Whites own two real estate firms, provide different services.

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MOUNT PLEASANT - How does a Mount Pleasant beauty and an Olympic gold medalist become husband and wife? First, the beauty's father asks the Olympic archer to go hunting. A romance quickly ensued between Maria Collora and Rod White, and 11 months later the two were married.

White grew up hunting the woodlands near his hometown of Hermitage, Pa., northwest of Pittsburgh. He went on to get a team gold medal in archery in the 1996 Atlanta games. He also earned a team bronze in the 2000 Olympic games in Sydney, Australia.

He spent a semester at Western Illinois University in Macomb, and it was during that period he was invited by Mount Pleasant native Sam Collora to go hunting. That's when Maria and Rod met, and three children later they have been married 11 years.

Together, the Whites operate vastly different real estate firms from a Mount Pleasant office at 215 W. Washington St.

Rod started LandAndGame.com three years ago, which focuses on selling farm land and woodland property largely for those interested in hunting deer. Maria, who got her real estate license two years ago, concentrates on selling homes and country acreages under the Exit Land and Home Realty franchise.

LandAndGame.com covers mostly the eastern two-thirds of Iowa, along with southeast Minnesota and northeast Missouri. Rod has five agents covering that vast territory.

"We have more clients from a hunting aspect," Rod said.

Much of Rod's real estate business stems from his own passion for hunting big buck deer. He is a contributor to "The Industry TV" program on the Sportsman Channel, which features hunting tips and products in the industry.

LandAndGame.com goes beyond just selling properties that prove to be good hunting grounds.

"We make those properties desirable to keep the animals on the property," Rod said.

His company uses an advance habitat system to encourage bucks to stay on a given property and grow to optimum size of four to six years of age. The system entails timber management, specialized bedding, creating ponds, planting native grasses, providing food plots such as corn, soybeans, alfalfa and clover, and making trails.

"We do charge a little more because we offer a premium service," said Rod.

"Growing big deer has become a passion," he added.

Nearly 50 percent of the properties that LandAndGame.com sells are managed by the company. Rod said his firm will line up the cash renters and handle the CRP contracts for the farm ground. Some land owners want to show up with the property ready to hunt.

"Some people want to do their own deer stands," said Rod.

He's got a Cedar Rapids client who simply wants some timberland where he won't be bothered.

Other people buy land from the company as an investment.

"A lot of people are diversifying their portfolios," he said. Farm ground is selling at a premium price, and woodland is selling anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000.

Rod's company recently completed a $9 million sale of a 3,400-acre farm spread in Decatur County. But the firm also will sell 20- and 40-acre plots.

The best-selling period occurs between January and May, with July also being a good month. Much of December is used to scout quality farms to sell in the coming year.

Plus, when hunting season rolls around in the fall, Rod wants to spend more time out in nature rather than selling real estate.

Finding the right acreage or home

Maria White's real estate business has a traditional side in selling homes in the city limits, plus an uncoventional side.

"A lot of people want country acreages," Maria said of a speciality of her Exit Land and Home Realty franchise. "Let us do the leg work for you."

Exit Land and Home Realty is based out of Toronto, Canada, and Maria's franchise was the second one to dot Iowa. She considers her real estate office's territory to be southeast Iowa - everything south of Iowa City.

There were three reasons she decided to attach her real estate goals with Exit Land and Home Realty. The first was technology, as all of the properties for sale show up on the Mount Pleasant franchise's website. With 87 percent of people looking to buy homes starting their search online, Maria knew it was important to have a website.

"We are working hard to create our presence online," she said.

The website has been up three or four months, and continues to be updated and upgraded.

The second reason for going with the Toronto firm was education. The company employs top professionals who sold real estate for other firms, and uses those people as trainers for Exit Land and Home Realty agents.

"They have plenty of trainers to help out on different aspects," Maria said. "They are allowing us to grow bigger and bigger."

The third reason was the franchise is built to help employees make money, even after retirement. If a person recruits another agent, they'll receive a percentage of a sale by that agent. Thus an employee can continue to make money off agents they have recruited, even after retirement. Maria said such a pay system encourages a team atmosphere in the office. In the next six months she expects six more agents to be on board.

Maria gets clients who require different needs. She has a Cedar Rapids couple who want to have their own space, and are looking for that ideal country acreage. But she'll also get the opposite client, the single mother who wants her children to be closer to school and friends in town.

Though Mount Pleasant will remain the hub of her business, she can see Exit Land and Home Realty's reach expanding along with her husband's company.

Thus, the Mount Pleasant beauty and the Olympic gold medalist are ready to help clients find their own little piece of real estate heaven.

published online: 10/17/2010

Town & Country

By Business

White grew up hunting the woodlands near his hometown of Hermitage, Pa., northwest of Pittsburgh. He went on to get a team gold medal in archery in the 1996 Atlanta games. He also earned a team bronze in the 2000 Olympic games in Sydney, Australia.

He spent a semester at Western Illinois University in Macomb, and it was during that period he was invited by Mount Pleasant native Sam Collora to go hunting. That's when Maria and Rod met, and three children later they have been married 11 years.

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Together, the Whites operate vastly different real estate firms from a Mount Pleasant office at 215 W. Washington St.

Rod started LandAndGame.com three years ago, which focuses on selling farm land and woodland property largely for those interested in hunting deer. Maria, who got her real estate license two years ago, concentrates on selling homes and country acreages under the Exit Land and Home Realty franchise.

LandAndGame.com covers mostly the eastern two-thirds of Iowa, along with southeast Minnesota and northeast Missouri. Rod has five agents covering that vast territory.

"We have more clients from a hunting aspect," Rod said.

Much of Rod's real estate business stems from his own passion for hunting big buck deer. He is a contributor to "The Industry TV" program on the Sportsman Channel, which features hunting tips and products in the industry.

LandAndGame.com goes beyond just selling properties that prove to be good hunting grounds.

"We make those properties desirable to keep the animals on the property," Rod said.

His company uses an advance habitat system to encourage bucks to stay on a given property and grow to optimum size of four to six years of age. The system entails timber management, specialized bedding, creating ponds, planting native grasses, providing food plots such as corn, soybeans, alfalfa and clover, and making trails.

"We do charge a little more because we offer a premium service," said Rod.

"Growing big deer has become a passion," he added.

Nearly 50 percent of the properties that LandAndGame.com sells are managed by the company. Rod said his firm will line up the cash renters and handle the CRP contracts for the farm ground. Some land owners want to show up with the property ready to hunt.

"Some people want to do their own deer stands," said Rod.

He's got a Cedar Rapids client who simply wants some timberland where he won't be bothered.

Other people buy land from the company as an investment.

"A lot of people are diversifying their portfolios," he said. Farm ground is selling at a premium price, and woodland is selling anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000.

Rod's company recently completed a $9 million sale of a 3,400-acre farm spread in Decatur County. But the firm also will sell 20- and 40-acre plots.

The best-selling period occurs between January and May, with July also being a good month. Much of December is used to scout quality farms to sell in the coming year.

Plus, when hunting season rolls around in the fall, Rod wants to spend more time out in nature rather than selling real estate.

Finding the right acreage or home

Maria White's real estate business has a traditional side in selling homes in the city limits, plus an uncoventional side.

"A lot of people want country acreages," Maria said of a speciality of her Exit Land and Home Realty franchise. "Let us do the leg work for you."

Exit Land and Home Realty is based out of Toronto, Canada, and Maria's franchise was the second one to dot Iowa. She considers her real estate office's territory to be southeast Iowa - everything south of Iowa City.

There were three reasons she decided to attach her real estate goals with Exit Land and Home Realty. The first was technology, as all of the properties for sale show up on the Mount Pleasant franchise's website. With 87 percent of people looking to buy homes starting their search online, Maria knew it was important to have a website.

"We are working hard to create our presence online," she said.

The website has been up three or four months, and continues to be updated and upgraded.

The second reason for going with the Toronto firm was education. The company employs top professionals who sold real estate for other firms, and uses those people as trainers for Exit Land and Home Realty agents.

"They have plenty of trainers to help out on different aspects," Maria said. "They are allowing us to grow bigger and bigger."

The third reason was the franchise is built to help employees make money, even after retirement. If a person recruits another agent, they'll receive a percentage of a sale by that agent. Thus an employee can continue to make money off agents they have recruited, even after retirement. Maria said such a pay system encourages a team atmosphere in the office. In the next six months she expects six more agents to be on board.

Maria gets clients who require different needs. She has a Cedar Rapids couple who want to have their own space, and are looking for that ideal country acreage. But she'll also get the opposite client, the single mother who wants her children to be closer to school and friends in town.

Though Mount Pleasant will remain the hub of her business, she can see Exit Land and Home Realty's reach expanding along with her husband's company.

Thus, the Mount Pleasant beauty and the Olympic gold medalist are ready to help clients find their own little piece of real estate heaven.