Congratulations on making it to the seventh month of the year!
We are now officially halfway through 2026, and the remaining months will shape the way we begin 2027.
From an informed real estate perspective, these final six months are crucial if you’re on the hunt for a home. A six-month window is ideal for starting your research, obtaining mortgage pre-approval, choosing an agent, scheduling viewings, and eventually making an offer on the right property.
This process can take anywhere from one to three months. Once an offer is submitted, it may be accepted outright or followed by negotiations and a counteroffer before both parties sign the offer letter. The sale agreement is then drafted, and once it is signed and the deposit is paid, the typical ninety-day closing period begins.
Just like that, six months have flown by, and you are the proud new owner of a home you can settle into in January 2027.
This is what I call Intentional Home Ownership, and it’s a concept I’d love to explore more deeply over the remaining months of this year.
There is very little we can control in today’s economy, and even less we can control in life itself. What we can control is the life we intentionally choose to build, and that often begins with a place to call home.
I invite you to grab a pen and paper and ask yourself the following questions. Don’t overthink your answers, simply write down the first thoughts that come to mind.
1. Your “Why”
- Why do I want to own a home?
- What does home ownership mean to me personally?
- Am I buying because it aligns with my goals, or because I feel pressure to “take the next step”?
2. Lifestyle & Daily Living
- How should my home support my work, family life, hobbies, rest, and relationships?
- Which features are essential for my lifestyle, and which are simply “nice to have”?
- What compromises am I willing and not willing to make?
3. Financial Readiness
- Will owning this home allow me to continue saving, investing, and enjoying life?
- Have I planned for maintenance, repairs, insurance, taxes, and unexpected expenses?
- Will this home bring me financial peace or create ongoing financial stress?
4. The Property
- Does this home meet my needs today while giving me room to grow?
- Can I picture my daily routines working well in this space?
- If all the cosmetic features were removed, would I still choose this home?
5. The Community
- Does this neighbourhood support the lifestyle I want?
- How important are commuting time, schools, parks, shopping, and community spaces to me?
- Can I picture myself building a life here, not just owning a house?
6. Stewardship
- Am I prepared for the responsibility that comes with caring for a home?
- Do I understand the routine maintenance this property will require?
- Am I choosing a home that I can realistically care for, both financially and practically?
7. Looking Ahead
- What memories do I hope to create here?
- How do I want people to feel when they walk through my front door?
- If I could describe my future home in three words, what would they be?
This audit originated from my own reflections as my family considers our next real estate move. My husband and I have been contemplating purchasing an acre of land and building our dream home in the environment we’ve always envisioned.
As we’ve navigated that journey together, I’ve realised that this audit is an incredibly powerful tool–especially in today’s real estate market. Sometimes, the decisions that appear to be the “smart” ones on paper aren’t necessarily the right ones for your life.
Reflection and journaling have always been invaluable tools in my decision-making process, particularly when I’m feeling uncertain or facing a major life decision. When paired with a daily gratitude practice, they become even more powerful.
Imagine making one of life’s biggest decisions based on facts, intuition, gratitude, and complete honesty with yourself.
Choosing a home should be no different. I would love to hear what findings this audit un-earthed for you!
On the Barbados Front...
I recently had the pleasure of visiting the blissful Coral Isle with two wonderful clients, each with very different property goals. It was a whirlwind three-day trip filled with property viewings, developer meetings, site visits, and, of course, delicious food, a refreshing dip in the ocean, and a well-earned rum punch.
These work trips truly tick every box for me. They allow me to immerse myself in the Barbadian real estate market, strengthen invaluable relationships with developers and fellow agents, and then spend quality time viewing properties with my Trinidadian clients on the ground.
After months of preparation, research, and planning together, the in-person viewings become the final piece of the puzzle. My clients arrive equipped with the knowledge, market insights, and financial information they need to make confident, informed decisions.
One client was searching for a one-bedroom bolt-hole in Sunset Crest, St. James–a property with strong rental potential that could also serve as a personal island escape. The other was a family looking for a beachfront condominium on the South Coast that offered the perfect balance of lifestyle enjoyment and long-term investment value.
The greatest takeaway from every Barbados trip isn’t the sunshine or the stunning properties, it’s seeing months of preparation turn into confident decisions.
By the time my clients arrive on the island, they’ve done the research and know exactly what they’re looking for. The viewings simply bring it all to life.
That’s why these trips so often end the same way: with clarity, confidence, and a successful sale.
And that’s exactly why I keep returning to Barbados
