On Her Own, But Not Alone

Andrea was 20, single and working at Trader Joe’s, scrolling real estate listings after her shifts, half-convinced homeownership was something reserved for others, like couples with two incomes to support the purchase. Still, she’d browse the listings, watching properties come and go.

One day she saw something she really liked and, almost on a whim, clicked the “submit inquiry” button. That click connected her to a realtor, who did something special: she introduced Andrea to Lourdes, a Self-Help mortgage loan officer. Lourdes explained the mortgage process and the lending options available to Andrea, making sure she never felt in over her head. In fact, everything started to feel doable.

Lourdes helped Andrea qualify for Equity Boost, which required just 1% down, and connected her with a down payment assistance grant of $17,500, forgivable after five years. Andrea closed on her home in June.