A Dream Across Borders

A Dream Across Borders

The following quotes were conveyed through a translator and have been edited for clarity and accuracy.

Twenty three years ago, Daniel and Brenda got married in Mexico before moving to the United States to build a life together. They came to Wisconsin with the dream of buying a home and raising their family.

Since coming to the United States, they have lived in the same rental property, where they have raised their four children. 

When Daniel and Brenda began their search for a home, they quickly realized how difficult the process of purchasing a house can be.

“We looked for information through a credit union and a person that helps with houses. It is very complicated,” Daniel said. 

Then, when shopping at a Milwaukee Habitat ReStore, they learned about Milwaukee Habitat’s Affordable Homeownership program. 

Through the program, first-time homebuyers can build a brand new home with little-to-no down payment and an average mortgage payment of around $950 per month. After researching and being accepted into the program, Daniel and Brenda are now partnering with Milwaukee Habitat to build a brand new home for their family.

“We did research about how it works, what you need to do, and we talked to [Habitat staff],” Daniel said. “We are very thankful that everyone has been accommodating. Everything happened this year. For us it is like a miracle. Everyone is helping us.”

Like all first-time homebuyers in the program, Daniel and Brenda must meet specific income requirements and contribute time by either helping build their home or volunteering in our ReStores. They were drawn to the idea of physically building their home, knowing it would make the experience even more meaningful and exciting.

Daniel and Brenda have spent 23 years dreaming of homeownership, and now, with Milwaukee Habitat, they are building a brand new home to call their own. 

“We won’t believe that it is true until we have the keys,” Brenda said.

As they work through the process, they reflect on their lifelong goal. Daniel shared:

“One of our goals as a family is to have a house, to own a house. We have been waiting for 23 years, and not until now have we been able to do that through our partnership with Habitat. We feel very happy about it, because we have been helped. It’s very practical, very efficient, and we like how we have been treated. It makes us very happy knowing that we have a new house, compared with our rental house from the 1900s. This is a realized dream. 

For our children, they will have their own space and more privacy. We will take care of the house like we take care of the house we have been renting. 

One of our goals is to give good education to our children and you know having a home is the base to have a family. So in order to keep the family united in harmony, having a home is [important].

We’ve seen other families and how comfortable it is to have their own house. So we know when we rent, we know it’s not part of us. Owning a house is something we can leave to our children in our future. 

We want for my children to finish their school. My son is in high school. I hope he can go to college and have a good job. We have always been helping them to see them growing and to become a good person, somebody who works and has their own home in the future. They are family. 

Those are things that are very important for us and our children.” 

As they prepare to step into their new home, Daniel and Brenda are filled with gratitude and joy, knowing that their journey of perseverance and hope has led them to this moment.