As a single mother, Annette Lopez has selfless and humble dreams. She wants the same thing every mother wants; to create a better life for her two-year-old daughter, Isabella. Annette can’t afford the increasingly high housing costs of her home city, Austin, Texas. To make ends meet, she had to move in with a family member. She currently shares a bed with her daughter, sacrificing any hope of privacy.
In order to build a better life with safety and stability for Isabella, Annette needs her own home that she can afford…
Fortunately, Annette was approved for a newly-constructed house by Austin Habitat For Humanity. In order to earn a zero-percent mortgage on her new home, Annette volunteered 300 hours of “sweat equity.” However, before construction could begin, she still needed financial donations and volunteers.
Enter Giveback Homes, a trusted network of real estate professionals dedicated to creating social change. Their members help families in need build new homes through membership and donations to organizations such as Habit For Humanity.
On March 10, 2016, we teamed up with Giveback Homes and Loop and Tie to host “Key Insights: Work Smarter, Give Better,” a SXSW kickoff event to raise money for Annette’s future home.
Loop and Tie generously donated products from their luxury collections. The items were auctioned using our Instant Gavel App with proceeds going to Austin Habitat For Humanity.
On April 9, 2016, the Concierge team, in partnership with Giveback Homes and Austin Habitat For Humanity, volunteered to help with construction on Annette’s new dream home. We knew what we were in for, having worked alongside Habitat For Humanity on a build in Scottsdale, Arizona in 2013.
President Laura Brady leading by example.
Chairman Chad Roffers kept the troops motivated.
Our friends, Giveback Homes co-founder Caroline Pinal, with loan officer and member, Luke Leslie.
“This was our fourth time partnering with Giveback Homes, as we’ve also sponsored industry events to benefit builds in Nicaragua. We strongly believe in their mission,” President Laura Brady praised. “We are excited to continue to help them grow social good throughout the real estate industry.”
We rolled up our sleeves and got our hands dirty.
Annette has lived in Austin her whole life, but the idea of owning her own house seemed like an unattainable fantasy. She is so grateful to everyone that has made it possible for her to provide Isabella with the stability every child deserves. She is thrilled that her daughter will grow up in one home they can call their own.
“While we curate the world’s finest luxury ‘dream’ homes from around the world, every home is the culmination of someone’s dream,” President Laura Brady noted. “We were honored to offer our time, efforts, and funds to help Annette realize her dream of a better life for her daughter. It was a truly rewarding, humbling, and fun experience.”
The house is only the beginning for Annette’s new life. With her new home, she will be free to go back to school and work her way to a better career. Annette’s dream of building a better life for her daughter has at last been made possible and it’s all thanks to her new home.
Learn how real estate professionals can give back with Giveback Homes
Learn how you can help families in need at Austin Habitat For Humanity