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RICK FARMER with The Listing Edge PHOTOGRAPHY
By Zachary Cohen
+ PROFESSIONALISM
Chance encounters have the potential to reshape lives, families, and communities. One small act or conversation can cause a chain reaction of unexpected and impactful events.
Such was the case for Rick Farmer. Before moving down to Florida in 2010, Rick had spent his entire life in New Jersey, where he built a successful, 15-year career in the mortgage industry. His family and his business were thriving — until the economy crumbled in 2008. The collapse affected every American, but perhaps no industry was more directly impacted than the mortgage lending world. During this time, an old friend of Rick’s, who had moved to Florida years prior, ran into a mutual acquaintance. “The person he ran into said, ‘Did you know Rick died? He got steroids and died.’ Now, if you look at pictures of me, maybe you’d understand why they thought I did steroids, but I didn’t, and of course, I wasn’t dead,” Rick laughs. That strange conversation caused Rick’s old friend to call him up to reconnect. They were both in the mortgage industry, and Rick’s friend began trying to convince him to join him in Florida.
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I think because I know how to market and network, I was able to come down and make a splash.
“At the time, it was right in the middle of the meltdown, and we were struggling. I was busting my butt just to earn a living. He got me in with a mortgage company down here, and I decided to give it a shot and come down.” The Listing Edge
In Florida, Rick picked up his work in mortgage lending, but the industry was still in recovery. So in his spare time, he began working photography gigs. Over the years, Rick had discovered a passion for photography, and his involvement in jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts gave him an inroad to sports photography.
Beyond Photography Outside work, Rick enjoys lifting weights, hanging with his family, and traveling. He takes regular trips to the west coast, where he enjoys hiking, offroading, and skiing. He and his wife, Edith, have two sons, Luke and Jake, and have taken a third teenager, Justin, under their wings.
“I got into doing some contract underwriting, which allowed me the free time to grow the photography business,” Rick reflects. “So I would underwrite in the morning and evening and build this business during the day.”
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Jacksonville Real Producers • 11
