Life's A-Changing, June 1981

I must say I really enjoyed my stint of being Relief Society President in 1978-9 as I had learned to delegate and had so much help.  I know it was hard for my girls though because they often had to fill in and do things I did not have time to do.  Now my life would really change.

Richard really felt the need to use my skills and time in his business to help him rather than to be helping other people all the time.  He was always urging me to get my Real Estate License.  I had resisted as long as I could.  When he opened an office of Jones Mortgage in a building not far from our home in La Jolla, he really needed me to commit to being there full-time.  I took my first class in Real Estate in April 1980.  It was called "Creative Financing in a Tight Money Market" and I completed Anthony School's "Real Estate License Course" in November 1980.

Richard had also gotten into Help U Sell as a way to do the real estate side of the foreclosures on their investment properties for their clients.

Because of all the foreclosures, there was a need to bring in another type of income and Richard was trying to figure that out.  He had traveled to Florida to learn about brokering and he finally brought in a woman to lead them in that direction.  She was charming and knowledgeable about one certain type of loan called the Wrap and used me to type and do things for her.   I still had hope I could help out a little and then go back home. Before I knew it, I had learned too much and there would be no going back...I was definitely in the loan business.  I was not in charge of the A paper loans which go to banks, etc. instead of private individuals.

     Richard wrote a letter to his brother Martin in June of 1981 and spelled out our family and business situation:

Dear Martin and Kathy:

... Economic pressures of interest rates and competition in our business are changing the business dramatically.  I am trying to find where we fit.  It is harder to do business on a profitable basis and we are getting more loans with foreclosure properties.  We have several properties we are taking over through foreclosure sales.  This is a new dimension of our business that we haven't done before.  We are still solvent.

       I have a lot of family in the business.  Family members in the business is a double edge sword.  It is advantageous to have them available so that I can give them direction, but it also places more responsibility on me to make sure they are successful.  I've got Matt Hardy, Linda Hardy, Maria Hardy, John Hardy, Janet Hardy and Richard Stevens who are working in the business.  Vaughn Leavitt is still here and he has his niece from Las Vegas here for a few weeks for the summer.  She is also working in the business, I don't know how long we can keep it up, but it certainly keeps us involved.

     Janet works in the business every day.  It seems our time is well taken.

     Let us know how you are doing, and how your children are faring.   

     

     John and Jennifer bought a spec house on foreclosure in Escondido.  I thought we could get in and out really fast, but it turned out to be more of a problem that we thought.  Now we are trying to get our money out.

     Love,  Richard 

My Viewpoint on Matters in July 1981

     "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times!  " We are all fairly healthy--no dire diseases of any sort and we have means whereby we live ok--the girls can go to college--we can buy gas for the cars and we eat well--too well.

     I've become a poor cook since working the last year at the Jones Mortgage La Jolla office--we seem to snack more than eat a meal.  However, in spite of our health and poverty,  there is an air of gloom of doomsday around our house.  With good reason.

     Jones Mortgage and California Mortgage (does the discounts) have had many foreclosures which they have had to bring current to protect their investors and then try and sell fast to keep cash flow.  It is very difficult for Richard and Bill.  Besides, the loan business, as they have been doing it (requiring only equity on the home and not stringent enough credit for the borrowers) has got to change, it is too risky, and it has been hard to figure out how to change it and still get business.


     They purchased two franchises with Equity 1 for $13,000 each hoping they would be of help in funding creditworthy, long-term loans but it fizzled into nothing.  Now there is the talk of selling the company--in the meantime, there needs to be business--also the escrow officer quit and so Richard has had to monitor escrows--a new headache along with everything else.

     Richard is overweight and obviously very preoccupied with business problems--how he avoids a heart attack under all this stress I don't know.  We only talk about the necessary business and avoid all talk personally or church-wise to keep stress down.   

      The children somewhat perceive this gloom as lack of caring about them and the Gospel but it is not true--only preoccupation with problems that have to be solved economically..and...now!     The girls both work for Jones, one at the La Mesa office and one in La Jolla.   I don't think they like it all that much but both are excellent workers.    Linda and Maria have both applied to BYU Hawaii and so we hope they will get in and be able to enjoy that.  Jimmy is headed to high school and is fairly untouched by all these business problems the rest of us are working in.

      Since I was released as Relief Society President in order to work at the office, our time spent in doing church work is less and less.  Richard is a membership clerk and I write the ward newsletter. He does not enjoy his calling as it is all secretarial, work which I must do.  He set up the plan though and I must say our records are excellent.  Since I have such little contact with organizations it is becoming very difficult to write the newsletter, though.  I have tried numerous ways to get information back from people but unless you sit on the phone for hours and write while they talk it is impossible.  I also find it difficult to do my visiting teaching.  I am too tired at night and they all work, too, so that I can never find them at home, when I do have a little time.   
   
   I don't see Meagan as much as I would like but she does act as if she likes me and I adore her and wish I could see her more.    John is making good money preparing the property for sale and helping with Help-U-Sell, but it is hard with his schoolwork, marriage,  and doing property work.  

     I've decided to break the "doomsday" feeling by working on fixing up the house and yard "as if all was well".  I worked the 4th of July weekend in the yard and accomplished a lot.  Richard did all the hauling away of diggings and pruning, etc. and is interested in moving the jacuzzi.  It is not too popular and is expensive to run but really helps my aching muscles.   This week I hope to buy paint and begin doing all the hall woodwork.

     In September we are going to Hawaii for a week.  We have our tickets bought because we were offered a house to stay in over there (a client of Richard's) but I wonder if it will come to be. 

   

     
       How I miss the enjoyment I had in working with other people in the church--being Relief Society President and Stake Primary President were two very enjoyable times.  It was fulfilling the way a career can be I suppose when you are successful, you could see what you had accomplished and were so filled with love for the Gospel and people.  I remember my counselor in Primary saying she felt more appreciated for the work she did at church than she ever got at home.  There is that, I suppose.

     When you are not a part of things, you feel left out and it is easy to stop going to events and feel critical of others.  Church jobs and involvement with others is such an important part of the Gospel, it is hard to separate the two.   

      Richard is always reaching out to help everyone but he cannot do it all and so it is frustrating to him when it does not go as planned.   Problems everywhere it seems,  economical, that is.

   We are so blessed that we have such a lovely home to live in but we have been here almost 12 years and there are things we need to do and so little time and thought can go to that.

Business is Good but Always Problems and Miriam's Family revisited, 1985

I lost my calculator again!!! So I will have to buy another one.  I have about 22 loans working right now, with only about 5 of them iffy that may fall out, that's over two million in loans!!  I have been up till midnight every night and then up early.

Maria has had a kidney infection and been really sick so I've been running there, too.  Her medicine cost $59 and I cannot use my insurance for it, bummer.  I kind of hope they will decide to move back here and save some money.   Maria says their home teacher calls them a lot and Mark is playing on their basketball team so that part is better than our ward.

Richard and I went to Seegmiller's for a Swiss Sunday night supper and it was potatoes with melted cheese over it, so good.  

Richard turned his ankle today.  Did not go in to the Doctor, called Kunzman but he wasn't there so he has been limping, do not know how he can go to Knott's Berry Farm with us.

I have been so busy I haven't even been able to buy a turkey yet, etc.  Guess we'll have one Sunday at least.  Meagan is spending the weekend.  Maria's baby Michael was 14 lbs 10 oz at 2 months and he is solid as a rock!  

Mark's car broke down and then my plymouth had something in the carburetor causing problems, just one thing after another!!  But I did give a pretty good lesson in R S on Sunday on marriage.  I envy James on his mission having classes all day,  just learning more and more.

Susan Degn called and said they all love Escondido.  

Things are so hectic, rates are down and everyone wants to refinance,  don't blame them.  A couple guys are getting foreclosed out and time is pressing.  Richard is still having problems with Jones Mortgage but otherwise we are doing ok.

We are going to Knotts Berry Farm for Thanksgiving!!!  

...................................................................... 

In 1974, Miriam, wife of Richard's brother Scott (death in 1962), remarried to Don and this is a picture of the family 11 years later.