Date: Nov. 20, 2007
Tags: None

I usually like to talk about playing at Seven Springs and thoughts of mountain life in general, but today I'm thinking about work. Yes, I do work if that's what you want to call it. When your job is sharing the lifestyle you love, it's hard to consider it work. That being said, the down side of living in the Laurel Highlands is you have a tendency to become cloistered. You disengage from the rest of the world. I guess that's okay for most of your daily events, but when you're in a business, resort property resale's, that deals with people who don't live in the mountains full-time (or even part-time) you have to occasionally surface, check your bearings, and then reset you're your sights. You have to keep one foot in the real world (sort of).

This last week I attended the National Association of REALTORS® convention in Las Vegas. I did this knowing full well I might miss our second snow fall (which I did), the Steelers/Cleveland game, and nature's final display of her autumn hues for the year. This like all my trips away from the Laurel Mountains I leave with reluctance and with anticipation of returning.

I usually enjoy Las Vegas with its 24/7 menu of activities, but this trip was a work trip. In preparation of the trip I carefully selected classes I thought were related to resort living. I scheduled every session I found dealing with second homes, luxury homes, and resorts. In addition to these courses, I selected as many technology classes that would fit within the already bulging schedule. Technology is important to me given the fact that most of my clients usually live hundreds, even thousands of miles from Seven Springs. Therefore most of the real estate transactions are done in cyber space.

Well, those who know me know I have a tendency to overkill. My plate always appears larger than it really is. And after an exhaustive schedule selection process, this venture was no different. One schedule conflict after another appeared on my planner. Being very selective with my picking and choosing I finally had a workable 9 to 8, six day, daily schedule.

Now I'm in Las Vegas suffering the three hour time differential. I'm awake at 4am Vegas time and ready for bed at 9pm.

"Was this grueling, sleepless schedule worth it?" I asked.

Was it worth missing the changing leaves, the fresh fallen snow, and the Steelers' nail biting win?

Now that I'm home and able to reflect back over the week, I can answer with a resounding "YES".

The people I met from resorts, literally, from all over the world shared their expertise. We discussed the common as well as unique problems we each faced in the resort market. After each conversation I left filling I was better prepared to service my clients than I could before the conversation.

There were so many experiences and learning situations I could talk about, but there are two that I would like to gleefully share. The first was the affirmation I received from my colleagues. These were REALTORS® from resorts in Colorado (Vail, Aspen, Durango, Telluride), California (Palm Springs, San Diego), Mexico (Mexico City, Cancun), Belize, Florida (Miami, Key West), the Hamptons, Cost Rica, …. These people confirmed that my professional approach, my diligence, and my client empathy were the things that separated me from many of my competitors. They believed that my representation of Seven Springs was as good as any of theirs. "I was on top of the mountain".

Theresa from Palm Springs said, "Rich, you're right on the mark! Keep doing what you do".

The second highlight was receiving my Resort and Second -Home Property Specialist (RSPS) designation. This designation signifies a REALTORS® specialization in the areas of resort properties and second homes. There are approximately 1.3 million REALTORS® in the United States. Of these, there are approximately 500 with the RSPS designation. Of the 500 there are three designees in Southwest Pennsylvania and only ONE LIVING, PLAYING, and WORKING at SEVEN SPRINGS.

Was this trip worth the effort? Without a doubt!