Today we’d like to introduce you to Perla X Munoz.
Perla, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started this company when I was 28 years old with my boyfriend, Luis J. Escobar, September 2013. We moved from California to Illinois after successfully opening up a Mexican restaurant for my father. We saved our tip money for three months to start our own business. We knew California was too expensive so, we decided to start it in Chicago (my bf’s hometown). My company originated in Des Plaines, IL in a tiny 80 sq. ft. basement office next to the janitors storage room. We were so excited when we signed our $200 a month lease that we were oblivious to the foul smell and lack of windows. After one month we were able to upgrade our office space to 300 sq. ft. due to our booming business. We were so blessed and humbled by the instant success that we started assisting customers who couldn’t afford our services. I truly believe that all those people we helped free of charge exposed our company and was one of the main reason we became instantly successful. By the end of 2013 we were in an 1100 sq. ft. office on Belmont Ave. in Chicago and had 3 employees on salary. Our company continued to flourish so much that we were able to start other businesses. Today we are located on the Northwest side of Chicago on Lawrence Avenue. We are a total of 7 employees and are in the process of opening a restaurant June 2017. We continue to grow and are still the only foreclosure prevention company with an A rating on the BBB.
Has it been a smooth road?
Fortunately for us the business aspect thus far has been a smooth road. The struggles came from the lack of support from friends and family. They believed that we were setting ourselves up for failure due to the recession at the time. We were constantly reminded that businesses were closing not opening. Everything and anything that came from acquaintances, peers and distant family members was negative and depressing advice/feedback. Even after our rapid growth we were told that as quickly as you rise you fall so we better be prepared when it fails because success is not forever. All the negative talk about my company succeeding or not does not affect my performance but it can be draining at times.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Our company specializes in last minute sale dates. We are the last option for homeowners who are about to be foreclosed upon after failing to reach a settlement/work out option directly with their mortgage company, Non-profit Organizations could not assist them and a foreclosing attorney could not negotiate a modification on their behalf. We contact the homeowner’s mortgage company on a conference call and find out the reason for workout option denial and challenge them by proving proof that they are able to afford the property through updated financial information. 99% of the time the sale date is postpone for 30 days so we can provide proof to support the financial information requested over the phone. If we cannot stop the sale date due to non-affordability, then we request a deed-in lieu or a short sale on their behalf to have the sale date postpone and figure out if they want to liquidate or figure out a way to get additional income to keep it. We are known for our 100% guarantee workout option or a full refund. Since the company started in 2013, we have only refunded 5 customers who we were unable to assist. We have zero complaints and even the 5 customers we could not help were happy with us for being honest and working hard to get them approved for a workout option. I am proud that our company has helped so many homeowners without any hope, stay in their homes despite being told to move out or give up their property. It makes me extremely proud that we restored faith in many people who were misled and thanks to our honesty we have flourished beyond our wildest dreams. Our hard-work and dedication sets us apart from other companies. We do not stop working on a case until we get an approval. We go above and beyond for each case treating it as our own home. We involve the C.F.P.B, state attorney general and any other government agency when our customers are denied a workout option. We don’t stop working on any case until we get a positive resolution. Our determination to save all homes is the reason we are unique.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
In today’s real estate market, Chicago is no longer a good place to open a business like mine because properties are no longer underwater like in past years. There has been a decline in foreclosures within the last year and many of our business is word of mouth vs mailers. If I had to start my company once again I would do it in New Jersey. Currently, 1 in every 495 homes is facing foreclosure. Many homeowners that are referred to us from NJ, have told us that they have been given false hope or ripped off by private companies like ours and law firms. We have received several requests to open a second location in NJ however, it would be much too complicated as it takes anywhere from 12 to 24 months to fully train new workout option processors.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5908 W Lawrence Ave. Chicago, IL. 60630
- Website: www.nhpservices.com
- Phone: (866) 275-2183
- Email: rogerd@nhpservices.com
- Facebook: National Home Preservation Services
- Yelp: National Home Preservation Services
- Other: Fax: (773) 347-2658
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