On Wednesday, January 4th, the Advancing Belonging, Community, and Diversity Committee kicked off the new year with a presentation on lending options for underserved communities.

Topics included Section 184 Native American Loans, DACA/ITIN requirements, lower credit score requirements, MFA Census Tract & CDFI Funds, VA Loans, and Disability benefits. View a recording of this well-attended presentation.

First Wednesday
Equality in Homeownership, A How To

Presentation Resources

• Click for Presentation Slides
• Purchasing a Home in a Targeted Area
• How to locate MFA Census Tracts:
  • In Flexmls --> Overlays --> MFA Census Tracts
  • You cannot search by tract, but you can use the overlay to create your own shapes
  • How to Create, Save, and use Custom Shapes

Guest Panelists

Rob Hill, Nusenda Credit Union
Robert has been in the mortgage industry for 5 years with a focus on first-time and veteran buyers. Rob is an Affiliate and Chairs the YPN Committee. As an Air National Guardsman and prior Air Force Active duty member, he brings personal and professional experience to MFA and VA loans.

Maria Jose Ramos, Primary Residential
With a career extending across an array of disciplines, Maria uses her skills to ensure individuals, families, and business owners have access to economic stability, homeownership, progress, and innovation. In addition to the real estate industry, Maria is passionate about research projects focused on economic development in rural and urban communities paired with experience with marketing, communications, local and national media outlets, research, and non-profit agencies. Maria is proud to work with a reputable company and team and says “you can trust me to do what's right for you. So, give me a call anytime! Si se puede!”

Lauren Sandoval, Bank of Albuquerque
A NM native married to her college sweetheart and mother to a 5-year-old daughter, Lauren earned her MBA at UNM. Lauren is an advocate of several non-profit organizations that offer support to homeless youth and their families which includes the Barrett House, Title 1 Homeless Project, and the Evening Optimist Club. Lauren is VP and Mortgage Banker for Bank of Albuquerque Mortgage and has assisted over 600 families in their homeownership journey in just five years. She is proud of the work ABCD has done and is eager to support their ongoing efforts to reduce housing inequality in NM.