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An Unusual Client Service or How I Became a Water Witch

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with New Paradigm Partners LLC EB #1326335

About 25 years ago, I moved to a small community in the southern Colorado mountains. I bought a home, moved in, and immediately had a septic tank problem. And, of course, no one had any idea at all where the septic tank was.

So the septic service guy gets on the phone and calls Ralph, a local "water witch". I'm highly skeptical about anything supernatural anyhow, so by this time I'm freaking out, imagining myself digging holes all over the property, spending hours of back-breaking work or thousands of dollars just to find the tank.

And it doesn't help when Ralph shows up - he's got to be in his 80's and he looks like we just woke him from a long hibernation in a cave. As I'm standing there watching him and the septic guy talk, he looks at me and says "You don't believe this, do you?". I say "Not really", and he says "Watch this, then".

Ralph goes to his truck, graps a couple of copper welding bars with small 90° bends, and starts walking the property. In his hands, the bars are swinging all over the place. It takes him about 10 minutes to start zeroing in and 5 minutes later, he announces the location. 15 minutes after that, the truck is pumping and I'm still not believing what I just saw.

So then Ralph walks over to me and says, "That will be $20. You still don't believe it, do you? Well, I can teach you how to do it." He walks me over to where the buried line is, places me over it, stands in front of me, puts the rods in my hands and grabs my hands with his. Then he gives me this very intense wild stare right into my eyes and I feel the hair on the back of my neck stand straight up.

"OK, that's it. You can do it now - try it", he says. And he was right. And that's how I became a water witch.

And if you don't believe me, I'll come over to your house and locate your septic tank or sprinkler lines. I do it all the time for clients. Really.

Posted by
Mary & Dick

Mary & Dick Greenberg
New Paradigm Partners LLC
2601 S. Lemay Ave. #41
Fort Collins, CO 80525
970-689-4663
www.maryanddick.com

 

Data Source: IRES MLS

Comments(5)

P.J. Virgilio Jr., Realtor 408-568-6578 Selling homes in the Greater San Jose area and South through San Martin, Gilroy
Keller Williams Realty Silicon Valley - Gilroy, CA
San Juan Bautista and Hollister as well!

Dick,

Seriously..... I'm in Hollister, CA. lol

Patrick

May 25, 2011 05:09 AM
Norma Toering Broker for Palos Verdes and Beach Cities
Charlemagne International Properties - Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Palos Verdes Luxury Homes in L.A.

Gee, if I had only known I would have called you when we could not find the septic tank on a property I sold.  Finally found it but the septic guys did some digging and they did not find it on the first try.

May 25, 2011 01:56 PM
Ron Marshall
Marshall Enterprises - Saint Michael, MN
Birdhouse Builder Extraordinaire

There.  Now you have enough to log in and make it over the top.  Congratulations!

Dec 30, 2011 08:38 AM
Ron and Alexandra Seigel
Napa Consultants - Carpinteria, CA
Luxury Real Estate Branding, Marketing & Strategy

Dick,

What a great story, and I am not surprised you can do it.  I always knew you were a man of many talents.  A

Oct 03, 2017 12:42 PM
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

Hi, Dick --- ahh, yet another piece of the puzzle falls into place.  

Oct 04, 2017 06:20 AM