Dear Friends,
I hope this letter finds you well this holiday. Whatever this season looks like for you, know that we at The Ross Group are thinking of you. As we come to the close of another messy, beautiful year, I wanted to take time to focus on something we all are reminded of this time of year: “home,” and the stories that make it what it is.
For most of us, the definition of home is everevolving. Heidi and I have been experiencing this firsthand. With daughter Morgan soon to graduate college and begin her role as a teacher and son David a fullblown adult working twojobs pursuing his career as a chef, we’ve been taking those fateful steps closer to emptynesters. Fortunately depending on which child you ask we have taken this opportunity to embrace the transition through journeying further into the exciting and adventurous life of Blain Ross.
And in true Ross family fashion, we thought we’d start our quest the only way we knew how: a road trip. Aside from the extra time with Blain, our trip this year had a significant mission. Take seven weeks, add three people and ask one question: “what does the word home mean to you?”
From the farmer down a Minnesota back road to the halfclothed man settled in the streets of New York City, we presented our query to strangers and family alike. The greater purpose of our mission was to sketch a holistic picture of what home is across our country and in all walks of life. Our gift to you this year is just that, a firsthand look at our project, a pictorial book, capturing the heart of the word “home.”
One highlight of pressing into the concept of home this year was our Mortgage Payment Giveaway Challenge where we encouraged our clients to creatively dream up how they would give away a free month’s mortgage. Our winner, Kirk DeWitt, was able to gift a local woman and her children with the transition from a hotel to an apartment.
In addition, we were motivated to underscore our company’s flagship mantra of being a “core values mortgage company.” This was spotlighted by the expansion of our quarterly Waffle Wednesday event, centered on our core value of being “people people.” With the help of more than 20 volunteers, we were able to transform our usual time of interpersonal engagement and refreshment to a night of communityfocused giving where we raised over $2,600 in toys for a local charity organization, Action Foundation’s Community Christmas Shoppe.
People are so important. They’re what often make a place home. That is why we are excited to announce an expansion in our family here at The Ross Group. 2016 will truly be bigger and better as we continue to build and serve the community of homeowners whose stories go beyond the mortgage.
With an abundance of love and appreciation, Todd Ross and The Ross Group Team
