Chapter 358

Sunday was almost a repeat of the day before. Between my walk and the first trip to the model home, I did manage to ride my bike down to the project. I did it just to get a lay of the land, look see. There were sixty duplex units spread out over three streets. In addition there were two cross streets which ran all the way through. Taken together they formed a perfect grid.

Each duplex had a small back yard and almost all of them were littered with children's toys. The toys were tossed haphazardly about. In the dark they would be leg breakers for sure. All in all, it was pretty much what I had come to expect from government projects.

From the government project I rode the bike out to my Mill Village project. It was a good three mile ride, but I didn't mind. The weather was better on Sunday, even though that actually made no difference to me either. It was chilly, but it was dry which I did appreciate. I wasn't really positive that I was rust proof. I smiled at that thought, the 6 million dollar bucket of rust.

I was dressed in jeans, a tee, and a baggy sweat shirt over the tee. The sweat shirt was to hide the .38 riding in the upside down shoulder rig. Since I had driven back and forth all Saturday afternoon, I planned to stay in the model home all afternoon. Sylvia had run a small advertisement in the twice weekly Aster newspaper, so we would likely get some walk in traffic.

As I expected I showed the house to several people. They all had an interest until the down payment issue came up. I needed to figure out some way to let people know in advance, that it was owner financing, but with a hefty down payment. That might cut down on the number of people, who just wasted our time.

It was 3pm when the young Hispanic couple came into the model home. I showed them around speaking to them in English. They conversed with each other in Spanish, thinking I wouldn't understand. He was thrilled with the yard and the fact that the payments would be low. She actually thought that it was beautiful inside. Even the low priced model with the standard finishes appealed to her.

When I dropped the $9,000 down payment figure on him, I expected him to scream and run for the door. He didn't, he just continued to look at the house as if he were still a potential buyer.

"So if I give you the $9,000 dollars, there won't be any hidden fees?" he asked.

"Not from me. You will have deposits with the gas and electric companies." I suggested. "But there won't be any closing costs or points or any of that bullshit."

"How would you like your money?" he asked.

"A cashiers check made to the development company is best," I suggested.

The man's wife asked in Spanish, "Do you think Uncle Tito will give you that much money?"

"He told me to find the house and just tell him what I needed. I'm not sure how much he thought I would need, but this is the best deal for us. The payments are low enough so that we can make them on my pay from the shop." The man said that in Spanish as well.

"If you want to buy one of the houses just like t his one, bring me the check and then pick out your colors. We are starting on phase two now, so you will have three weeks to come up with your down payment. I do need to ask you a few questions for the credit application."

'With that large of a down payment, I didn't think there would be a credit check?" he suggested.

"I need to know you are employed, so that I know you are a serious buyer. I also need your drivers license and social security number, so that I can explain to the IRS where the money came from."

Bullshit, what I needed was to know was what kind of shit this kid was into. He had to be into something. To have an Uncle who would come up with nine grand for him there was more to it than met the eye...

It wasn't a lot of money for a white haired old guy to put up as a down payment, or for a couple who was having a problem with their finances and needed to downsize. However for a twenty-five year old kid with two children in tow, it was a lot.

First of all I wanted to know that he was a citizen. Then I wanted to know that he had a real job. I didn't want to sell him a house, then have to make his wife a widow two weeks later.

He had a drivers license and a Social Security number, he showed me both. He had a job as manager of a auto detail shop. He had a decent salary, but not so large that he could afford to be extravagant.

"Would you mind giving me the owner of the shop's name. I just need to verify that you work there." I said.

"I work for my uncle, Tito Rivera," he said.

"That name sounds familiar, What else does your uncle do?" I asked.

"He wholesales used auto parts," he said proudly.

The information popped into my head from the farm without me asking ... Chop shop, nothing violent. He isn't on the local cops radar, but he might be on the FBI watch list for selling across the state line.

Thanks, I replied wordlessly. I see you want to remind me that you are there.

Just trying to help, the controller said in his/her message.

"So let me know what you two decide," I said to the kids.

"Oh we want the house for sure. I don't think the down payment will be a problem, but I will speak with my uncle and call you tomorrow."

"Then you should drive by the houses on the next street over. Pick out the one with the yard you like best for the little ones," I suggested. I gave them a diagram of the next phase. "This model is called the Bluebird so just pick one of those and you will get a house just like this one. You can pick your tile and linoleum when you leave your deposit."

When they left for their car, I decided that Juan Rivera might not even know what his Uncle Tito did for a living. The detailing shop would be a money laundering business. It might make enough to support him, even if they shut the chop shop down. I didn't think it was all that risky to sell to him. I was pretty sure I would not get tied up in a court battle when the uncle got busted. Jen could tell me for sure, if I even bothered to ask. I wasn't positive that they would show up again.