Loan Shark
The Loan Shark is an illegal lender who offers you a mortgage to buy the store, since Upper Levels banks refuse loans to the Lower Levels. He first appears once your cash reaches the down payment, offers a mortgage with interest higher than a bank’s, then collects the weekly payment himself. Miss it and he takes items, or the store.
When does the Loan Shark first appear?
His introduction comes on the first day your cash is at least the mortgage down payment and you have not yet bought the store in cash. In the introduction he says he will return “on Sundays” once you have 5,000 credits; in the code the trigger is the down payment, which differs by difficulty, not a fixed 5,000. He only introduces himself; the offer comes at a later visit.
What does he offer?
At his next visit on a rent day he states the property’s current value, the down payment he negotiated with the Landlord, the yearly interest rate and the weekly payment over a set number of weeks. You answer with one of three options:
- Agree and make the down payment, which takes the down payment immediately.
- Decline, save up to buy on your own, which ends his offers.
- Ask him to come back in a week.
If you bought the property in cash in the meantime, he leaves. Terms for each difficulty are in the buy the store guide.
How does collection work?
After you take the mortgage, the Loan Shark replaces the Landlord on rent days: you pay his weekly payment instead of rent. If you pay, he says he will be back next week; the last payment triggers the Buyout ending and he tells you the store is yours “for good”.
If you refuse or cannot pay, he takes items from your store worth roughly the weekly payment and gives you a Repo Slip. If your items are worth less than the payment, he seizes the store and the run ends with the Repossession ending. He says plainly what happens if you do not pay.
Is the mortgage worth it?
The mortgage always costs more in total than paying cash. Its use is getting the store sooner, which matters because the price rises after day 50 and weekly rent only grows. Compare the totals in the guide.
FAQ
When does the Loan Shark come?
After your cash reaches the down payment, and again on rent days while the offer is open.
Can I turn the mortgage down for good?
Yes. The “Decline” answer stops his offers; “come back in a week” keeps them open.
What happens if I miss a payment?
He seizes items worth about the payment. If they do not cover it, you lose the store.
Do I still pay rent with a mortgage?
No. His weekly collection replaces rent.