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Tad said, \u201cYou’ve got our grandad, the guy telling jokes, shaking hands, and kissing babies that could make anybody laugh. Then you\u2019ve got Dad, the guy counting every nickel and looking at all angles and was equally humble but driven. He was very focused. They were polar opposites, and that\u2019s why it worked. And Ben and I are, too. We each have our strengths, and we play off that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Belinda agreed. \u201cI don\u2019t think I ever realized how genius he was until he was gone. He never made a major decision without asking my opinion. David really pushed integrity and honesty,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
David and Auburn agreed on integrity and honesty. All decisions were and are led by the golden rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ben said, \u201cGrandaddy Wheeler gave me a ruler once \u2014 a Coca-Cola ruler printed around 1939-40, that said \u2018Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.\u2019 And he said, \u2018I’ve always had this in my desk. Take this and keep it in your desk, and don’t ever forget it because the world is changing rapidly.\u2019 I know how it\u2019s changed since he\u2019s been gone, and I just haven’t forgotten that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most changes in the past 50 years have been in the tools of the trade. One-page real estate purchase agreements are few and far between. Listings were kept in a book that had to be signed out and checked back in by agents, and today listings are shared through a Multiple Listing System\u2122 online\u00a0and accessible to everyone with an internet connection. Cell phones replaced the multi-line desktop system, and emails and texts replaced letters and pink phone message slips.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n While all these things changed the business’s logistics, the company’s heart and its ongoing success continued under Belinda\u2019s watchful eye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Auburn\u2019s retirement and passing came following Ben and Tad joining the family business. David continued full speed ahead until a serious accident involving one of his cows caused a decline in his health that collided with cancer and led to his death in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As his life slowed through the duration of his health struggles, David shared his focused values with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Belinda said, \u201cHe told the boys, \u2018All you\u2019ve got is your name \u2014 you lose that, and you\u2019ve lost it all. Money doesn’t matter; it’s just paper. But if you’re good to people, it will come back to you.\u2019 And it has in the repeat business that we get.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Belinda is committed to seeing her sons\u2019 continued success. She is an active agent and presence at the office and can and will offer her wisdom and guidance as needed, recognizing when it\u2019s time to speak up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s one thing the brothers always agree on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBelinda\u2019s been the glue and still is. She\u2019s very active in what we do,\u201d Tad said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ben added, \u201cIf she didn\u2019t keep it together \u2014 the books, everything \u2014 we wouldn\u2019t be sitting here today. Grandaddy was aware of it, and Dad was aware of it. They would tangle. It was a family business, and there was controversy, but there\u2019s less today than there\u2019s ever been, thanks to the time we had at the end with Dad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s still a family business. Alan traded his agent license for an appraiser license. His son, Tyler Gill, now fills his shoes as an agent,\u00a0and his son, Bo, assists him in the appraisal business. Ben\u2019s wife, Lana, and Tad\u2019s wife, Carissa, are also agents; the other 20 Craig & Wheeler agents are also family.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Belinda said, \u201cI hate that they’re not here to see it, especially Daddy. He had seen a lot with David and loved that the boys were back. David was looking so forward to this 50th year. He talked about it a lot; he\u2019s missed so much.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Belinda\u2019s committed to the company\u2019s future, but she knows where to draw the line. \u201cI don\u2019t want to be a mediator when I get to heaven,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I guess that settles it. GN <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" TODAY, YOU can buy a new home from the comfort of your old one. The internet has transformed how we conduct most business, but at Craig & Wheeler Realty & Auction, one thing has remained unchanged for 50 years and counting. Belinda Craig is the glue that secures the company’s past, present, and future. In […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":15665,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/DSC_4361-1024x814.jpg\")
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