Life rolls on...

Been awhile since I have "blogged"! Well, lots has happened since then. I gave real estate and the building business the boot. As my good friend Donny says, "Let the market dictate what you do". Believe it or not I began a another mortgage company. It seems to be my safety zone. It's what I know. I really love helping people that other people turn their backs on. So many people have had their credit damaged by the economy or some other tragedy in their lives. I help them fight through the issues and eventually realize the American Dream. God gives us gifts in this life. Mine is problem solving. I still feel like a fish out of water though. I'm getting alot of satisfaction out of my career but I have a void I can't figure out how to fill. Almost like I'm having just an illusion that I'm where I should be but not really. Oh well, I'll have time to meditate on that in Key West.

Chapters

Yes, I'm a little nuts. Aren't we all? Who's to say what is "nuts". Having said that, my husband has always said since I met him that his life has been like living chapters of a book. The older I get, the more I understand what he meant. I think you really realize this in your late 30's. You have to live at least that long to recognize it. This chapter I'm in now I will consider my "Enlightenment" chapter. I want to know so much. I'm tired of being in the dark. Weither I start a building company, regenerate the mortgage business somehow, or sell veges on the side of the road, one thing I will know. I am and will be happy.

The Law of Attraction

Wow, I've been applying this for years but didn't know it. Now I can harness it!!!! If you don't know what the law of attraction is, then get the book "The Secret". If you take it to heart, you can have anything and everything you want! It is that simple.

Once I heard the audio version of "The Secret" I knew where I was going. In fact, I'm already there. I have a building company and I have sold 25 houses in 2009. What a fantastic thing. I believe it. I am partnering with a wonderful hard working guy who has basically almost lost everything in the industry. I know now why my company closed and why he almost lost everything. We saw ourselves loosing everything. Therefore, we attracted more and more of the loss! Now, we have to get our thoughts on success, wealth, building the business up. I already see myself in the model we are building in 2009. I have my girlfriend Suzi already hired doing the construction coordination and John has so much to build he can't even see straight. Shawnna has created a fantastic website for our company. Brad is playing golf with members of the Georgia Home Builders Association. Life IS so GOOD!

Realtors, a new prespective

Just entering into the field of real estate in these times may seem like a recipe for failure. I am doing my very best to keep a positive attitude. I really just began this journey last weekend. For the first time last Saturday I sat a subdivision. What that basically means is an agent goes to an empty house in a new home development and is available for anyone who wants more information on the development or wants to see any of the homes. In short, you are a house sitter. I am today on my fourth sitting. In four days I have had one person show up. A lovely lady who told me her 4th cousin in the Philippines may move here in December if they can get a job. I do have enthusiasm, I really do, but I'm not so sure this sitting thing is something I should be doing. I believe over the long term, my enthusiasm will be shattered!

Coming from the mortgage world, I had learned to detest Realtors. They simply irritated me to no end. Constantly nagging for a closing because most were broke and blamed me for a client's crappy credit. Yes, folks I don't like to close loans and make money. I like to just see how long I can stretch out getting loans closed because I don't like to make money. Well, that is what you feel like telling them. Getting into the "Realtor scene" I can appreciate at least the ones who work hard, and there are a few who do. This industry has been riddled with bored housewives who did this for some extra money now and then. With the market being such that it is, those folks are getting weeded out and professionals are rising to the top.

I do know I'm going to have to get a new approach or failure is in sight!

Awakening

Sometimes, do you ever feel like there is just a ton more out there than you ever realized? Since work has been, well scarce, I've had a lot of time to think about things. Basically, it has only made me have more questions and a bunch of "Oh craps". Funny, when you are so intently working all the time, it can abruptly stop like in the game musical chairs. You find there is no place to sit when the music stops. Where do we go from here?

Take for instance life expectancy of the human being. Brad is around 9 years older than me. If all goes well, we should have 30 more years according to statistics. But if things don't go so good we may have only 20 years or even less. Now, when you are rolling along in day to day living, you feel like death is just a way far away thing. I'm not trying to be depressing, I promise. What I'm trying to get at here is that we have precious few days, months, years with our loved ones. We truly have to savor every single second, minute, hour. If we look at the lesser, that is only 20 more Christmas days, summers, winters. This has just inspired me to really "live". I want to see everything I can, love my husband with everything I've got in me, and do my best to unlock the secrets of the world. I just want to understand. Do we come back again? What is our purpose? May sound corny, but I'm looking forward to this great adventure.

In these crazy uncertain times, we really have to trust and have faith in God. Brad doesn't think God interferes with the things we do. He thinks that it is pretty much up to us and God gives us those choices to make for ourselves. I, on the other hand, have always considered God as my only source. I feel he directs my life, my world, my existence in every way. Yes, I make my own decisions, but he grows the good moves and corrects the bad ones. I see nothing happening in my life without His guiding hand. I'm not sure which is exactly right, I tend to feel I'm right. But, I am the woman.

Sunday Drive...

Today Brad and I just got in the car and took a drive. We basically said, "East or west?" We chose west. Setting out, we only had a smile and an idea that we would discover a new place we'd never been to. We took I-10 through Mobile and hung a left. There was an island off the coast of Alabama that we'd never been to before, Dauphin Island. We easied our way as far south as the road would take us. Brad was actually driving slower than the speed limit most of the way. Just happy to be riding down the road together.

Dauphin Island had apparently had some flooding issues from hurricane Ike. We saw one end of the island that had police vehicles blocking it off. The main drag through the little island seemed like it didn't have any flooding. It was odd looking, but coming onto the island there was a little canal that strongly resembled a wide ditch. The odd thing was that in this little canal where some oyster boats docked and tied. Across the street was a old bait and tackle store. The place looked deserted. I wondered if the boat captains where in there or if they just used that spot to dock their boats. The boats were old weathered looking wooden vessels. The paint was peeling and they were obviously not used to promote status in the community! These were true "work" boats.

On the way back we came down the other side of Mobile Bay. We went down through Gulf Shores and took the road heading east along the Gulf. We stopped in Orange Beach and had a bite to eat at Tacky Jack's on the water. We had our lunch sitting overlooking the inner coastal waterway. Very peaceful. My Sunday drive with Brad was awesome.

The Death of Regal

I started this BLOG earlier this year. Just playing around. Put some thoughts into type. I named it "A New Road" because I knew I would be taking, a new road. I feel like the next chapter of my life is about to unfold. I just reconnected with a dear friend from my past. She is a writer and has inspired me to write more. So, here goes a little on my life and more will be to come!

It may sound a little silly, but Regal was like a person to me. Regal gave me financial stability, made me feel good about myself, and gave me freedom like no other influence in my life ever did. Regal was my company. I started it myself with a equity loan on my house, it just snowballed from there. It started with me and a processor. It grew and grew. The housing market made it easy for us. We did mortgages, and alot of them.

Since the fall of 2006, the housing market has tumbled. Homes have dropped in value, guidelines for mortgages are getting tighter, and some great programs have disappeared. Sad situation. Our life blood was and always has been government loans. Now, with the loss of down payment assistance, I feel the end is near for most all mortgage brokers. Legislators are so wrapped up in saving banks, they have taken a very conservative stand. I understand where they are coming from, but down payment assistance wasn't the cause of this mess. We are a nation deeply troubled in the credit world.

I pray to God the situation will straighten out. For many mortgage professionals and real estate agents, this is all we know how to do. We do it to the best of our ability. Honestly, fairly, and with the utmost care for our customers. There has got to be a remedy. God bless those who are in my industry, loosing everything they have worked hard for. Life is tough, but we still have to remember to thank God for even the rough things in life. They are lessons to help us down the road.