Mid-construction boutique inn: sell at a loss or complete and operate?
The Problem
A small family office owned an 8-suite boutique inn in Virginia that had stalled mid-construction after a contractor change. A cash offer of $983K was on the table against $1.19M owed — selling meant a $271K out-of-pocket loss.
The Solution
We modeled two complete paths: selling at 7 different price points, and completing construction with a $2.325M hard money loan at 12.99% followed by a conventional refinance at 6.75%. The work included a Year 1 monthly pro forma, 5-year projections, five sensitivity analyses, and an 8-suite vs. 13-suite expansion scenario with a $500K additional budget.
The Result
The 8-suite completion scenario showed $207K Year 1 NOI with positive free cash flow by Year 2; the 13-suite expansion showed $346K Year 2 NOI. The client gained clear, data-driven conviction to complete construction rather than sell at a significant loss.