Exploring Life & Business with Jennifer Aviles of Mortgage Industry

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Aviles.

Hi Jennifer, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I wish I had a brief explanation to what’s led me to where I am today. My life has been a series of ongoing events in which feels like I’m never going to wake up from a nightmare. Some days are better than others, while some days feel like I’m underwater trying to make it to the top for some air.

I grew up in a typical traditional Catholic Mexican household. Dad worked very extremely hard, mom cooked and cleaned and watched over my three brothers and I. Dad came to this country at 19 years of age and mother at 26. They had the typical American Dream, buy a home, have a family, and live happily ever after. My father taught me perseverance, work ethic, independence, ambition, be a dreamer, and he always empowered me by always believing in me. He was tough on me, strict, and by 12 years of age, I was helping him write checks to pay utility bills and telling Mom to teach me how to cook and clean. Dad always reminded me of my ability to become anything I wanted to be, but more so he always pushed Real Estate as a career for me. He also reminded me of why I needed to make my own money, so one day I didn’t have to rely on a man. Mom was a sweetheart, always loving, nurturing, and never complained. She taught me to love, care, and do for others with no expectations. They created my strong foundation of everything I am today and for that, I am thankful and blessed. I hold on to those qualities, but just like everything has a beautiful story, there’s always the stories that tug at one’s heartstrings.

While I grew up in a household where love was felt, in a blink it was destroyed. My older brother, who was one year older suffered a soccer injury at 13 years of age. Couldn’t play soccer any longer and began to hang out with the crowd he shouldn’t have. Made wrong choices and was in juvenile hall at one point, a rehabilitation center at another, and when we least expected, our family was in a hurry to leave Santa Ana the city we called home for a better neighborhood and associations for my brother. It’s then when I say, the beginning to the nightmare started. When our family relocated to the City of Brea, I was 14. I faced culture shock, living in a predominantly white/caucasian city, new friends, new home, new church, and learning to adapt to what felt like a new world to my siblings and I.

While I excelled, my siblings faced several challenges such as racism and fit the typical stereotypical boxes to always be a target in a community where we were a minority. So much so my family and I were woken up at 3-4am one day to what was the S.W.A.T team. At the time, my older brother was 18, I was 17, and my two younger brothers were 13 and 14. This was the beginning to what I call my endless nightmares. My whole family and I experienced being treated like criminals, facing shame, confusion, pain, and later that morning our family of 6 detained and later on we were all released with the exception of my older brother. I think this traumatic event marked me, I’ll never forget entering our home (five-bedroom, two-story home) completely turned upside down. Anger, tears, sadness, shame is all I felt. Being screamed at in that detention cell was humiliating, filled me with rage, with sadness, with hopelessness, to see my poor mother, my father my younger siblings all in a situation of such fear is something you never forget. Fast forward, after months of trial my older brother was arrested and sentenced to 17 years in prison. He didn’t touch anyone, didn’t hurt anyone, didn’t kill anyone, and 17 years was his sentence. I realized he made a terrible mistake, but not one that deserved 17 years. It’s then when I realized our justice system is corrupted, and at the end of the day, we were a minority living in a system not built for us.

Today, I no longer believe I’m just the Santa Ana little girl who isn’t deserving of lives beauty! I’m not the product of a brother in prison; I’m not ashamed I have a brother whose now homeless and suffering with schizophrenia, and a third brother, who today continues to struggle in other areas but continues to push.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
After the sentencing of my older brother, I worked extremely hard to not be a victim to my experience and surroundings. I worked so hard to grow up to be the educated woman I needed to be in order for others to respect me, and not judge me should they ever find out about my family. I spent my early 20s very confused, being in survival mode. I spent years hiding my roots, not wanting to have a Mexican accent, afraid and ashamed to end up being treated like my older brother was treated during his trial. Due to the challenges I faced with my family, I later too ended in a vulnerable place, finding myself falling in love with a man that wasn’t entirely healthy for me at the time. So at 21, I moved in with my boyfriend, and six months later while attending Cal State Fullerton, I decided to get pregnant and have a child (for various reasons). So now, at 22, I was still trying to overcome the problems from my brother’s arrest, trying to get through University, and I then decided to bring a newborn to this world. Soon after that, my middle child brother began to experience hallucinations, lack of hygiene, and making holes on the wall. I faced moments I would never wish upon anyone during that time, and it was then when my 19-year-old brother was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Soon after, I became a single mother; I was a kid raising a one-year-old kid at the age of 23.

To say my road has been smooth, not one bit. However, somehow, by the grace of God, I graduated with my Bachelor’s in Psychology, later to receive a Certificate of Leadership through an organization partnered with the University of Southern California (USC) and at 30 years of age, while being a Branch Manager, Assistant Vice President for Union Bank and juggling being a single mother, I graduated with my Master’s in Business from Chapman University.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Mortgage Industry?
Today, I happily live and breathe my passion. I’m a Mortgage Licensed Loan Officer (Mortgage Advisor). I help individuals obtain financing to purchase a home. During the 2008 housing crisis, my father had to short sale two of his homes and it’s what inspired me to follow the path to help others become homeowners and achieve the American Dream of Homeownership. What sets me apart, I’m available to my buyers and Realtor partners 24/7, hand-holding all my buyers through every step of the way. I have fast closing times 16-21 days of escrows; we are creative lenders thinking outside the box. If I can’t help you today, I will guide you to ensure I can help you achieve your homeownership dreams!

Being in the Mortgage industry is stressful, yet very rewarding. It’s a cyclical industry in which our economy plays a big role in the way pricing and rates are controlled and how we’ll deliver to our buyers. I’m blessed nonetheless to be able to help many attain one of the largest investments they’ll have in their lifetime.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I’m a work in progress and a student to self-development. I’m working on my healing journey and have been seeing a therapist since the age of 25 (currently 33). The gym, cycling at the beach, and more recently practicing yoga have been a blessing. I read or listen to audiobooks related to self-development, business, real estate, and healing my inner child.

I recommend Rich Dad Poor Dad, The 10x Rule, and Ed Mylett’s videos/podcast.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jennlends.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/jenn__aviles?utm_source=qr
• Facebook: Jennifer Aviles