'I am going through a divorce and will find myself in a position that could have a devastating effect.”

It was an email to SunLive– a plaintive appeal for help or an ad for a business opportunity, but probably both.

Andrew Matthews is going through a marriage break-up and, with it, the forced sale of his family home of 26 years. The email is a prayer, an appeal for what he calls an ‘angel investor'.

'I will not have the funds to start again from scratch and I want to reach out to an angel investor to help keep me in my home until I die.”

That ‘angel investor' would be required to put up about $250,000 to buy Andrew's ex-wife's 50 per cent share of the family home when it goes to auction later this month.

That's where the head is, but the heart is elsewhere. He would rather it hadn't come to this, he still has deep feelings but he's dealing with it.

The pragmatic Andrew's grand plan is for the investor to become a sleeping partner and half-owner of the house until Andrew dies and the property is sold.

They would then get a 50 per cent cut of the capital gains. The rest would go to Andrew's kids.

The house is worth $540,000 to $580,000 according to Andrew, a long-term ACC beneficiary after falling from a crane in a workplace accident a few years ago.

'In 10 years it could be worth $700,000. So the return for the investor could be $40,000 to $50,000.”

Just two per cent based on Andrew's projections but, he says, a solid and safe investment.

The entrepreneur in Andrew wants to explore his options. Is there something out there for people like him? Or is there someone out there, like him, who may want to invest in a property?

Statistics confirm there must be many ‘Andrews' because there were 10,000 divorces last year. And few without collateral damage.

'Unfortunately, when a family breaks up there are consequences,” says Tauranga Budget Advisory Service manager Diane Bruin.

'And it is not easy to try to manage on your own or be able to retain the assets you owned together.”

Dianne says it's about examining all the options so people can think logically through the process.

She wonders what would happen if there are disagreements between parties involved in the ‘angel investor' option? Or what would happen if one party wanted to sell early?

'Legal advice would be extremely important as it might not be easy to find the right person.”

Dianne says working with a financial mentor can open the door to ideas and choices.

'For every choice there is an outcome and some may be better than others.” Andrew says finding the right help can move divorcees forward, to begin again.

'I do not want to become a liability; I want the dignity of being able to provide for myself, look after myself.”

Andrew's been in the housing market ever since he and his family arrived from England in 1989. 'To be thrown on the scrapheap and having to start again at 63 or 64 is not easy and almost impossible.”

And while Andrew is holding out for divine intervention from just one ‘angel', there is a whole chorus of angels right here in Tauranga investing in entrepreneurs and innovators.

Enterprise Angels is a membership-based investment group drawing on each other's business experience and expertise. Since 2008 it has invested more than $23 million in Information Technology, agri-tech, food, hort-tech and biotech companies.

But they are straight-out financial investors looking for a return and Andrew's housing enterprise falls wide of that criteria.

'But businesses come with risks,” says Andrew. 'My house and I aren't a risk.”

Pledgeme is another group. It deals with dollars and heart strings. It helps New Zealanders 'turn dreams into reality through crowdfunding”.

The website says think up a goal you want to achieve. 'Turn to your crowd of friends, family, customers and fans. Ask them to pledge to your campaign. If all that support equals more than your goal, you've made it.”

The Budget Advisory Service offers another option to people like Andrew. 'He is an ACC beneficiary so he has an income and if he found another property that was more affordable he could have one or two boarders to help with the mortgage.”

It would provide a roof but doesn't deal with Andrew's emotional attachment to his home.

'I have prepared this house for retirement,” says Andrew. 'I have focused on energy conservation for five or six years. I have installed LED lighting throughout, there's solar hotwater, there's cheaper bottle. I spend just $40 a month on electricity and the money I save on power I spend on firewood.”

He's invested time and feeling. He just needs an ‘angel' to come to the party.

'I would cover the bills and general maintenance as a normal homeowner would do. All they'd do is cover the initial funding with no financial risk. Their input would be quite limited. They can sit on the fence and watch their asset appreciate long-term.”

He does rule out one substantial body of potential investors, those looking for romantic partners rather than business partners.

'I'm a Christian who believes in marriage for life. I'm one-woman man. I don't want to give my affection to somebody else.”

If you're interested in Andrew's proposal or have another idea call him on 07 562 3328 or message him at: a.matthews@kinect.co.nz