I was sitting down at my computer to begin writing this post when an email came in. It was from Kathy, in our sales office, and began with this greeting: “Hi Neighbors.” The thing is, she isn’t—technically—our neighbor. But it sure feels like she is. And Kathy couldn’t have given me a more perfect lead-in to this post.

I’d like to introduce you to Kathy and three other people, each of whom meets all of the qualifications of a good neighbor, except for one. None of them lives in Maples at the Sonatas, or in Woodstock. They are all Wilcox Communities employees who spend their days with us because this is their workplace.

We encounter them doing their jobs in our neighborhood and in the clubhouse that we share with them. They always have time for a friendly greeting. They ask us how we are because they actually want to know. They celebrate our good news with us, worry when we are ill, and miss us if we move away or pass away.

Let’s begin with the sales staff of Carol and Kathy. Here they are on the day of our Spring Tour of Homes. Carol is on the left.

Carol, the sales manager, and Kathy, her sales assistant, are the first people newcomers meet when they visit this community. Carol and Kathy really are the faces of the Maples during the two or more months of the home buying process. They are very professional but also set the tone of casual friendliness that carries throughout our neighborhood. And after the buyers close and commissions have been paid, Carol and Kathy remain interested in seeing them happily settled in.

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New homeowners also meet the construction staff early on. Bob, the project manager, and Steve, the field project assistant, oversee every step of the building process. They also handle any warrantee work during the first year of ownership. Here they are, conferring with a contractor this week. Steve is on the left, and Bob on the right.

Bob and Steve also work to keep the customers educated and satisfied. I think it helps that both have wicked senses of humor. With multiple construction sites, these guys are hard to keep track of. One place you will seldom find them is at their desks in the office. They like to be out where the action is. On the rare day that they have time for a lunch break—and at the same time, no less—they might be found working on their golf game.

From all appearances, both pairs of employees are happy working here and happy working together. So, for the time being, everything is great.

But a nagging little worry lurks in back of my mind. These four “neighbors” are on loan to us. I try not to think about what happens when our community is built out. Instead, I’ll concentrate on enjoying them while they are here.