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When I first started at TMR I began hearing the acronym QTR used a lot. It was casually slipped into conversations here and there but I was clueless as to what it stood for. As someone who did a stint in the military, acronyms are something that I’m fairly accustomed to and pick up on quickly. However, QTR I’d never heard of and I had to know why it was so relevant in our industry.

“Memories that could be getting made are being pushed back, all for the perceived sake of ‘waiting for the right time to buy or sell.’”

QTR: Quality Time Remaining. Simply put, this means that we all only have so much time remaining to spend with family and friends, that we only have a finite amount of time to enjoy the wonders and nuances of the world around us. A client of mine who is battling cancer said something recently that really stuck with me, she said that “we are all terminal and our time here is not guaranteed.” As cliché as it sounds the premise remains true, we should be striving to make the most out of each day we’re given. How QTR relates to real estate is that to often people hesitate far too long to acquire the home of their dreams. They are ready, able, and willing but they still wait. They wait to see how the economy reacts to whatever is happening in the news. They wait for a better 30 year fixed interest rate. They wait for their current property to appreciate more before moving to another one. Wait. Wait. Wait.

Meanwhile, kids are getting older. Parents, siblings, and friends are getting older. Memories that could be getting made are being pushed back, all for the perceived sake of “waiting for the right time to buy or sell.” Don’t get me wrong; waiting for one’s financials stars to align is perfectly logical and responsible behavior. However, waiting too long means losing that property to someone else. Instead of getting in and making memories, more often than not people sit on the fence waiting for the right time to play.

hazel-and-gwen

QTR might mean different things to different people but for me it means to slow down and enjoy the little moments. My 2-year-old daughter Hazel’s laugh as she plays outside. Holding my wife Carlynne’s hand as we go for a stroll through our neighborhood. The sound of Gwen, our English Bulldog, snoring on the couch. You simply can’t put a price on those moments and it’s so very easy to disregard them when work and other irksome obligations weigh heavy on your mind.

So who and what matter to you? What joys are you overlooking or under-appreciating? What are you putting off that truly matters? What activities are you delaying for a day that might never come?