“Really?” Andie put down her mug and flipped through the papers. There were lots of official-looking paragraphs with stipulations. “That’s fantastic. I hope she can still do the renovations for the Airbnb units.”
“She can, and see here.” Maxi pointed a paint-splattered nail to Part C, Subsection 5 on the second page. “She can use the money at her discretion. James has also stipulated part of it be used to bring the loan current so the property won’t be foreclosed.”
“That’s great. I was worried she wouldn’t even get a loan with that hanging over the property.”
Maxi nodded. “It was a problem, but you know how James feels about the town’s older properties. He wants the town to retain its charm, not be filled with strip malls and condos, so he figured out how to make it happen. It’s a little unconventional, but it’s all legal.”
“Emily is going to be thrilled. Please tell James how much I appreciate this.”
“He’s happy to do it.” Maxi sipped her coffee while Andie leafed through the paperwork.
“So, looks like the bank only plans to inspect the exterior?” Andie asked.
“The whole purpose is to keep the outside historically appropriate. That’s what people see from the street. She can change the structure a little, but it has to be in keeping with the era of construction. Inside they don’t care as much. No one wants to have a kitchen that’s the same as it was in 1856.”
“Good point.”
“The bank needs to approve any structural changes as well as the paint colors, and I told James about her idea to rent it out. He said that’s perfectly fine, but of course, you’d have to get the town to inspect that, and she might need a permit or something.”
“Yeah, we need to look into all of that, but without any money, it didn’t make sense to start. I guess I can put that on my to-do list now.”
“Guess so. You seem happy to have a project.” Maxi regarded her over the rim of her mug.
“You know, I guess I am. I always thought I just liked sorting through antiques, but maybe what I really liked was helping the people that owned them.”
“That’s good. Doing what makes you happy is the best way to live.” Maxi had recently discovered this herself, and Andie agreed.
“Looks like maybe things might work out for Emily. Thanks for letting me know about the loan and for your help.”
“You’re welcome. She’ll have to meet with James at the bank to sign the loan documents in person, of course.”
“No problem. I’m sure she’ll be happy to do that.” Andie closed the folder and tapped it on the top of the breakfast bar to align the papers inside. She couldn’t wait to tell Emily the good news.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Andie had a few hours before she was supposed to check in guests at Tides, so she messaged Emily, and they met at the Thompson house. They sat on the porch with the ocean sparkling in the distance. The sea breeze ruffled the papers as they went over the loan.
“Do you really think this will work?” Emily looked concerned.
Andie chose her words carefully. She didn’t want to give Emily false hope, but she also really did think they had a chance. “I think it could. What do you have to lose?”
“Only a big giant loan to pay back and no money to pay it with,” Emily said.
“There is a chance things won’t work out, but you won’t be in a worse position than you are now. Right now you’d have to sell the property. At least this gives you a chance to avoid that.”
Emily gazed out at the ocean. “I suppose you’re right. I have to try to keep the house. Sometimes I think it might be one of the things that’s keeping Mom going.”
“Let’s look at the numbers again.” Andie slid the sheet of paper they’d been working numbers on out of the pile and set it in front of them. “We use five thousand to bring the mortgage current. And ten thousand for Tall Pines. That should pay for Sadie for a few months until we get some money coming in.”
“At least the second mortgage was small. If this thing does work out, we can pay it off pretty quick, and then we’d only have to pay taxes on the property and, of course, Mom’s bill at Tall Pines.”
“You need to get those rental units up and running.” Andie thought about her own inn. Reservations had dribbled to nothing before Jane took over. Jane had done some advertising and special events, so maybe she would have some good advice as to how to start getting interest in the boutique units. “We really should start looking into advertising right away so we can formulate a plan of attack. Then when we get the units done, we can take some pictures.”
“How much do you think we can rent them for?”
Andie glanced out at the ocean. “With this gorgeous view and the historical aspect, if we can get a permit to put in kitchenettes, I would say at least three hundred a night.”
Emily whistled. “Well, that would certainly go a long way to paying some bills.”
