Although not as dire as the Five Stages of Dying (or Grief), Buying in Chicago for many of my cients does take a trained professional to work through these physical and emotional stages:
The Doctor is INDenial: "I can't believe my lease will be up", "A two bed, two bath in Lincoln Park can't cost that much... can it?", "What do have for a single family in Bucktown for $500K...there has to be something?", "Can we come in $75K under?", "Multiple offer?".
Anger: "I'm not paying that!", "What are they crazy?", "Tell them we're walking over the GFCI outlets!", They paid what in a multiple offer!?", "If they want to sell it, this is what they get!". "Can't my Realtor find anything with a private roof-top for under $350K!?"
Bargaining: "Maybe they can leave the plasma and surround...", If they need us to close later, than we'll need a $3,000K credit to get out of the lease", "Well, the one on the first floor just sold, so maybe this is a good price", "Do you think the seller's will talk again after we walked over the GFCI outlets?", "Let them know we are interested if the contract falls through..."
Depression: "We should have bought that place.", "There's suppossed to be all this inventory, so why can't we find anything?", "There's nothing coming on the market".
Acceptance: "It looks like we'll have to bump up our price-point to get what we want", If I drop the second bath, I can get the location I really love", "So what you're telling me is the building sold-out for list price?", "I love the penthouse units, but they just won't work with a kid on the way... let's get that duplex-down in Bucktown we liked".
With moral support and the correct treatment, you'll be a home owner too.
