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Seeing our clients achieve key milestones is what drives our work at BCL of Texas. From startups that have expanded to multi-employee businesses to families buying their first homes, our success all comes down to you.
Ruth and Arnold Guerra were born and raised in Gonzales, Texas, where they have opened hotels, restaurants, and built homes to meet their community’s needs. “We started with nothing,” Ruth said. Now, they have built over 100 homes in their community of 7,000 people.
I visited the Guerras and we drove around the town, as Ruth pointed out both homes she and her husband had worked on, as well as other neighborhoods of older homes in states of disrepair. Gonzales has not had new home construction in a long time. “Big builders are not going to come into this town,” Ruth said. In a previous subdivision, a builder constructed about 5 homes and then left town, the work unfinished. We drove past a 17-home affordable subdivision of 3-bedroom homes the Guerras built in 2009.
Now, they are building Angel Oaks, a 6-home development for median income families, featuring 3-bedroom ranch-style homes with yards. A longtime customer of BCL, having worked with us in the past for an SBA 504 loan, the Guerra family is now working with BCL’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Texas Community Builders for our new pre-development loan product.
The demand for median-priced new housing in Gonzales is apparent, as five of the Angel Oaks homes have already been purchased, just as groundbreaking has barely begun. Most of the buyers are people of color, and all are first-time homeowners. “People are getting out of renting and into their first homes,” Ruth said.
And as with their hotels, their construction business is a family venture. They’ve taught their two daughters skills in construction, management, and project administration. “In the big city, you get a job and you learn one thing,” Ruth said. She said her daughters are now prepared with a wide range of skills to take on all kinds of jobs.
“I’m really glad that Texas Community Builders is investing in small developers,” Ruth said. “I appreciate that they saw that we have projects that will benefit individuals that probably never would have been able to buy a home. Without Texas Community Builders, we would not have been able to do this project.”
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Kayla Mendoza always knew that she wanted to empower women with fashion. She remembers as a young child, seeing her mother, a school teacher, change out of her work clothes to get ready for a wedding. “I saw her transform when she put on that dress,” she said. “I saw how good she felt. Seeing my mom feel beautiful and excited to go out was my first glimpse at how a garment can truly change someone’s attitude and day.”
After working for other insurance agencies for several years, Sergio Cruz felt it was time to branch out and start his own venture. He drew on his wealth of experience to found Lowmas Insurance & Financial Services, offering a full suite of insurance and financial services to the Dallas area.
Some entrepreneurs are born ready to answer when opportunity knocks. When the Eagle Ford Shale opportunity brought an economic boom to the community of Gonzales, Texas, the Guerra family opened their doors—literally—to the scores of new faces that needed accommodations at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites.
What do Disney resorts, upscale New York condos, judges’ chambers, and the Austin Performing Arts Center have in common?
They all feature woodwork and furniture completed at Widner Finishing, a 54,000-square foot manufacturer located in the small town of Rogers, TX. Owner Adam Fuhr said, “These products add value to communities and buildings all over the world.”
Military veteran Dave Demorrow started All Era Militaria with just two duffel bags of military gear after he left the Army. As a disabled veteran, he knew he couldn’t work a traditional job, so he decided to start his own business using his expertise in military equipment and training.
For Amy Morales at Kapeesh Marketing, it took a hurricane to help propel her and her husband’s business to its next stage of growth. After working from their home office for 4 years, the flooding waters of Harvey left the Morales family with a decimated home and home office: no walls, drywall removed, and cement floors.
When Marquita Perkins contacted Habitat for Humanity in 2007, she didn’t expect to become a homeowner. She became involved with the organization when she was helping a member of her church find a home and in the process ended up submitting an application for herself. Marquita became Wharton Habitat for Humanity’s first homeowner, and her neighbor was the second.
Suite 500 Austin, TX 78701 P: 512.912.9884 F: 346.301.5752 NMLS #1114924
Suite 1220 Dallas, TX 75208 P: 214.688.7456 F: 346.301.5752 NMLS #1114924
Suite 2 San Marcos, TX 78666 P: 512.383.0027 NMLS #1114924