TRP’s one-stop-shop makes realizing affordable and sustainable homeownership easy

Like many people who are the first in their family to buy a home, Adriana Perez Hernandez did not originally know where to even start her journey to homeownership.

When she and her husband were renting a very small apartment near the edge of Little Village and Pilsen, they wanted to move closer to work and have more space for their three dogs, but were doubtful it would be possible to purchase a home because they did not have established credit. They heard about TRP’s free, two-part financial education and home purchase classes offered every month as part of its one-stop-shop for affordable and sustainable homeownership, Full Circle Homes, and decided to attend.

“Before the classes I didn’t know anything [about the process],” said Adriana. “The classes were really informative. They taught us that there are options and told us how to [go through the process] safely.”

After attending classes, Adriana met with one of TRP’s home purchase advisors, Priscilla Aguero, because she was still curious about how the process worked and whether it would be possible for her to become a homeowner. Priscilla walked her through the process by explaining how and where they could establish credit.

Once Adriana started building her credit, she was referred to Samantha Arroyo to help her get a loan. Samantha presented Adriana with three options for a loan. Although Adriana considered getting a loan from an outside institution, she ended up working with TRP Lending, LLC because of the on-going trusted relationship that had been built.

After Adriana was pre-approved for a loan, she again had the option of working with an outside realtor but opted for in-house services. She worked with TRP Realty’s Karina Espinoza, who helped her find a newly renovated 4-bedroom home in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood. On May 31, 2017, about a year after she started working with TRP, Adriana closed on her home. Thanks to the help of Full Circle Homes, the once-uncertain dream of homeownership has become a reality for her and her husband.

“Where I lived before was a small apartment and this is a complete family home,” said Adriana. “It’s very big—I feel very comfortable.”

Now, Adriana is spreading the word about TRP’s services to her family and educating them about the options they have when it comes to buying a home. She also remains in contact with TRP and is looking into using its homeowner support services.

Adriana is one of over 30,000 people that have been helped by Full Circle Homes. Going forward, TRP will be able to help even more people become homeowners now that its lending arm has earned certification as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). This recognition will enable TRP to become more sustainable and give our clients added confidence that they are working with an organization that puts the community first.

Full Circle Homes and TRP’s Financial Wellness services are made possible through the generosity of our supporters, including significant contributions from Associated Bank, Bank of America, The Chicago Community Trust, Citi Foundation, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, Second Federal, UnidosUS, and U.S. Bank Foundation.