The Myplace Playbook // 083

Hey Everyone,

Last week I wrote about sitting in the bush with nothing but time to think, waiting for a bull you could hear in the distance and wondering whether it was real- or just Steve answering your calls again.

After the email went out, I got a few text messages and photos from readers. Turns out that, for at least a few of you, it was not Steve.

Some of you had very successful hunts. Congratulations. The photos were great, and clearly all those early mornings paid off.

Looking through them got me thinking about something.

I’m pretty certain many of you put way, and I mean way, more time, energy, money and effort into preparing for opening day than you put into buying a house or renewing your mortgage.

Months before the season starts, you’re checking maps, watching cameras, scouting roads and figuring out where the animals have moved. The rifle is sighted in. The boots are broken in. The gear has been checked three times. You know where you’re parking, how far you’re walking, what the wind is supposed to do and what the backup plan is if somebody else is already sitting where you wanted to be.

You don’t drive up the Bull fifteen minutes after sunrise, step out of the truck and say, “Okay, where should I start?”

But that is almost exactly how a lot of people approach a mortgage.

They find the house first and then ask what they can afford. They wait for the renewal letter to arrive and then start wondering whether the offer is any good. They discover a credit problem, a penalty or a missing document when there is already a deadline attached to everything.

Opening day would be a disaster if you prepared for it the way most people prepare for a mortgage.

I understand why. Hunting is something you look forward to. Mortgage planning feels like paperwork. Nobody is staying up late comparing renewal options for fun, and there are no trail-camera photos to check the next morning.

But the reason all that hunting preparation matters is the same reason mortgage preparation matters: when the moment arrives, you want to be ready to act instead of trying to build the plan under pressure.

That doesn’t mean turning your mortgage into another hobby. It usually means one conversation well before you think you need it.

If you’re hoping to buy next year, we can find out what you can comfortably afford, what your down payment actually gets you and whether anything needs to be cleaned up before you start looking.

If your mortgage is renewing in the next six months, we can look at the date, the balance and the options before your lender’s letter becomes the plan by default.

Sometimes there is work to do. Sometimes you’re already in good shape. Either answer is useful when you still have time to do something about it.

So here’s my ask this week: if you’re planning to buy or renew, hit reply with two things- which one, and what month.

“Buying - May.”

“Renewing - February.”

That’s enough for me to tell you what should happen now, what can wait and whether you’re already further ahead than you think.

Congratulations again to the successful hunters who wrote back. For everyone still heading out, good luck.

And if the bull answers perfectly every time but never steps into view, you may want to check where Steve is sitting.

-Andrew