Realizing the Vision

The matter of finance resolved, the first problem that Hilary faced was finding land he could use for the Lord's Ranch. The plots that he liked were often not large enough to accommodate what he had in mind. The difficulty of his task was further compounded by the illegitimate dealings that often went on in real estate transactions, of which Hilary was determined to have no part. God sent rescue in the form of a Hindu convert named Santosh Shetty, who owned a company called Solitude, which dealt in real estate - and dealt in it honestly. When Santosh furthermore said that he had the kind of land area that Hilary was looking for, Hilary wondered if the man might not be - quite literally - God sent. However, Santosh's company soon began running into dire financial straits. Hilary realized that the only option to save his dream was to bail out the property developer by turning investor.

It proved to be a wise decision. Recovering quickly from its financial problems, the company began growing. It also began sourcing land for Hilary's project. The first lot they managed to obtained was a little over 160 acres (less than 1 sq.km.). Even as the possibility of getting more land for a reasonable price appeared remote, a land owner suddenly turned up, offering Hilary a huge block of 500 acres (2 sq. km.) at half the current market price! Construction work promptly commenced. A road was cut through the mountains to transport supplies and labor to the Ranch. Plants were nursed in a green house until a suitable maturity was reached before then being transposed in soil around the ranch. Hundreds of fruit trees and vegetable gardens framed pathways. A borewell was dug, supplying water to all the areas that needed it. A shed was built to become home to goats, raised for both meat and milk. And the projects themselves began to take shape.

Even as this got underway, more property kept coming up for sale around the main property. Hilary continued to buy the land, which now stands at a total of 750 acres (3 sq. km.) and is currently negotiating for 150 more.

Next: A home for the aged - with a difference