May 8, 2010. Artemas, Pa. Cindy and Bob.

They did everything right, from beginning to end. Cindy and Bob are real estate agents from Cumberland, Md. They were referred to us by Gary Ditto, who had asked them to visit his property in Artemas for an opinion of the value of his place for insurance. They did what he wanted and also sat on his deck and told me not to do all the things he was thinking about, such as put in a pond or build another house on the land. They were straight shooters, which was what we needed too.

We needed information and answers to questions. The first property to consider is our old 55 acre farm. Should we sell it now and should we divide the property into two sections in order to reap a higher price? Or should we wait a few more years? They said all the right words. "Everything will sell if the price is right", and "We really need a crystal ball right now". They gave us no answers but will get back to us on the price and the decision to sub-divide, once again, a correct answer. No off the cuff idea of price, they want facts and figures and so do we.

The second property is easier. We own a small house on the property that has been rented for eight years. Our tenant died and we are organizing the place to fix it up. Our farmer friends think we should separate off an acre of land with the house and sell it rather than rent it again, so we needed to know from them whether any small houses are selling in Artemas and if any rentals are available. This little house was easier. The house would sell between 65 and 75 thousand dollars and would rent for $450. per month. So now we must make up our mind. Their opinion is that the house would sell, if we keep the price modestly priced. Again, they said all the correct answers.

Now these folks knew I was in the real estate business in Bethesda but they did not know what I did or where I worked, so they were not trying to impress me or being on their best behavior. They arrived on time, meeting us at The Road Kill Cafe, and we went to see the two properties, where Cindy took notes in a binder. They asked questions but did not talk much. Then we sat around the kitchen table in the farm house and talked about our options. They came prepared, having run off the deeds and asked us to bring a survey which we did. It was a pleasure to meet these two competent agents. Reassuring too. Now we just must make some decisions.