I work very hard at my real estate business.  There are times when it keeps me away from my family when I would rather be by their side.  There are times, like now, when I'm up at nearly midnight pounding out a blog, catching up on some missed paperwork and stamping the next wave of postcards to go out in the mail. 

And then there are the rewards from working your real estate business. 

The first reward, of course, is putting a roof over my family's head and food to eat every day and night.  Sometimes, as Americans, we take these things for granted.  We shouldn't.

And then there are the times like next Tuesday when my 14 year old boy is able to take a trip his mother and I have dreamed of.  My son was nominated for and chosen to be one of 23 (or so) kids from the Kansas City area to go with People to People on their Student Ambassador trip to Fiji, New Zealand and Australia. 

That he has worked hard as a student and citizen is a great reward for his mother and I.  That he has chosen to do the extras to make this trip happen for him is his reward to himself.

Getting back to the real estate business, the work ethic he sees in me that is demanded by the real estate business is a great example I can provide for him.  Customer service, professional demeanor at all times and an ongoing commitment to be the best at what I do.  These are the base principals (or is that principles?) that have allowed me some small measure of success as a professional real estate agent.

There has been some discussion on rain lately about the thinning out of the real estate agent hoard.  And I believe it is inevitable.  But when it comes down to identifying the individuals it is painful.  I've seen posts actively questioning their desire and commitment to continue.  I've seen Bryant Tutas urge those that still have a glimmer of hope to carry on AND THEN provide them a road map. 

I just want to offer hope. 

The real estate business can be unforgiving and most unkind.  Ever had 45 days of work fall apart 20 minutes from signature time?  You try to explain to the bill collector the situation but it really doesn't matter to him.  Ever spent your last $225 on a mailing and then pray the phone would ring as a result?  Thank God it did.  Or I don't know if I'd be here today.

But here is the deal, at least for me.  Where else am I going to go?  In my life I've had success as a professional photographer (6 years with enviable photo credits) and before that as a private investigator in Washington, DC.  Both of those jobs' earnings added together don't match what I can make in a year helping people to achieve there real estate goals. 

Today my income is on par with any professional's.  I'll stand it up before most.  It will still get crushed by many.  But I am so blessed with the reward of working my schedule, working with whom I choose and still being able to provide rewards like this for my family from time to time. 

I'm going to list below some links that will help you to see some of what he is going to get to do.  He earned some of the money himself.  And we received monetary contributions from many different sources and we are thankful to each and every one.  But this business allowed me to make up the difference.  And it can do the same for you and your family as well.

For security reasons I'm not going to give the details. But he is going to get to meet Australian government officials, go on a private tour of the Sydney Opera House and quite possibly visit the Great Barrier Reef.  In New Zealand they will be sliding down a mountain, repelling off cliffs and visiting history.  In Fiji they will raft up a river to live with tribesmen and then take their school children on a wooden boat around the island!  This is a short list of the adventures before him/them.

Here are the tourism sites for the countries he is visiting:

Australia
New Zealand
Fiji