For years I tried to find the connection between my great-grandparents and a woman to whom they mortgaged their farm in the early 1900s. There was seemingly no connection. The woman was not related by birth or marriage to the great-grandfather’s relatively well-documented family and the great-grandmother did not really have any relatives in the area.
Several years after I had put the problem aside, I came across an advertisement that likely explained the connection. The ad was for a local lawyer who was also working as a mortgage broker for individuals with “money to invest.” The lawyer/broker’s advertisement indicated he could connect investors with individuals who needed money and could secure it with real estate.
Sometimes the connection is not what you think.
One response
Fascinating! In 50 years or so, genealogists may find that individuals currently buy “occupied” apartments in New York City. The buyer essentially becomes the landlord of a single apartment where the resident has rights to live. I’m not sure if this is done elsewhere but apartments here are sometimes difficult to find & there are lots of rules to prevent the unfair expulsion of a resident. It’s a way to buy an apartment that may become available when a resident no longer needs it.