Formation and ownership records, several years of financial statements and tax returns, payroll registers with a current employee list, the liquor and food-service licences, booking and occupancy data, supplier and service agreements, and an inspection of the building. Ask for all of it while there is still leverage to insist.
Almost everything an officer will want originates with the seller
Anselm's own side of the file is comparatively easy: his Canadian passport, the trail of his funds, and a plan for running the property. The enterprise side is entirely in somebody else's filing cabinet, and once the deal is signed his ability to compel disclosure drops sharply. Financial statements and tax returns establish that the lodge trades and provide the figure against which his investment is measured.
Payroll registers and an employee list answer marginality without a single projection. Occupancy and booking records show the pattern of the business through a full year, which for a seasonal property is the difference between a plausible plan and a hopeful one. Licences establish that the restaurant and bar can continue lawfully after a change of ownership, which is not always automatic.
A building inspection protects the largest line in the price allocation.