Dark Imaginings of the Mortgage Mind: Feeding on Fear

The solar eclipse was as mesmerizing as it was brief. For a mere two minutes, many along its path of totality paused to gaze at its natural wonder. Such celestial events, while scientifically explainable and predictable, often stir a mix of awe and age-old superstition, reminiscent of a time when the line between the known and the unknown was blurred by fear and folklore. Still, the sensational build-up, during this enlightened age, surprised even me. Warnings abounded. Schools closed. Businesses closed. People feared driving. People wanted filtered glasses to just venture outset. News outlets reported bewildered animals. Some asked, “Is this an omen?” And, of course the eclipse provided fertile ground for conspiracy theories. I don’t want to burst your bubble, but while this particular astronomical event doesn’t happen every day, astronomical events happen every day. There is nothing new under the sun.

People have a long history of extracting suspect meaning out of mundane events.  Mercy Brown, a young woman from Rhode Island, was posthumously branded a vampire in the late 19th century by a fearful community. Despite succumbing to tuberculosis, a misunderstood disease back then, superstitions led her community to a much darker conclusion, spurred by the fear of the unknown rather than facts. The community decided to exhume her body and declare her a vampire, not on an understanding of tuberculosis or the natural reasons her body was preserved in the cold of winter, but  based on fear and superstition. This decision did not bring her back to health or stop the spread of the disease. It only served to sow more disease, fear, and confusion.

This is not too dissimilar from today’s mortgage and real estate industry, where the stakes are higher and the competition more fierce than ever before. But, there's a lesson to be drawn from these tales of dark eclipses and creatures of the night. Just as the rational explanation for an eclipse's beauty lies in the orbits of celestial bodies, and the tragedy of Mercy Brown can be understood through the lens of medical science, so too should we not fall victim to fear and self-certified experts. There is no shortage of doomsayers in light of rising interest rates, hotter-than-expected inflation, the National Association of Realtors settlement and just about every daily economic brief that comes across our smartphones. When is the next [insert any title of your choice here] report coming out? How bad will it be? It's easy to be swayed by the latest economic report or hit the panic button with the publishing of the latest bad news. However, the key to enduring success lies not in reacting to these emotional impulses but in adhering to a rational, empirical approach. Letting events play out, rather than resorting to panic. Responding to panic gets you nowhere. It’s time for patience and planning.

In residential mortgage lending and real estate sales, succumbing to fear of the unknown or relying on unfounded beliefs can lead to similarly irrational decisions. Whether it's chasing after the latest fad without analyzing its potential or making drastic changes. These decisions are not unlike the misguided actions taken by Mercy Brown's community. But, people are much too happy to exhume the dead. The speculation by self-styled experts seldom doesn’t clarifies anything. It seldom creates any greater understanding. It perpetuates fear.

Instead, let us embrace the light of knowledge, experience and data. This requires patience to gather the right facts or let enough time pass to objectively see how events will play out. Just as scientists use telescopes and satellites to study and predict eclipses, we must use the tools at our disposal—market research, our own financial reports, consumer behavior data—to guide our decisions. This doesn't mean ignoring gut instinct altogether, but it does mean validating those instincts with evidence even if it takes time.

Much like a well-executed business plan, the total solar eclipse is the culmination of precise alignment and calculated timing. For centuries, astronomers have meticulously predicted the occurrence of these rare events, harnessing the laws of physics and the precision of mathematical calculations to forecast the exact moment when the moon's shadow will sweep across the Earth. Similarly, the most successful loan officers and real estate agents thrive on meticulous planning, strategic foresight, and adapting their business practices to changing markets, not reacting to clickbait and newspaper headlines.

Just as a solar eclipse offers a momentary interruption to the sun's brilliance, disruptive forces in can obscure the clarity of our purpose and vision. Whether it's technological innovation (robots are coming for your job!), economic uncertainty, imagined legal and regulatory threats, or unforeseen global events, we must navigate through the shadows of uncertainty to emerge stronger and more resilient. During a solar eclipse, the moon's shadow may temporarily overshadow the sun's radiance, much like how fearmongering challenges our own focus and ambitions. However, just as the sun inevitably reemerges from behind the moon's shadow, the most resilient of us adapt and evolve, leveraging these changes as opportunities to sharpen our competitive edge.

As we move forward in a world that is increasingly driven by soundbites and clickbait, let the lesson of the solar eclipse and the story of Mercy Brown remind us of the importance of separating fact from fear, science from superstition. In real estate, as in all aspects of life, let us seek the truth with a clear eye and a steady hand, making decisions grounded in reality, not in the shadows of what we fear. This is the path to true hope, growth, and long-term success.

Post Script:

In moments of uncertainty I often turn to "Desiderata", by Max Ehrmann, for reassurance. Maybe during National Poetry Month you can find the same hope I find in it during my moments of need.

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be.

And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.