We were lucky to catch up with Daniel Garcia recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Daniel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, let’s start with trends – what are some of the largest or more impactful trends you are seeing in the industry?

The Latino homeownership rate has reached 48.4% and is on track to hit 50% by 2024.* Although the rate is projected to increase because homeownership and real estate investing have become lucrative, access to real estate has declined. This is due to low housing inventory, rising interest rates and affordability. These things pose threats to homeownership growth.

*2022 State of Hispanic Wealth Report – Hispanic Wealth Project

Daniel, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a real estate, community lending and development professional with over 18 years of experience in affordable housing, real estate investments and community mortgage lending. I started my career in new home sales. I quickly transitioned to mortgage lending and became licensed to originate mortgage loans.

At the start of the great recession in 2007, my industry was greatly affected as well as myself. To supplement income, I accepted a position as a foreclosure intervention counselor at a local non-profit HUD approved counseling agency. This was also the agency that assisted me with purchasing my first home the year prior. Through this agency I received homebuyer education, down payment assistance and mortgage financing. I was promoted to a HomeOwnership Specialist with the organization and was responsible for pre-purchase housing counseling, teaching homebuyer education, and originating the non-profit’s community lending mortgage programs.

In 2011, I began offering management consulting services to affordable housing non-profits in the areas of housing counseling and grant program development and implementation, along with community lending, development and program management.

In 2013 I was recruited by a statewide non-profit organization to take the lead in developing and implementing a mortgage lending division for the organization. Through this division, millions of dollars have since been expended in down payment and closing cost assistance to buyers throughout the Dallas – Fort Worth and Austin markets.

In 2016, I transitioned from the non-profit sector to the mortgage banking sector which lead me to CRA banking, my current position. In my current role, I lead the bank’s efforts in the DFW market to provide affordable lending solutions for homeownership by originating the bank’s community lending products and expending the banks grant funds for first-time homebuyers and low-to-moderate income buyers.

I recently became a licensed real estate agent. My wife, myself and our business partner are currently working on opening a real estate office in Dallas.

I am a member of HUD’s Housing Counseling Federal Advisory Committee, I was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity. I am also an active member of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, Dallas Chapter and the Hispanic Real Estate Brokers Association.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I believe homeownership is the quickest and most attainable way to build wealth. I say this because as and example, my wife and I were able to start our real estate investment business with the equity we had built up in our home. Leveraging that equity allowed us to continue to build our own wealth and also teach others how to do the same.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I’m known as a down payment assistance expert in this market. My work in the non-profit sector, the relationships I have built and being involved with my community have helped me build my reputation.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.firsthorizon.com/daniel-garcia
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-garcia-59a39833/