46-06, 16-32, 20-02, 37-02, 42-23, 18-46,
28-06, 28-32, 05-23, 30-41, 21-34, 53-48, 53-24, 38-17, 22-32,
22-23 (x2), 31-41, 48-19.
This week's
leads focus...
Bob
Becker
Sun View
Realty Investments
Bob Becker was today's Main
Speaker. His father was stationed at Luke's AFB in the
40's during the war. Then he moved his family to Illinois.
This is where Bob was born. After a dispute over a family
business, Bob's father packed up the family and moved back to
Arizona.
His father ended up buying a
car dealership here in the Valley. Bob started working at
the dealership at a very young age. He went from being a
janitorial engineer, to car duster, to detailing, to delivering
parts when he was old enough to drive. When he became a
senior in high school he took an accounting class which prompted
his dad to move him to the front office where Bob was
responsible for the financial statements.
Bob did one semester of
community college where he got so smart that he didn't need to
go back. He also didn't want to go back to work for his
dad. He needed a change. He took a nightshift
position at a sugar company where he was injured on the job.
This injury occurred just before he was scheduled to go into the
military. He did go to boot camp but they took away his
medications the first night. Complications
developed...including yellow skin. He was eventually given
a medical discharge.
Bob liked the weather in
California so he decided to stay there and work for a local
dealership. In 1969 his father asked him to come back to
Arizona to sell cars for him, something Bob had not yet done.
Bob took him up on the offer.
By 1978 his father was ready
to retire. He wanted to sell his business to Bob.
Bob's brother also worked in the dealership but did not want the
responsibility of ownership. He was all for Bob taking
over. Their mother, however, was not. She wanted
both sons to buy it or neither of them. Since she was 50%
owner she was able to put a stop on the deal.
Bob was already doing van
conversions. When the buyout fell through he went into
this business full-time. He bought empty vans and
customized them. In 1999 he saw the future of vans fading
as SUV's began to enter the market. He paid off his debts
and got out of the business clean.
Bob's retirement last 2
weeks. After that he spent the next year building two
homes. Then his wife convinced him to get his realtor's
license. Bob never liked school. He found out he
could take a crash course which he did and passed.
Besides realty, Bob is
heavily involved with the Lyon's Club. They accepts
donations of used eye glasses and hearing aids and distribute
them to those in need. He also helps at their northern
Arizona camp for the handicapped.
[directory/old/becker.htm]