I.
June glanced nervously out her rearview mirror.
156Melody Carlson
"Not seriously!" Suddenly Maggie imagined June's car
being followed by a hit man in a dark sedan.
June laughed. "No, I've never heard of Cohn committing
any murders. Although one old guy became so frustrated
over a home he'd purchased last year that I think it gave him
a stroke, and for that I blame Cohn."
"There was a man in the lobby who sounded pretty
upset. He was complaining that he had no water at his
house."
"He must have purchased a home in Phase Three. Their
well ran dry last week. Some people are having huge stain-
less steel storage tanks installed~ but they run about $20,000
each and there's already a long waiting list. Once they're
installed the homeowners will have to pay to get them
refilled all the time, and of course their landscaping, which
is supposedly required for each house, has all died. Nothing
can survive Out here without water. That's how Cohn was
able to get the land so cheap to start with. On top of all that,
they raise the homeowners' fees every time you turn around.
A lot of these people are forced to sell for below market
value just to get out without losing everything. It's really
quite sad."
"I never considered how all this could impact the con-
sumers," said Maggie. "I was actually more concerned with
the quality of the development from the outside community's
standpoint. I hadn't given much thought as to what a
headache it might be for the unsuspecting people who buy
into these places."
"I was in sales." June pulled up to a parking area on a
small ridge that overlooked the golf course and clubhouse.
"And all we ever did was think about the folks who buy into
these places, always coming up with another new method to
lure them in and then get them hooked."
Maggie gazed over the lush green golf course and well-
planned clubhouse buildings. "This really looks quite nice
from up here."
FLooking for You All My Life157
"It's supposed to. We always stop here on our sales tour.
We brag about the golf course and clubhouse facilities, and
while they really are very nice, they have problems too which
will only get worse over time. You'll probably notice a few
things before your stay is over, although I've no doubt that
Cohn put you in one of the best suites with instructions for
everyone to treat you like royalty. Let me guess-you're in
suite 305?"
"That's right!"
"Anyway, after the tour of the clubhouse, we take you to
see Phase One. We have a beautiful model home that we