BY CYNTHIA MORENO cmoreno@vidaenelvalle.com SACRAMENTO – Gerardo ‘Jerry’ Ascencio came from his native Michoacán, México nearly 57 years ago. He and his parents settled in the San Fernando Valley hoping to pursue the American Dream. But, throughout his childhood, América offered them everything except that. The family of five lived in a tiny trailer in…
While minorities occupy about half of the state’s housing units, they are less likely than white Texans to own their homes, and the state’s largest metro areas have some of the most substantial racial disparities among homeowners, according to recently released U.S. Census data. A shortage of affordable housing, credit problems and lack of savings…
At the annual convention of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) in September, the organization’s co-founder, Gary Acosta, spoke passionately about the group’s mission to raise Hispanic homeownership to over 50 percent. Anyone witnessing the resolve and commitment of the 2,000 convention attendees could envision the goal being reached. These were industry…
Jerry Ascencio came to California 57 years ago from Mexico. Those early years were defined by struggle and punctuated by periods where he lived in a trailer, worked three jobs and performed in mariachi groups in the underbelly of San Fernando Valley nightlife. But today he stands as an example of why so many come…
The 2015 National Convention & Latin Music Festival concluded in Chicago from September 18 through 20 and brought together a record number of first-time attendees from the Midwest, growing the association’s footprint in the region. The convention included a keynote address by world-renowned motivational speaker Darren Hardy, amazing attendance at NAHREP’s first-ever Latin food event,…
Calling all policy wonks and mortgage junkies! The 2016 Housing Policy & Hispanic Lending Conference is open for pre-registration. Grab your spot at the industry’s only conference centered on housing policy issues and the Latino community. Be there in-person for the annual release of the State of Hispanic Homeownership Report and learn all the important…
The 2015 Nuevo Latino Tour featuring NAHREP’s original stage production, 53 Million & One, picked up once again with stops across the country, including shows in California, New York, and New Jersey. The show was featured at the Freddie Mac Headquarters in Washington, DC on October 28 and 29 to audiences of employees and NAHREP…
NAHREP is proud to share information about the Ernie J. Reyes Memorial Scholarship Program, available to current or college bound students whose parent or grandparent is a current and active NAHREP member. Scholarships up to $5,000 are administered by and made possible through the generosity of the Felix DeHerrera Living Scholarship. The deadline to apply…
NCS President Maria Zywiciel was featured in the September issue of National Mortgage Professional Magazine and gave insight into the effect culture plays on marketing in the housing industry. The article takes a look at language, the concept of time, food, and music, among other factors, which should play a role in the marketing strategy…
Latinos are the drivers of American homeownership growth, with new Latino households accounting for 40 percent of U.S. household growth in 2014. The most significant barrier keeping Hispanics from participating in homeownership is limited access to mortgage credit. As a response to this problem, NAHREP corporate member VantageScore Solutions introduced an alternative model to traditional…