Fegundo Martinez and Alexandra Jimenez dream of a better life for their family.
From their small apartment in a crowded urban neighborhood, Fegundo Martinez and Alexandra Jimenez would look out the window of their diminutive Bronx apartment and dream of a better life for their family.They envisioned a safer neighborhood, spacious home, challenging schools and fulfilling jobs. A bold move to a city 1,300 miles away and assistance from Private Mortgage Insurance (PrivateMI) helped change this family’s life.
Alexandra’s brother and mother invited the family to Naples, Florida in 2000 for an extended three-week vacation, using the warm weather as an incentive. After a week in the sun, Alexandra and Fegundo decided that the area met many aspects of their dream, and on the spur of the moment applied for jobs.
Alexandra’s expertise as a Spanish speaking educator was in great demand in Naples, as was Fegundo’s skill as a chef. Within 10 days they both received job offers. Their dream of a better life was beginning to become a reality.
Back in the Bronx, the Martinez-Jimenez family packed up their belongings, loaded them into a truck and headed south to Florida. Housing proved more challenging than finding a job, so the family of four moved into the home of Alexandra’s brother. They worked closely with a real estate agent, but could not find a home that was both affordable and met their criteria. A temporary stay in cramped quarters morphed into weeks and then months.
Finally, the couple decided to buy a lot in a desirable neighborhood and build a home of their own.
“We wanted the house our own way instead of buying a house that was already used,” explained Alexandra. She and Fegundo then worked with a builder to customize aspects of their home, such as converting the garage into a large living room and designing a cathedral ceiling that runs across the living room, kitchen and dining room.
Buying a home had always been a goal, but in New York it had been out of their financial reach. In Naples, Alexandra and Fegundo met with several mortgage brokers before they were offered the option to finance their new home using PrivateMI.
“PrivateMI was very helpful because the other places requested 20 percent down. We couldn’t have put 20 percent down; that was too much,” Alexandra said.
PrivateMI made a 3 percent down payment possible, affording Alexandra and Fegundo the ability to improve and furnish the new home. Having left most of their furniture in New York, Alexandra used some of the money for beds, a comfortable sofa and a desk for their son Kenneth. Fegundo built a wall-to-wall entertainment center in the spacious living room.
Both Fegundo and Alexandra love teaming up in the kitchen, pairing traditional South American cuisine from their native Equador with sophisticated desserts such as crème brulee. The family frequently dines right in the kitchen, sitting on bar stools at the high countertop.
“I was in my brother’s house for almost a year before my house was built,” lamented Alexandra. “You had to share everything; it was too crowded…like New York.” To Alexandra, the new house, especially her bedroom, exceeds her expectations.
It’s a quiet evening in Naples, Florida. Kenneth, now a high school freshman, plays in the backyard with his little brother Kendrew and their dog, Angel. Fegundo whips up arroz con pollo (chicken and rice) in the kitchen; in a few minutes they will sit down for a family meal underneath the high cathedral ceilings.
Alexandra sits on the lanai and takes in the scene around her with content. Bringing her dream of homeownership to fruition had not been easy, but a supportive family, smart financing through PrivateMI and a healthy dose of entrepreneurial spirit made it possible. She smiles broadly and says, “I love it here.”