Success Stories
Rosa Portillo
Rosa is a 32 year old single mother of a son named Oscar who soon will be 12 years old. Rosa and Oscar are originally from El Salvador and have lived in the United States for almost five years. Rosa currently works as a seamstress for Western Shelter Systems. She first came to NEDCO to join the Threshold Homeownership Education and Counseling Program in April 2004. She moved into her lease-purchase Oakpatch Cottages home in January 2005 and she purchased it in April 2006. “What motivated me the most to reach my dream was to have my family united and to provide Oscar with a comfortable space where he could grow freely!”
What did you think about the Threshold program?
Rosa: I feel that the classes were very important and interesting. And with the one-on-one counseling it made it easy to understand the buying process, especially when it was time to start the application process. I also feel that if I hadn't taken part in this program I wouldn't know everything I learned about mortgages and what the banks look for in order to qualify you for a loan.
Which classes did you find more helpful?
Rosa: I feel like all the classes helped me achieve my goal, but mostly the finance classes because I learned how to save money through budgeting. I also liked the credit classes because it helped me establish good credit as well as understand it because I had never used credit before or even seen my credit report.
What was the most difficult thing about the Lease to Purchase program?
Rosa: I guess waiting in general was the most difficult thing. I just wanted to save money as soon as possible so I could buy my house. The other hard thing was that I had to buy furniture, dishes, and everything else you need for house.
What was your motivation to own your house?
Rosa: To see that my son was growing and to realize that he needed his own space. Before I had my house, I lived with my sister, and my son and I had to share a bedroom, so it was very uncomfortable for both of us. In other words, he was my motivation to reach my dream. Home ownership also became my goal because I decided that this would be an investment that I can pass on to him.
What are your future plans for your house?
Rosa: Now that I own it, I am going to work on the landscaping. This summer I want to plant some flowers, grow some grass and plant a vegetable garden.
What are your future goals?
Rosa: I want to pay off the house as soon as possible because I feel like even though it might take me thirty years to pay it off, it will be a good investment that I will pass on to my son. I also want to continue studying and currently I am working towards my GED and I plan to become a nurse assistant.