The Story of the Handlens' Relocation and Reincarnation as Bethel Area Real Estate Agents--
Like many who come to the Bethel area, we came for the skiing. Raising three boys in Kennebunk, on winter weekends and vacations, we brought them to Sunday River to enjoy some of the East's finest skiing. As each ski season waned, and snow melt formed rushing torrents, we began exploring the spectacular hiking along the rugged line of mountains at the northern end of the Appalachians, known as the Mahoosucs.
Winding our way along the many trails over each side of the ridge, the mountains worked a sort of magic upon us. Each visit to the Bethel area, we found it harder to leave, until one day we bought a lot with the dream of building there some day.
At the time, it seemed a useless pipe dream, as we were heavily committed to a business in York County on which our family depended, but before we knew it, our children were grown. Then we were able to take the risk of divesting ourselves of the business, which while it fed our family for many years--it consumed our lives.
Free to move to the place that kept calling us back, we sold our home in Kennebunk and moved to the Bethel area. That was in 1999. The next year we designed and built our home in Gilead, on a lovely south-facing lot with spectacular mountain views. Each morning, as we sip our tea and coffee, we look out over the Carter-Moriah and White Mountain Ranges.
In 1999, Paul entered real estate in Bethel, calling upon his life-long career in sales: first in real estate for five years, and then as Vice President and sales manager for our dessert company, Lasting Impression, Inc. for nineteen years. Paul has now accumulated nine years of real estate experience in the Bethel area. Combined with his earlier years, his years of real estate experience totals to fourteen and his years of sales totals to 32.
Paul Handlen, Owner and Designated Broker, writes: “My goal has always been to operate as an independent real estate broker. After 19 years of operating in a hectic business environment, I can tell you that being large is not better, having more employees does not make life or business easier, and greater volume has absolutely nothing to do with quality of product or quality of life.
“In real estate, my product is my service to my clients and customers, and the satisfaction of doing a job well for them brings me quality of life. I do not need a complicated or large business to achieve these things. I will never have the most listings; I will never have the largest office, or the largest staff.
“However, as my client or customer you will have my full attention. My policy is to be forthright, tenacious, and conscientious in my efforts for those people who choose to work with me. Because of my success in these commitments to my clients and customers, I have succeeded in my goal of establishing Handlen Realty."
Cynthia Handlen, Office Manager and Associate Broker, writes: “We made our dream of owning a home in the Bethel Area come true. Let us help you make your dream a reality."
Like many who come to the Bethel area, we came for the skiing. Raising three boys in Kennebunk, on winter weekends and vacations, we brought them to Sunday River to enjoy some of the East's finest skiing. As each ski season waned, and snow melt formed rushing torrents, we began exploring the spectacular hiking along the rugged line of mountains at the northern end of the Appalachians, known as the Mahoosucs. 