Ah yes, the great elephant in the room! I must admit that I struggled with this (as most do) and then came to realize that I have two (2) choices:

(a) Simply ask you to contact me for the information;

(b) Be up front with my rates.

As you will see I chose option (b). Why, you may ask? Well, I believe in being up front and honest with folks. Plus, ask yourself, when you see something for sale (e.g., a house or a car) without a price you either automatically feel it is outside your price range or feel reluctant to call. I want to take that uneasy feeling away from the start.

I determined my rates after careful consideration and in consultation with other professionally certified genealogists and historical researchers who were quite open and honest with their opinions, including whether to post your rates or not (all were a resounding yes).

All that being said, here is what I determined is a fair rate schedule and purchase options:

(a) $30.00 per hour for the first two hours and $25.00 per hour for each hour thereafter;

(b) You tell me your budget and we can determine how much work can be completed within those parameters;

(c) If we reach the maximum you have budgeted we can either:

– Temporarily suspend the research until you wish for me to resume work;

– I can provide you with suggestions of steps to take if you wish to complete the research independently.

Bottom line, I strive to make things work for the both of us. If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact me. Let’s be creative!