30 years ago, she bought a building on what would turn into Main Street but was, for now, just a street in a sleepy town.

The building cost $90,000.

She was waitressing and planned to use the space to create and sell art.

She got seller financing for the first three years on the condition that if she missed a single payment, she’d lose all the money she’d paid for the building thus far—and, of course, the building itself.

After she signed the contract, she turned to the seller and handed them signed checks for the next three years.

Now it was up to her to have the money in her account.