President's perspective for March 2010

Thoughts on Turning 75

Some things change in life and some do not. I have been thinking of the changes I have seen in my life time.

When I was a little girl, I rode trolleys up and down J Street. When you called and the phone was busy, you called again. The answering machine was the mother at the other end of the line, who took a message. A long distance call was cause for alarm since one never called long distance unless it was an emergency. At school, if you got into trouble, you got into more trouble at home. All children had books and paper and pencils. There were lockers so kids did not have to lug all of the day's books around with them and there were no back packs. I was forbidden to go into the park next to my Junior High School at lunch because kids were smoking there... cigarettes. Milk was delivered to the door and moms met in the street to gossip at the vegetable man's truck.

Sacramento ended in East Sacramento on J Street at 57th. H Street went over the H Street bridge to become Fair Oaks Boulevard. The shopping mall was Town and Country, but it took too much gas to get there so we seldom went. In summer, we swam at Clunie Pool at McKinley Park unless it was closed for a polio scare. The library was a constant source of entertainment for me. We listened to the radio shows. We went to the State Fair at the old fairgrounds. We went to dances at Governor's Hall. We took public transportation and did not worry about child abduction.

In business, a handshake would do. When I started selling real estate in 1986, we had a 2-page contract and a pest report. Now we measure files by the inches. Everyone wants instant response to their questions. Life is much more hectic and stressful.

Regardless of the changes, some things remain constant. What does not change is the need to put our clients' interests ahead of our own; the need to be fully and continually educated in our industry so that we can best practice our craft, the need to treat our fellow agents with respect and courtesy. When we read the agency disclosure – fair and honest dealings, skill and care, full disclosure -- that is surely what has not changed in how business should be conducted. It may be all summed up as doing the honorable thing.

You can be proud to be a REALTOR®, showing that you subscribe to the REALTOR® Code of Ethics – the right way to do business.