It was late afternoon when the mysterious stranger pulled into the parking lot. Stepping out of the car, she glanced at her reflection in the side window. Hair straight, collar pressed. Did it matter? Was she prepared to tell him what he would need to know? Guess she'd find out. She'd waited a long time to do this.

Suddenly, she felt someone watching. Turning around, she saw a kid staring at her from behind a nearby car. She smiled. "Hiyaah", he said, coming up beside her. "Hi, there, yourself," she replied, looking down at him. " Whataya doing here", he asked, digging into the cement with the tow of his sneaker.

It was too long a story and he probably wouldn't even remember this tonight when his mother asked him what he did today. " I'm going to see a man about a house." She glanced at her watch. Time to go. "What man", he asked. "Joel Patton," she answered, waving at the kid, and starting towards the front door. The next question stopped her in her tracks.

"Who's Joel Patton?"
Tune in next week for the continuing saga of

" Buying a Beach House."

Well, kid, that's a good question and one every potential property buyer or seller should ask before they decide on a real estate salesman or broker. Let me tell you a little about Joel Patton (Me).