The lady looks up from her packing and greets me with a warm smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “Hello there,” she says, her voice friendly. “Oh, the rent for this place is $7,000 per month.”

“I see, thanks,” I say, keeping my voice even. “I need to talk it over with my business partner first.”

I lie, not ready to commit. The rent is $7,000 a month, which is a lot. How am I supposed to come up with that kind of money just starting out? That’s definitely ...