On July 1 Peter Dunn celebrated 25 years owning and operating his own real estate business in Singleton.
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It's a good time to be in the real estate business, despite the recent rises in interest rates, with strong demand locally for homes and rural holdings especially from metropolitan buyers.
"I love the job I do because for one most people are happy when they buy a home or when the are selling one to either upgrade or move to another area," Mr Dunn said.
"And it's a job I have always enjoyed since I first started working with my father Mick in his business way back in 1981.
"The prices today are amazing and I would not have thought they were possible but I do have concerns for younger people buying their first home. Today they will need to be very good savers."
Being a second generation member of the real estate industry had its advantages according to Mr Dunn as he learned a great deal from his father.
His son Rueben is working in the industry, in Sydney for the Malouf family, but Mr Dunn said that was selling at a whole different level to Singleton.
"We sold our first million dollar property in Belford and that was a thrill but nowadays that has become a regular occurrence," he said.
His father started his business in 1976 having worked previously for Gordon Fuller. One of the big changes since that time has not only been technology but also what is bought and sold.
"I think the market for antiques and other household good disappeared in the mid 1990s. Today much of those goods would end up at the local op-shops," he said.
In that era the Dunn's held regular clearing sales for households goods - a market now completely non-existent.
The first home Mr Dunn sold when he started out on his own in 1997 was a three bedroom brick veneer house in Blaxland Avenue for $130,000 - absolute bargain in today's terms.
At that time he would have to take a photo of the house then have the film processed and a print made of the photo and it along with a type written description would be placed in the office window.
Today houses are styled before a photo shoot and drones can used to capture the surrounds as well as videos - a real production effort but one that can be viewed anywhere on the internet.
When he started the coal mining industry was just kicking-off and it has been a major property driver since the 1980s.
"I have seen the coal industry dominate our real estate market as people moved to town for jobs. Now with the news about the closure of Mt Arthur mine in 2030 I will be seeing the market transition to a new era," he said.
"Singleton is ideally placed for that future."
Louise Nichols
From cattle to coal. Once a specialist agriculture writer today its about community, in particular, the Upper Hunter. I have lived and worked in the region for more than 30 years. Land use issues and the future direction of our region. But you cannot take ag out of the picture - our food and how we grow it is the basis of all life. Covering the Hunter and Mid North Coast rural issues is now part of my role with ACM.
From cattle to coal. Once a specialist agriculture writer today its about community, in particular, the Upper Hunter. I have lived and worked in the region for more than 30 years. Land use issues and the future direction of our region. But you cannot take ag out of the picture - our food and how we grow it is the basis of all life. Covering the Hunter and Mid North Coast rural issues is now part of my role with ACM.
