October 11, 2009. Artemas, Pa. Country Home.

Our initial intention in 1972 was to purchase our own home in Bethesda, then try to find a home in the country to be used on weekends.  Ken was brought up in a small town, Parry Sound, and spent a lot of time out of doors and in the woods, so he had a large desire to get out of the city at regular intervals.  I was up to anything new and the boys , then four and three years old were willing to do anything that involved action.  We looked in all the jurisdictions available to us in Bethesda; Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and decided that a two hour drive was the maximum drive we could tolerate, so we put a circle on the map for our target area and we started looking.   We settled on Mann township in Bedford county, Pa. as the taxes were low and the population had the smallest population in Pennsylvania.  Our search was not random.

Our goal for the children was to learn and get to know another group of people with different sets of skills, far from the big city atmosphere.  Also we wanted other tasks for the kids too, other than taking out the trash and setting the table and helping Ken with the yard.  Our first farm was primitive, because that was what we could afford, but it did everything it needed us to do.  We were able to hike the land and make fires.  We got to know the local farmers well.  The boys were introduced to weapons, at first to sling shots, then BB guns, followed by twenty two's.  The result was everything we needed and wanted.  The boys both hunt and fish and enjoy both.  They are  competent in the woods.   During the 50TH summer in Nova Scotia, the fire pit down by the water was the center of the action for the younger set, orchestrated by  David, who learned well to make fires at our first farm.

Our goals set when we bought our first farm were accomplished.  Our pattern has been established successfully.  First we decide what we want to do, then we investigate the options, next we explore our opportunities and make the decision.  Finally, we manage the operation.  It has taken both of our skills  to accomplish our task.  It has a system that has worked.  And now we both love our new farm, which is definately not primitive.  But if we had not purchased our first very primitive farm, we would never be here living in our lovely new hill house.  And we are pleased and grateful.

October 10, 2009, Artemas, Pa. A Drive.

We have been driving the back roads of Pennsylvania since 1973, but today we drove on a road we had never been on before.  Having not much food at home, we decided to drive up to Mike's Place in Clearville for lunch.  The day was bright even though overcast so the familiar look of Highway 26 seemed especially lovely with the Autumn colors.  The fields were green again after a bit of rain and the yellows and orange of the trees together with the farms looked just wonderful.  In the country a lunch out is not merely a dining experience.  It is also a time of talking.  Helen and Erin were just leaving the restaurant, so we had to find out their goings on, and then Mike and Maria always like you to stay and chat.  It is interesting that Maria whose Father is French and who lived in Silver Spring and worked at NIH for thirty years met Mike when Maria's family retired to a town just north of Artemas and married Mike who was born and raised in Artemas.  It is an interesting combination.

After our hearty lunch we decided to drive home another way so we drove west toward Everitt, then south on a new road.  It was a wonderful road, right along the Juliana River, finally ending up outside Bedford before driving south on 326, a small country road we know well.  I suspect that new road was really the old road before Highway 30 was built.  A very old Mill complete with huge house was still intact but not open.  The trees along the river were bright and shining.  This new road was a thoroughly lovely trip and well worth the extra time and money.  Both Ken and I like to find new roads and today we found a good one.  The problem is whether we will ever be able to find it again.  I would like to explore that old mill.

October 9, 2009. Artemas, Pa. Firsts.

This is a wonderful world.  Today at the farm was installed  a system for satellite Internet, just as we have at the ranch.  For the first time ever, we are connected to the real world, right from the Hill House basement.  I am excited.

Also today was installed a cap for Ken's truck.  Now we look very spiffy.  A few months ago, we decided that if we were going to be transporting good Angus beef to Texas and Mississippi we should keep our belongings secured, so we arranged to install a cap in Hagerstown.  At the end of July Ken and I stopped by to look at these caps.  Two different places in Hagerstown carried these caps, made by two different manufactures.  Both seemed fine, but the folks at the first place showed no interest in either us or the caps, but the second place told us all about how they are used and even took us out to the yard to see half a dozen, including their own trucks.  Of course we ordered one from them.   It was made to match the paint of the truck so it took time.  We booked October 9 as the day for installation.

Now this is a complicated organization.  We left the apartment in Chevy Chase at seven o'clock a.m., stopped at Enterprise Car rental in Hagerstown at eight, and then drove both vehicles to the cap installation, which was to take five hours.  We drove to the farm, in order to meet the satellite installation at one.  By four thirty, we got the call to pick up the truck.  Fortunately the installer for the satellite was just finishing.  After an hours drive to pick up the truck and return the rental car, then drive back to the farm, our day had been full of first events.

Now we have a new cap on the truck and a new connection to the world in the basement at the farm.  Two firsts in one day, and all done in the proper time slots.  I am pleased.

October 8, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Rewards.

Some things are simple such as a note from me to each agent that lists or sells a house,  just to congratulate the agent for their effort.  Ned e mails the same.  The staff are always thrilled for the agent when they bring in either a sale or listing and give the paperwork to Carol or Regina.  Each Tuesday at sales meeting, we give a progress report on our sales that month.  Carol E. our admin. lady makes our goals each month so she announces the goal, then each week she congratulates the agents on their productivity.  We post all listings and sales by agent on three big boards along with our goals for the month.

Once a month we have Top Dog Lunch, for the agents who have had three transactions that month, then once a year in January we hold Kennel Club, a dinner for those good folks who have attended Top Dog Lunch ten times the year.  If we beat last years volume for the month we have a celebration of some kind, either lunch in the office,  a bowling party, an ice cream sundae, a wine and cheese party, just any event that says thank you.   For four years in a row we took a trip to New York or Philadelphia, when we sold over a Billion Dollars of real estate.

All these rewards in and of themselves are neither here nor there, except the agents know that we appreciate their efforts and of course we have a lot of fun with the goals and the events.  And most importantly, the volume keeps pouring in so something is working!!.

October 7, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Simple.

The system is so simple that it seems silly, but in order to get more of any type of activity,  you must reward that activity.  In other words, if you reward any activity, you will get more of it.  That is our system in a nutshell.  In the office, what we want and need from the agents is for the agents to sell and list houses and to do it properly.  When that happens, we reward that activity.

At four thirty this evening, Prosperity Mortgage  held a cocktail party for the agents at Ruth's Chris steak house.  Long and Foster owns Prosperity Mortgage and in the office we have three loan officers.  These loan officers are excellent and always make more loans than any other office but lag behind other offices in percentages.  But for the past two months their market share of loans has gone up dramatically, so they threw a fancy party for the agents.  It was great.  Good food, lots of people, elegant setting.  A thoroughly fine event, all designed to reward the behaviour of the agents.

Simple is not always easy.  It is easy to observe in others the behaviour that will reward activities they do not want.   I over heard a conversation recently between two managers discussing all the difficulties the agents were having.   They were preparing for their offices to fail rather than think of what the agents could do to be productive.  Rewards are the key.  It is so very simple.

October 6, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Markets.

This is one thing I know for sure; in the world of real estate, some one benefits from any situation.  In the office, we have been able to try to figure out what is happening in the market and then assist buyers and sellers to understand how to proceed with their plans.  We hear often from other agents that the market is lousy and that no one can buy right now.  We believe that this market today is the best one we have today and we must figure out how to be successful.  Our numbers double any other office numbers, simply because we do not use the market as an excuse.  Rather we use it as a springboard.

The agents help each other.  In periods of change, this is a huge advantage because often one area of the county is doing one thing while another area is doing something else, so we share the information.    The whole spirit of co-operation aids the success of all.  No agent is ever alone.  The most important thing is attitude and the habit of success.  The market will change but we can change with it with our activities and actions.   The real estate market is always neutral, neither good or bad, just different.   Our job is to try to figure it out, in order to assist our buyers and sellers.  No moral judgements.  No good or bad.  Just different.

October 5, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. The Waitress.

She works in Halifax, at the airport,  serving hungry travellers on the way to the U.S.   I had seen her before.  She is everything a waitress should be.   Ken and I know the drill in Halifax, clearing security, going through American Customs and Immigration(a great blessing),  and finally having breakfast at the only restaurant in the departure gates to the U.S.   Today when we sat down at our seat the table already was furnished with menu's turned to the breakfast items so in a flash, we were ready and she took our order immediately with the coffee and water soon to follow.  In other words, within three minutes of sitting down, we were drinking coffee and waiting for our food.  We were happy.

Ken went to the restroom, so with nothing to read I started watching this young woman and I was impressed.  Her manner was pleasant with everyone and even seemed happy at her job.  Her actions were purposeful at all times.  She cleared the dirty dishes immediately and washed the table and dried the table, then set out the cutlery and napkins, all ready for the next customer.  She was constantly checking her diners to be sure anything was needed.  I have been at that restaurant with two waitresses on duty and the service was better today with that young woman alone.  She was even able to take the supplies back to the kitchen in her spare time.  She was efficient and pleasant and helpful.  It was a pleasure to watch her at work.