My work here is done... I'm heading home.

Over the last three weeks I’ve had a fabulous time traveling around Oregon on an internet & social media marketing workshop tour. I’ve talked to around 400 real estate and lending professionals in Seaside, Medford, Ashland, Grants Pass, Salem, Albany, Corvallis, Silverton, and Dallas.

I’d like to take a second to tell my marketing team, “My hat is off to you all and I applaud you.” You are an awesome team.” How wonderful it is to meet your clients and witness the respect they have for you. How great it is you take such great care with each event down to the smallest detail. Thank you! A job well done: Julie Olsen, (Clatsop and Tillamook Counties). Shelly Berryessa, Traci Martell, Mychal Pond, and Frank Mania (Jackson County - Medford, Ashland). Rick Schemmel and Shirley Liska, (Josephine County – Grants Pass). Rosi Green, Laura Piatt, Nicole Ettel, Leslie Thompson, (Mid Willamette Valley – Salem, Albany, Corvallis, Silverton, Dallas).

It was an action packed couple of weeks and you all made it a pleasure to do. Thank you again for taking such good care of me...

My last event was this past Thursday afternoon at the Ticor Salem office. As I was loading up my truck to leave for home I was thinking about the time. I did not want to get stuck in Portland traffic. If it’s clear sailing all the way it’s about 4 ½ hours to my place on Interstate 5.

I knew I wouldn’t save any time, but I opted for the rural route. I had cold drinks and snacks and my iPod was loaded. I headed west out of Salem on Hwy 22 towards Dallas and Independence to catch Hwy 99W and head north through the country.

The landscape is some of the most beautiful in all the US of A. Wheat fields, hazel nut groves, vineyards, and fruit trees. Rolling hills and wide open spaces abound. You can escape the entire Portland metro area this way and drive all the way to Longview, Washington with only a handful of stop signs. You won’t save any time, in fact it will take you about an extra hour, but it’s worth it. I had my cameras with me, but I knew if I stopped I’d never make it home until after midnight.

All and all, that was 15 events. I really learned a lot, as usual. The market dynamics in each of these areas is so very different from each other, even though we are all in the same recession and foreclosure climate. I love to meet with the professionals that live in the community and get their take on things face to face.