Please find this month's curated insights: practical real estate lessons and strategies, timeless Stoic wisdom for modern challenges, and a thought-provoking podcast on health, longevity, fitness, or biohacking — all distilled for your immediate benefit.

WEALTH

Getting Out of a Purchase Contract

When a buyer and seller enter into a sales agreement, how can each party protect themselves during the transaction? What happens if something goes wrong during the sales process, before closing? The answer depends entirely on whether you're the buyer or the seller.

SELLER PROTECTIONS

Once an agreement is signed and escrow opens, sellers have very limited options to cancel. This means sellers and their agents must do nearly all their protective work upfront. Here's what that looks like:

Verify the Buyer's Financial Qualification

This is critical. If the buyer is paying cash, request a financial statement proving they have sufficient funds for both the purchase price and closing costs. If the buyer needs financing, the seller's agent should speak directly with the lender to understand the full picture:

• Was the buyer pre-qualified or pre-approved? (Pre-approval is stronger)
• If pre-approved, was it through automated underwriting or reviewed by an actual underwriter?
• Does the buyer have reserves if the home appraises below the purchase price?
• Does the lender's assessment of the buyer align with what the buyer's agent is saying?

The more due diligence here, the better.

Provide Disclosures Before Offers

Did you know that sellers may provide required disclosures—particularly the Seller Property Questionnaire and Transfer Disclosure Statement—before buyers submit offers? Waiting until after an offer is accepted and escrow opens is a missed opportunity that weakens the seller's position.

These forms disclose known defects with the property and serve two valuable purposes:

First, they allow buyers to self-select out early if a disclosed issue is a dealbreaker, saving everyone time and energy. Second, buyers can factor these known issues into their offer price, which effectively eliminates later requests for credits or repairs on already-disclosed items. This transparency makes for a much smoother escrow process.

Enforce Contractual Timelines

The final tool available to sellers is holding buyers accountable to agreed-upon deadlines. By serving proper notice when timelines aren't met and the buyer fails to cure the issue, sellers can cancel the contract if necessary.

BUYER PROTECTIONS

Buyers have significantly more control through contractual contingencies. When properly exercised, these contingencies allow buyers to cancel escrow, avoid damages, and recover their good-faith deposit. Standard contingencies include:

Loan Approval Contingency

Protects buyers if financing falls through.

Appraisal Contingency

Allows cancellation if the home appraises below the purchase price.

Inspection Contingency

This is the buyer's broadest protection. Buyers can conduct any non-destructive inspection they choose—general home inspections, specialized inspections of the roof, electrical, plumbing, foundation, pest/termite, sewer line, and more.

If any inspection reveals concerning issues, the buyer can request a credit to address the problem themselves or ask the seller to make repairs. The seller has no obligation to agree to either. If the buyer isn't satisfied with the seller's response (or lack thereof), they can cancel the contract and walk away.

Title Contingency

Ensures the property has clear, marketable title.

The key for buyers is understanding these contingencies, adhering to deadlines, and making informed decisions within the designated timeframes.

WISDOM

Stoic poster 4 of 5 in my office.  

What's with these Stoics? Their messages often seem negative at the first reading. But perhaps the second or third time through, the meaning shifts. This quote certainly struck me as odd initially, yet something sparked enough depth that I created a poster to remind myself of it every day.

Another similar thought Marcus Aurelius wrote in his Meditations: “Think of the life you have lived until now as over, and as a dead man, see what’s left as a bonus and live it according to Nature.”

To me, this closely resembles the first quote I shared from Marcus Aurelius: "You could leave life right now…" I'm not thrilled to consider my mortality—that someday this will all end. The first many times reading and thinking about this didn't make it any easier. Yet there's obviously truth here.

This reminder, while almost always uncomfortable, brings me into the present moment. It helps me cherish each moment, whether I'm walking at the beach hearing the waves hit the shore, on a bike ride embracing the suffering that comes with a beautiful mountain climb, or playing a board game with Sandra and Halston. Each moment here is truly a miracle. The odds of me being here sharing these thoughts, you being here reading them, and our paths interconnecting—these are truly incalculable. Yet here we both are.

In a way, this relates directly to the Serenity Prayer: "grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change." All the moments that have passed, whether minutes or years ago, are in their own way a death of sorts. As Marcus reminded himself and shares with us: "...Now, take what's left and live it properly." If (when) I've done wrong, I can amend those wrongs by living properly now. If I've done well, that's gone—and I still need to live and do well in this moment. Each day, each time waking, each moment—this is all truly bonus time.

WELLNESS

In a previous newsletter, I mentioned experimenting with eye exercises. I figured it was worth being the guinea pig—as I often am with exercise routines and supplements. I'm genuinely curious about how I can optimize both body and mind.

So, do these eye exercises work? They do! I practiced certain exercises, though admittedly not with perfect consistency—sometimes twice a week, sometimes missing a few weeks entirely. Even so, I had my annual eye exam this week, and my prescription decreased by 0.25. My optometrist wanted to prescribe weaker reading glasses, which I declined since I stopped using reading glasses as I felt my vision improve.

What struck me most was my optometrist's reaction. I enthusiastically shared the eye exercises I'd been doing, and she nodded knowingly at each one, commenting in agreement that they help. Which raised an obvious question: if she's aware of these exercises and doesn't dispute their effectiveness, why aren't they routinely shared with every patient?

It was both validating and a bit disheartening.

If you missed the previous email, here are a few eye exercises, from different resources.

From Dr. Bryce Applebaum:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNFUTlIxGAD/

Dr. Andrew Huberman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssmwxKPFMFU

Dave Asprey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-drKvQ9lAo

Have you tried any of these?

THANK YOU!

Knowing your time is valuable, I'm grateful you chose to spend some of it here reading this month's insights. My hope is always to share something that's genuinely useful or thought-provoking. If anything resonated with you, raised a question, or simply caught your attention, and if your time allows, I'd love to hear from you.