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 

Hawaii 1981

   We did go to Hawaii and ended up just taking Maria and Linda.  The house where we stayed was really lovely, it belonged to a long-time client of Richard's.  

   Going in the surf was so different than La Jolla.  At one point I really needed to be pulled from the water, it was so powerful.  I had never felt ocean water so strong and I had no control at all.

   I do not have any pictures but we really enjoyed the Polynesian Show and the pineapple boats with vanilla ice cream in them were to die for.

   Richard and I were so stressed from the situations at the mortgage company that we had a hard time relaxing and really enjoying ourselves.

   This was my first time visiting Hawaii and the girls did get into BYU Hawaii and are going for the fall semester at least.  We are really going to miss them at the offices and at home.

In September Maria wrote that school at BYU Hawaii was going well and she was really enjoying the New Testament lessons and said it was easy for her as she had had it in Seminary.  She was also enjoying her sewing and learning lots of new things.  English was just OK but they had to hand in essays every day!  She thought Ceramics would be fun!

Linda wrote that she liked school in Hawaii and it was so different than her year at Ricks.    She likes that fact that she enjoys her classes and she has time for the beach.  She jogs every morning,  is also taking sewing, went hiking and sailing.  Sounds like they are enjoying it all!

Christmas 1982

In 1982 things went from bad to worse and Richard was not making any money but spending his time full time just trying to save his clients by foreclosing on properties, fixing up and reselling them.

It was not a time of prosperity but of hope and Richard continuing to help his family with school, jobs, cars, etc.  I was busier than ever learning and trying to make the A paper side bring in income.

   Consequently, it was one of the years I never did get a Christmas card out.  And I did not write anything down but we did get these pictures in which Meagan was the star.  Meagan was always so animated.  She was fun to photoshoot.

 

My Views in October 1983

Letter to Mom and Jeanne...

We attended a Seminar in Las Vegas with Mr. and Mrs. Jones put on by the Mortgage Broker's Institute.  It was all about the heavy regulation in the business and the necessity of having all forms and disclosures correctly done.  And, of course, representing things accurately to your clients.  lt was very informative.  Richard is the one who appears to be in charge of this so it was especially important for him.  You can be liable so easily if you do not know what you are doing and saying.

I get very depressed because I do not really like the business and every day l have to be something I am not and it is fatiguing.  There are not many women in this business but there are getting to be more and more.  All of them seem to be somewhat frustrated because of the way things are and just not sure where they are going.  The days of the loan on the house alone are over and credit on the borrower is getting more and more important.  It is good we have learned how to broker FNMA loans but I was really inspired, I think, on the way over to Vegas with an idea for the business.   Richard and Jones are both excited about implementing it immediately.  Richard makes me feel so necessary that I can't even think of quitting even if I could make money doing something else.  Sometimes I get so miserable I think I can't possibly go through another day but I pray about it and something always keeps me going and makes me feel enthused again for a while until I get discouraged again. 

One day you can be working on a million dollars in loans and the next day you have lost most of them for one reason or another.  There is so much competition in the business and it has changed so much--that is why everyone is so discouraged and then, of course, the foreclosures.  A lot of the seminar was about the foreclosures. etc.  You have to be somewhat aggressive in this business to make it and it is just not my nature but you can be that way if you have too--it is just hard, I would so much rather be doing something else.  And I feel so bad that I am such a bad homemaker and never have any decent meals on.

Speaking of meals, Richard and I kept eating the buffet there--twice a day--much too much food as you can imagine but cheaper than the restaurant and very good.  They had apple cobbler that I wish I knew how to make--and I think it was like your bread pudding with apples and raisins in it and a little juicier--where would I find that recipe??

Jimmy was home working on a research paper when I got home--he has taken a real interest in doing his school work this year.  John had had him using some of John's college books to read and Jimmy did very well with his paper.

Instead of going to a  show this year at Vegas, they are all the same and so expensive, we took $20 to play on the dollar slot machine and the last dollar I won $20 more and then we played and played for about a half hour and went home with $65.  l should have quit when I had a hundred!  I have never won like that before but they say the dollar machines are the best to play.  I should send some to Maria for her birthday, I know she likes school, but she really liked working and having her own money!

Jimmy is working as a photographer for the yearbook and tomorrow he and his friend are being disc jockeys at school, I do not know if that is for a long or just a one-time thing.  He does get out and do a variety of things and enjoys life.  He was nominated "Class Flirt".  He has also been doing some construction work but I wish he would keep working at Sea World,  he just doesn't like work all day Saturdays and Sundays, which I can understand.

Every time I come back to San Diego I realize what a gorgeous city it is,  Las Vegas is so ugly I can't believe it.  Lots of loan rate sheets waiting for me when I came back and I need to get them all looked at and in my notebook before tomorrow or it will never get done.

Thanks for sending me the money but I do intend to send it back, you need it as much as we do I am sure.  I have got to be careful not to call you when I get depressed.  I do wish I had someone to talk to, there just is no one,  it only makes Richard feel worse to talk about the problems and now Maria is gone and Linda is so far away and I see no one in the Church anymore except the young gals in Primary.