Three days later, Ludian did as he was told and handed the ownership documents to Claude.
From that moment on, Claude became a small landowner with 300 hectares of land.
However, Ludian didn't look too good and seemed to be in a bad mood.
"What's wrong with you? Why are you so upset?" Claude asked.
Ludian sighed and told Claude the whole story.
While Ludian managed to get Maria to give Claude the hut, there was another matter he couldn't complete, which was the purchase of properties in Whitestag that Maria ordered him to do. He didn't have a clue about it and it could even be said that he couldn't complete it at all.
Perhaps Maria's impression of Whitestag was still the same as it was a decade ago, so she thought that the 300 crowns she had was enough to buy half a street worth of property.
She asked Ludian to buy the properties along the street. That way, when Stellin X's decree was issued to develop Whitestag and build a military port, the properties along the street would at least triple in value. It would be the fastest way to sell and she believed that she could earn close to a thousand crowns in one go. That way, her finances would be much better in the next two to three years.
However, when Ludian went to the town hall to handle the transfer of ownership, he realized that the prices of the properties along the street had increased tenfold in the past decade or so. It wasn't as Maria had said, where one could buy a house or a shop with only 20 to 30 crowns.
Three hundred crowns could only buy two two-storey houses at most, and they weren't even in the busiest part of the town.
The problem was that nobody was an idiot. From the time Morssen and the others planned to open up a new sea route to the navy sending two warships to the docks, almost everyone was optimistic about Whitestag's future.
So, none of the owners of the houses and shops along the street were willing to sell their properties. At most, they would rent them out to others for business or lodging.
Claude smiled. "Did Madam Maria specify where to buy them?"
"Not really," Ludian replied honestly.
Butler Ludian answered honestly. He was loyal, but he was not a good business manager.
However, Maria had no other choice. He was the only person she could trust to bring such a huge sum of money to Whitestag.
Claude decided to help him out as thanks for giving him the 300 hectares of forest. "Do you have a map of Whitestag?"
"Yes."
Ludian took out a map from his briefcase and placed it on the dining table in front of Claude.
Many markings were made on the map. It could be seen that he had visited the busiest streets in the town, but he didn't find any suitable land for him to buy.
"Give me a pen."
Claude took the charcoal pencil Ludian handed to him and drew a big circle around the slums behind the old street. "I believe you can buy real estate here. Three hundred crowns should be enough to buy five or six properties in this area.
Then, you can take the property you bought to the National Bank as a mortgage. With Maria's status, you should be able to get another 80% loan. You can then use the money from the loan to buy the property next to it.
Just like that, we'll use the land we bought to get a loan, and the money from the loan will be used to buy more property. Soon, this area will belong to Madam Maria. "
Ludian was flabbergasted. Is that even possible?
However, he wasn't a decisive person. After some hesitation, he asked, "B-but Madam wants me to buy property next to the street."
"That's simple. If there aren't any streets in this area, can't we just build one ourselves?" Claude said as he drew on the map. "Look, a new street will appear.
After buying all the real estate in this area, not only would he build a street, but he could also build shops and buildings along the street. All of them would be four-story apartment buildings.
If Madam is sure that the kingdom will develop Whitestag and build a naval base, we won't have to worry about the houses not being sold. The naval officers alone will be able to buy all the houses here.
Since this area is so close to the docks, it's the best choice for them. "
"B-but …" Ludian's face turned red. "M-Madam doesn't have that much money to build a house."
"No, she does. She just doesn't know it. Not to mention, she doesn't have to spend her own money to build a house."
Claude pointed outside the window. "Madam can mortgage this wood to the national bank and get enough money to build the entire street.
Actually, there's no need to worry about the mortgage. She can sell the house after it's built and pay some interest every month. That way, she'll have enough money to buy the land and start the construction.
The money she'll earn then won't be a small sum. I reckon it'll be at least two to three times the amount of the loan. "
"W-How much can I borrow from the wood?" Ludian asked, a little breathless.
"Seventy hectares of land. At a 70% interest rate, I should be able to get around 15,000 to 20,000 crowns," Claude estimated.
Currently, an acre of forest was worth two to three crowns. Seven thousand acres of forest could be mortgaged for that amount.
"Also, the wood needed for the construction of the street can be cut in the wood. That'll save a lot of money on the cost of raw materials," Claude added.
Ludian squirmed like a teenage girl. "T-this is a big deal. I … I can't make the decision on my own.
Young Master Claude, c-can you go to the royal capital and discuss it with Madam? I can vouch for you and help you get a permit. "
Claude sighed. "Luan knows about the situation at home. Do you think I'll be able to leave?
How about this? I'll write a business proposal tonight. You can bring it to Madam. "
That was probably the best solution.
Even though Claude hadn't been involved in real estate development in his previous life, he'd never seen a pig run before.
Not to mention, many of his business friends were in the real estate business. At that time, real estate was getting more and more sophisticated and intelligent.
That's right, it was more intelligent. That was what Ludian said. Without some intelligence, it would be easy to get hoodwinked by those considerate real estate developers and pay them an IQ tax for nothing.
There wasn't much of a market for real estate development in this world. At the very most, people would hire someone to build a house for them to live in or sell it to others. There weren't even any decent real estate developers around.
Claude decided to use the simplest and easiest way to write the proposal. At the very least, he had to let Madam Maria know what to do with it.
However, it was easier said than done. Claude spent the entire night working on the proposal.
The reason he was forced to do so was because Ludian, who had been waiting by his side the entire time, knew how important the proposal was to Madam Maria. If it succeeded, Madam Maria wouldn't have to worry about not having enough money to buy ingredients for her concoctions anymore.
So, despite his age, Ludian stayed by Claude's side. Tea, pastries and supper were prepared to the point that Claude was too embarrassed to leave his work and run back to his hut to sleep.
But the advantage of having Ludian by his side was that he had someone to refer to. If Ludian couldn't understand it, Madam Maria wouldn't be able to either.
However, that increased the workload. Not only did Claude have to write out the overall proposal, he also had to work on the details.
For example, such a large real estate development wasn't something Ludian and Claude could handle alone.
Even though Madam Maria had some authority and reputation in Whitestag, a powerful dragon couldn't suppress a local snake. If she had the cooperation of the locals, things would go much smoother and it would save them some unnecessary trouble.
So, Claude suggested to get some of the nobles of Whitestag to participate in the real estate development. Madam Maria would give up some of her shares to make the cake bigger for everyone.
At the same time, Claude suggested that Madam Maria invest in the real estate development in the name of giving back to her hometown and doing her best to complete the purchase before Stellin X announced the development of Whitestag.
That way, even if everyone found out about it, the real estate development would be set in stone and no one would be able to take advantage of it.
Not only did Ludian attach a new map of Whitestag, he also marked out the environment of the slums as well as the areas to be purchased and developed.
Claude also drew a few rough sketches of the area and the public docks that were to be built into the naval base. Even those who didn't know the industry would come to the same conclusion: the houses there wouldn't be a lack of sales.
Finally, Claude emphasized on water, fuel, sewage, property management and cleaning services, as well as strengthening the security and order of the entire area. It was the equivalent of turning the slums into a mid-range community.
Ludian grew more and more excited as he read on. Even though he didn't know much about business, he could tell that the real estate development plan Claude wrote was going to be a huge money-maker.
It was already five in the morning and Claude was finally done with the plan.
Ludian hugged his briefcase tightly as if he was hugging a hen that laid golden eggs.
"I'll return to the royal capital right away," Ludian said.
Claude was a little surprised. "Aren't you going to rest first?
You've been up all night. I'll go get something hot for you to eat. "
"There's no need, Young Master Claude. I have to hand the plan to Madam as soon as possible.
Time is of the essence. I'm worried that we won't have enough time if Madam agrees. "
Claude understood what he meant. There was only a month left until the middle of the fifth month. By then, Stellin X would announce the development of Whitestag and the prices of the shops and buildings in the town would skyrocket.
It would take Ludian at least four to five days to get back to the royal capital. If Maria agreed to Claude's plan, the time wasted would mean money.
Thus, Ludian took some bread and water and got into the carriage without hesitation. He was prepared to travel day and night without stopping. This way, he could save about a day.
Soon, five days later, Ludian appeared before him once more.
He brought a letter from Maria with only three words on it: I'll listen to you.
Claude smiled bitterly. He was simply asking for trouble. But he had no choice. Since he had already started, he had to do it. Not to mention, he could use this opportunity to earn some money. It was a rare opportunity to earn some money and with Maria's backing, he wouldn't have to worry about being bullied.
Ludian dictated Maria's request. She only wanted 70% of the shares and profits. The other 10% would be given to Claude and the other 20% would be split among the investors in Whitestag.
"I'll mortgage my 300 mu of forest as well," Claude said after some thought.
"I won't be able to take the shares for free if I don't pay for it. The money is borrowed from the bank anyway.
What you need to do next is to take the wood to the bank and get the money as soon as possible.
I'll bring you to meet the investors at night. If we need them to go to the slums, it won't be convenient for us. "