewed all the people in my life and came up with a trusted "expert" to call. I remembered that a friend of mine travels to Asia, specifically mainland China, multiple times every year for business. He totally knows the ropes and within fifteen minutes he was able to bestow a wealth of information thus putting me at ease.

Thanks to him I knew the best travel agent to call for deeply discounted fares to Asia, which airline to book, how much I should expect to pay and what to look out for in general. With this insight from a trusted source, and essentially an action plan, I found renewed excitement for the trip. He also convinced me to fly Business Class and boy am I glad he did. The Los Angeles to Hong Kong leg alone was fourteen hours and with the entire trip taking almost 26 hours with layovers and transfers. . .comfort does become paramount. This experience reminded me of the value we provide our friends, family and clients.

Buying or selling a home is a big deal. Bigger than flying to Asia! People can be intimidated by the process, sometimes so much so that they unconsciously stress out and procrastinate. If you or someone you know and care about is doing this, call a trusted and experienced Realtor. With a great Realtor on your side you'll have the confidence and help needed to make the right decisions. Knowledge can lead to power, power can lead to freedom, and freedom can lead to joy. Get the monkey off your back, drop your fears and spend the year in joy!