Page 53 of Sea Breezes at The Beach House Hotel

I ended the call with Nell and phoned Liz.

“I’ve already spoken to the owners and told them I have someone interested in buying their house and that we might not need a realtor, only a lawyer, which would be cheaper. They’re very excited.”

“Let me know what time to come and see the house for Nell and Clint. I’ve got a meeting with some magazine people, but no matter when you arrange a visit, I’ll be there. This is too important.”

“I hope they’ll be willing to work on the house,” said Liz. “It’s the best location for a family. Everyone in the neighborhood is extremely friendly. They’ll fit right in.”

“We can only do so much, but I appreciate your quick thinking. What Nell and Clint decide will be up to them.”

“Oops, gotta go. I’ll call you in a bit,” said Liz, and I heard a chorus of cries in the background.

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Rhonda and I were meeting with the advertising people from one of the society magazines we advertised in when Liz rang my cell to tell me to come to the house right now.

I stood. “May Rhonda and I get back to you with our decision on what and when we’ll advertise? I have another meeting I can’t miss.”

The magazine’s salespeople quickly agreed, and after walking them out of the office, I turned to Rhonda. “Want to come with me to take a peek at the house Liz has in mind for Nell and Clint?”

“Do I ever,” said Rhonda. “Angie called me this morning to tell me about it.”

“Great.” No matter what was happening at the hotel, our children came first.

A few minutes later, I drove into the neighborhood where both Liz and Angela lived with their families. It was attractive and clearly a place for young people. Tricycles and bicycles were in front of many of the houses, along with a few strollers.

Liz was already at the house when I pulled up in front of a smaller home that needed fresh paint. It had an outdated front patio on which two rocking chairs sat.

I turned to Rhonda. “Liz called it a ‘fixer upper’. I can see why.”

Liz met us by the sidewalk leading up to the front door. “It was built the same year as my house, and I’m sure it must have a sound structure. The builder is well known for that. The owners are a very nice couple, but they haven’t been able to upgrade or maintain the house.”

After Liz rang the doorbell, a sweet-faced older woman answered the door. Her blue-eyed gaze swept the three of us.

“Ah, Elizabeth. And this must be your mother and her friend, Rhonda. I’m Hester Wiley. Come in. Don’t mind, Earl. He’s napping in his chair. As you can see, this house should go to a young, energetic couple as Liz described.”

Ann gazed around the living room, trying to ignore the magazines, the knitting, and the books everywhere. The layout of the entrance, living room, and beyond to the kitchen and dining area had a nice flow to it. One side of the front entry hall had a small powder room tucked beneath the stairs that led to a second story.

“The master suite is on the first floor. Upstairs, there are three bedrooms and two baths,” Hester explained. “We kept that floor for family visits. Earl and I haven’t been up there in a long time, but feel free to take a look. If we can sell this house directly without having people troop through at all times, we’d be glad to do it.”

“What are you asking?” I asked her.

“Our son says to stand firm on $325,000, no matter what,” said Hester.

I knew Nell and Clint’s house in Maryland cost a lot more than that, but I didn’t know the amount of their second mortgage.

“Let’s take a look at the second floor,” said Liz.

Rhonda, Liz, and I climbed the stairs to what looked like a scene from the past. It was obvious that Hester and Earl had two girls and one boy. Their rooms hadn’t changed much at all. Two of the rooms had walls painted pink or purple. In the pink room, posters of various actors and rock stars from years ago covered some of the paint. In the purple room, there were still horse statues sitting on top of the bureau.

We moved to the boy’s room, painted blue with posters of baseball players Alex Rodriguez, Josh Hamilton, and Derrick Rose. A baseball trophy sat on the top of a chest of drawers painted white.

I found it both touching and disturbing that the rooms had been kept like that and wondered how often Earl and Hester’s children actually visited. Each of the bedrooms would need to be painted and either have new carpeting or flooring installed. The smallest bedroom would make a great office.

The two bathrooms would need to be upgraded, though both were functional.

Rhonda didn’t speak, but I could tell from her expression that she was as surprised as I to find the house in such condition.

Downstairs, we inspected the kitchen, laundry room, and master suite. These were in much better condition and had been recently upgraded, which made me feel better.