Mauricio had just visited some property he intended to lease and well telling his small business mentor, Nara, about it.

“Nara, I think I’ve found the spot!” Mauricio stated. “It’s in a strip mall across the street from the new housing development south of town. There is a grocery store in the same place that will bring a lot of people to the area. I’ve heard that they are considering building a new store, but with that new housing going up, they’ll probably stay. Right now there’s a lot of vacant stores in the strip mall, so I can have my pick of the places. The one I want will need some work to be what I need, but I’ve budgeted for that sort of expense. Also, the strip mall has gotten a little run-down, but the landlord states that he is getting ready to spruce everything up a little.”

 Nara replied, “Let’s think this over a minute. You’ve raised a lot of red flags that we should consider before you sign that lease