Chapter 334

The kids came into Jen's conference room ten minute later. Sylvia was proving to be very good at what she did. There were two Hart children, a son and a daughter. Since I never planned to see them again, I didn't save their names to memory.

"We have decided to accept your offer to purchase the mill houses." The boy said. It was in his voice, even he didn't think much of the property.

I had the conversion estimate for the houses in my hands. It had been submitted by 'His Laboring Few' and reviewed by a local house designer. They agreed that after the prorating, each of the houses would have about $75,000 of my money invested. With me spreading it out to ten at a time, that was a bunch of money for a small town girl to comprehend.

"So tell me kid, what happened to finally make you move forward?" I asked.

"We have a firm offer on the mill building now," he said. "You knew that we always wanted to unload it all at once. We can do that now more or less." I simply nodded my head, but I began to run it thought a simple logic program.

If the farm knew that something had changed, then they knew what it was. The community college thing would not have come to their attention. Only something involving foreign governments would have come across their desks. So the simple logic program told me that it was some kind of foreign investor. Someone they had to clear. So the money could come from China or somewhere like that. The buyer could open a plant and hire the relatively cheap southern labor to produce a high demand consumer item. Something that the would allow the local purchase of raw materials.

Use local materials, local labor, and sell to the local market and save all that shipping cost and get the investment tax credits as well. It was the only thing that made any sense. They were stepping back a hundred years in time. The big difference would be the owner would not be some Yankee carpetbagger, but some oriental or Russian carpetbagger. I almost laughed at the irony of it. What was it Nikita K had said all those years ago. Was it really the beginning of the end.

Way smarter people than me were supposed to be saving us from ourselves. I had my doubts, but there was nothing I could do about it. Especially since the people in Aster needed jobs so badly.

"Maybe your daddy was right kid, maybe it will all come back after all," I said as I signed papers releasing their money and binding me to the deal. The kids shook hands all around.

"Well," Jen said, "You are in the housing business in a big way now."

"Yeah a big time real estate mongrel," I said with a laugh. "Jen, Sylvia was supposed to be some kind of social secretary, but she is proving to be really good at organization. I guess it is that peasant ability to prioritize, that all us poor kids grew up with."

"I have noticed that about most of the mill kids. They either got that or were at least minimally productive. However other disadvantaged kids have a much higher rate of anti social behavior." she said in agreement.

"Well regardless, I think I am going to give Sylvia more control over the real estate side of the business. I wanted to get your opinion."

"Do you mean license her and cut out Kate?" Jen asked.

"Let's ease her into it from the construction end first. Then maybe do the other as well." I said.

"If you want, you can sell your own property without a Realtor. We can do all the paper work that needs to be done." Jen promised.

"Then I for sure am going to give her a shot with this mill house development." I turned away before I added. "Jen, I will tell Sylvia to expect a call from you about the penthouse condo over the drugstore."

"Yeah Maxine, I wasn't joking. I have to get out of that house and soon. Bob wants to either move in or sell it." she said.

"That's none of my business," I said. "Just call and let her know what you want, and when you want it."

I drove back to the office running the idea of Sylvia taking over the real estate business over and over in my head. If I eased her into it, I just couldn't see a down side.

"Sylvia I want you to set up a meeting with the foreman at 'His laboring Few'. The one who will be working the mill house project. We also want to meet with their designer at the same time. We have to get that estimate down. Then we want to get to work on them," I suggested to her. "The faster we get them done the sooner we can turn that money. Jen just put another 250k in escrow to tie up the rest of the houses. Once we get started their value 'as is' might well climb."

"I can set up those meetings for Monday for sure," Sylvia said.

"Good, that also brings up a point I want to discuss with you." Instead of increasing your salary for the extra work this realty thing is going to require, how would you like a per unit bonus?" I asked.

"If it is fair compensation for any extra time I have to put in on the project, I would be satisfied with that." she said.

"Well if it doesn't work out, we can make up the difference. I can give you a guarantee so keep track of your extra time. If you work nights and weekend more than the bonus covers, I will make up the difference at your salary's hourly rate." I agreed even thought I had no idea what her salary rate was when broken down to hourly. I planned to make her a partner soon anyway, so she would eventually have to live with the profit just like I did.