Thankful for Multiple Opportunities
The ActiveRain November Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge asks blogger members to submit a blog, each week of this month, about something for which we are thankful. I've had so many opportunities that I could write posts for many weeks.
In a previous post, I expressed gratitude for the opportunities to attend the University of Virginia where I received degrees in finance and in law. I could not have asked for more support from my parents. My father gave me a new car when I graduated from the School of Commerce and I enjoyed it during three years of law school. The station wagon became my first business vehicle when I opened my first real estate and insurance office. Yes, I had signs painted on the car.
My parents also provided the building to house my first office and the funds to purchase new furniture for the offices. It happened that the father of one of my law school roommates was in the office furniture business. Our CPA rented the upstairs space. A young cousin became my first staff employee. The bank that my family had used for years became my primary source for any needed funding. Failure was not an option. I was still single and living at home so all of my focus was on business development at the recruitment of agents.
We sold a lot of farms and land and I became an Accredited Farm and Land Broker (the old Realtor designation). Land sales helped us develop relationships with developers. A sale of land for garden apartment community provided a relationship that lead to the management of the new apartment community.
I took the courses to become a Certified Property Manager and we continued to develop our management portfolio. When Dolores and I were married, our first home was an apartment in one of the communities we managed. I had used the same decorator that furnished the models and my apartment was even more attractive that the models.
One of our major land sales provided the commission to purchase the home home of the developer that sold the farm as he moved to a lakefront location. So, our first home after moving from the apartment was in one of the best locations in the community.
One of my law school roommates was working for an insurance company in another state and I was able to recruit him to manage and develop our insurance agency as focused on real estate opportunities.
I took appraisal coursed to supplement my practical knowledge and was able to become a VA appraiser. In those days, we used typewriters to fill in the forms.
I could continue to write about the opportunities for which I am grateful but will have to consider them for future blog posts.
Many years later, we sold our property management business to a regional company and sold our insurance agency to a national company. I gave up my VA appraisal work when I became president of the regional builders association. I did not want to risk conflict of interests with builders while providing appraisals for proposed construction.
Happy Holidays!
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