Positive/Negativity (18 page)

It was a large corner lot with the grand square shaped building—the perfect location. I was standing with my friend, Paige Kasey, a premier realtor, in the middle of a building that formerly housed a gym.

The building was located on the corner of Coastal Highway and one of the major bridges leading into town. If you drove any mode of transportation on either of these roads, you had to pass this particular building. It had just come up on the market, but Paige was giving me first option to purchase.

This building was exactly what Declan had described to me when he laid out his plans for a studio, but he was away on business in Tokyo, and wouldn’t be returning for two days. I wasn’t sure that a space like this, at such a reasonable price, would last very long on the market. Paige was the listing agent, and being a friend, she ensured that the property hadn’t gone public yet. I had mentioned Declan’s plan and his desired space requirements to her over lunch about a month ago. She and I had met so that she could show me some potential renovation properties, and I had asked her to keep an eye out for any commercial buildings that might meet what he was searching for.

“At first glance, it looks like it needs a lot of work, but it does look like a great spot for a photo studio. I think the location would pique interest with proper signage, and it would attract a lot of young people. That’s the market Declan’s targeting. What do you think, Paige?” I asked.

She was someone I could trust for her total honesty. She wasn’t an unprincipled realtor who’d just throw a sales pitch with collecting the commission as her ultimate goal. That wasn’t remotely her style. Paige took the time to pre-qualify her buyers and refused to show them any properties that were out of their price range.

I had known her since we were teenagers; we met when both of our families were on vacation. We spent time on the beach, the Boardwalk, and the amusement rides with my cousins for an entire week. Paige was an only child, and we took her into our group. She had a taste of what it felt like to be part of a big family during that time. When vacation had ended, she and I continued to correspond.

We met again at the beach when we were in college. It was then, while we were on vacation, that she’d look at the different properties for sale and speculate their approximate value. She had aspirations of becoming her own boss, and she opened a business that was being built on a reputation of integrity. Having been in the industry quite a while as an agent, her agency was less than ten years old, and she was doing exceptionally well.

What I admired about Paige, and why I continued to do business with her, was that she refused to play by the rules of others. Over the years, she’d seen unscrupulous realtors sell and refinance to those who couldn’t possibly meet the long term requirements, and as a result, they were now losing their homes and filing for bankruptcy.

Having discussed this over lunch, I could tell that it broke her heart. We both knew some of the families that this tragedy was happening to. What made it more deplorable was that it all was generated by greed and the love of money. There were unconscionable realtors who didn’t care what the long term consequences would be to the families they affected as long as the commissions were in their pockets. She wasn’t like that at all, and I knew I could trust her.

“Declan said he needs a lot of room for photography studio space as well as space to conduct business,” I said. “You know what’s on the market, Paige. What’s your professional opinion compared to what you know is out there and available?”

She looked around. It was a pretty empty shell. All of the gym equipment had been removed, and to the untrained eye or someone without vision, it looked like a big, hollow box with holes in the walls and floor.

“I think it has fantastic potential to be whatever he’d want it to be. The ceilings are high, so he could adjust the lighting however he’d like. Same goes with setting up the structure seeing as there are no interior walls to remove. For studio space, it looks good to me, but only Declan would know what he’s specifically looking for.”

“Let me try to call him. I really need his input,” I said.

“You go ahead,” she replied. “I’m going to look around some more.”

I walked to the outside of the building to call Declan on my cell. “Please pick up,” I said out loud.

No such luck. Voicemail:
“Declan Sinclair here. Leave your message at the tone.”

That’s Declan—a man of few words and straight to the point.

I truly needed to talk to him, and I wasn’t certain of the time difference, so I left a message.

“Hi, babe. Please call me when you get this message. I may have a wonderful surprise for you. Talk to you soon!”

I disconnected the call as I walked back into the building to find Paige.

After a few minutes of walking around the expansive property, I saw her. “Tell me the truth. Once this goes on the market, how long do you think it’ll last before it’s under contract.”

“Honestly, Aria, I don’t think it is going to last a day.”

I know my face registered a great amount of shock.
I thought that it would sell fast, but a day?!

“You have to be kidding! Money isn’t flowing that well in this economy.”

“I know, but let me play out a scenario for you, Aria”—she waved her arms around the big room—“
This
is a big box; a blank canvas of a building. Although it’s a resort town and most of the revenue here comes in during the summer months, resort towns are becoming popular through more seasons. You and Declan have been here through the seasons. Haven’t you observed how many of the businesses are open on the weekends? You
must
have noticed. Haven’t you seen more people walking on the beach in front of the house on the weekends? Like it or not, the resort’s becoming a four season one. A lot of people are moving down here to retire as well, so more and more businesses are looking to cater to those needs,” Paige pointed out.

I could see where she was going with this, and I knew she was right.

“Yes, I have noticed more people.”

“
Sure you have
. You only have eyes for Declan,” she said mockingly and rolled her eyes. It caused us both to laugh; then she continued. “Truly, Aria, real estate is at its prime in resort towns, especially commercial real estate. Look at what we’re standing in! Can
you
see the possibilities? T-shirt shops, bathing suit stores, a night club, a restaurant, even a twenty-four hour emergency center. The potential is there. Any investor could see that as well. Not to mention the location; you can’t find a better spot! It would be seen by everyone coming into, and going out of, the city. Even if they weren’t specifically looking for whatever this building will become, subliminally it will be ingrained in their memory. Do you follow my reasoning?” Paige was making her case.

“What if I can’t contact Declan? I know what his business plan is. He’s shared it with me many times, but I really want his input. This is
his
goal;
his
baby. I just don’t want to presume what he wants to do now, at this minute.”

Paige just smiled and cocked her head at me. A moment later, she said, “You’ve heard it said before. There’s no time like the present.”

“Hell, Paige!!! I don’t know what to do! I really need to talk to him, but he’s at a damn photo shoot!” I said in frustration. “Let me go outside and try to call him one more time.”

As I exited the door, I telephoned Declan’s cell for the second time, and again I received voicemail. I left another message, but I wasn’t hopeful that I’d speak to him before my meeting with Paige was finished.
T

It was then that my brain began to go into overdrive, and I started to pace. I always did that when I was deep in thought, or terrified and I was definitely a bit of both now. Declan
constantly
spoke to me about his plans for a studio. I knew it was his dream for the future, so I listened to his business strategy the way my dad had always listened to mine. I asked him the hard questions the way my dad had asked me. As our relationship grew, Declan’s plan for this studio had become more and more solid—
on paper
. He said that he was just waiting for the
right
property and the
right
opportunity to come along. This could be it!

I walked out of the building and a bit further away from it than I had before as I needed to get a better vantage point of the location and the traffic pattern passing by. I had to garner a perspective from a consumer point of view of the landscape and appeal the structure would have.

Paige was right; it was such a busy intersection that it couldn’t be missed by anyone. There would never be a way to change this particular traffic pattern in the city. Every car, truck, van, bus, and bicyclist had to go by this building to enter or exit the resort town. In my opinion, it was the ideal place for the business he was planning and the space he was looking for. He had described to me, in detail, over and over again.

Standing inside the building, I could see it completed. My mom told me that was my gift; my “artist’s eye”, the ability to see a project completed in my head. That was my vision, and that’s what made my company successful. More importantly, this was Declan’s vision and I wanted to see it come true for him! In my head I could see the studio space with more than enough room for make-up artists, hair stylists, dressers, and photographers. There was ample space to have three studios going at the same time, with dedicated areas for each studio to have separate teams of their own.

The individual spaces could be made sound-proof so that state-of-the-art equipment could be installed and the studios could each play their particularly desired genre of music without disturbing another space.

Each area could be designed with enough natural lighting that the photographers could choose whether or not to use it, and the windows could be designed so they could be closed off to use whatever choice of lighting the photographer might desire.

Declan had many trusted associates in his line of business, so he could be selective in bringing in the most respected colleagues to get their perspective and input on what their desired preferences were, insuring the best work product.

As for the professional side of the business, adequate office and meeting space could be dedicated for that purpose alone. He could decide the dimensions, layout, and quantity of the office space as well as where he’d like to place it in proximity to the studio space. I was certain that, if Declan chose, he’d have such a state-of-the-art studio that many business colleagues would want to join him in his venture.

My mind was racing. My top priority was Declan and what I believed would help him to achieve his dream. In my judgment, this building could meet his requirements as he’d described and detailed them to me. He could design his dream studio
exactly
the way he wanted it, and securing this building was the first step. In every conversation we had, he said that
this
local,
this
resort, and
this
town was where he wanted to start his business. He
never
wavered in that part of his plan. I was teetering on the edge of fear and decision.

I walked back across the street and into the building. Looking for Paige, I found her staring out at the view. She turned when she heard my approach.

“There’s one more thing that we didn’t consider,” she began. “Have you seen this? Look at this view! When we were inside the building, we didn’t even contemplate this because we were so concerned with the requirements Declan would need for the studio space, but look at this! If you slightly change your plans, you could make a second floor. You know all the ropes in the renovation area, Aria. Wouldn’t that mean that every studio would have natural lighting?” she asked.

She was right. I was following her train of thought; this building didn’t get the sunrise, but it had sunlight all day.

“Adding a second floor for the offices, you’d get the bay view for aesthetics. That’s a better view than any painting you could hang on the wall.”

I thought for a moment, looking out at the bay. It was a
spectacular
view. I could propose to Declan that he add a meeting room on the business office floor, and when he wanted to entertain in that room, this side of the building held the most beautiful sunsets anyone could imagine.

I couldn’t say for certain in his line of work, but in my line of work, people were much more productive when they were happy and relaxed. It seemed that, at every turn, it was being confirmed that this was the ideal building and the ideal location for his business.
If I could just contact him!

“Paige, how is this on the price? I’d like to bring my inspector by to check it out. Do you think the price is negotiable?”

“Are you serious?” Paige gasped. “The owner isn’t going to let you do an inspection without a contingency contract. This price is too good.”

“Well, no time like the present!”
I reasoned with myself to control my fear of making a
huge
decision on behalf of someone else without their knowledge. In that moment, I
knew
I had to get the building for Declan. I couldn’t just let it slip by without his having this opportunity. It was golden and rare. He had a solid business plan, and I trusted him. I couldn’t believe the next thing I said.

“Paige, let’s put in a contract.”

With that, I hoped Declan would agree with my business sense.