Today we’d like to introduce you to Yesica Duran.
Hi Yesica, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born in Guatemela, moved here with my family when I was Seven Years old. Started to attend school here, attended from 2nd grade until 8th grade at Franklin Elementary which eventually changed their name due to their expansion to Southwest Community Campus. Graduated from high school from Lee High School; I did attend some college currently still working on being able to complete my degree. However, I started to work in the financial industry at the age of 20. Have been in this industry for over a decade. I have been able to have different roles in my career, from being a Personal Banker work in a lot of customer service positions where I was able to help and educate people in their financial needs and help them with information to guide them in their own financial goals. I currently am a Mortgage Loan Officer with a Broker company, JPAL Mortgage. Whom values and beliefs align to mine to the T. I am a huge advocate of people in our community no matter what their background or knowledge may be that they should be able to have access to the biggest asset that they can have a home. I am able to provide guidance and great support for people to be able to get to that goal. I love to keep in touch with people and give back to our community as well. You may see me volunteering at school events, to being at the festivals around our community to being at networking events to always be able to grow more and connect with others with the same ideas and goals as mine. I am a mother of two beautiful daughters, Vanessa (8) and Valeria (6) who love to be around me when I have events as well. I always want them to learn to give back and be grateful for others. The Mortgage industry I may say is a whole different world, with a lot of learning to do always. I have been blessed to be able to use all the things I learned at all my previous positions, which I had a few in where I took the opportunity to simply always ask to learn more and more. I am bilingual fluent in Spanish; English is my second language which has been a blessing to me. I have used it as a voice for my Hispanic Community to be able to be a bridge to help them get access to better opportunities and be able to achieve a piece of their own little American Dream, but I am always with my arms open to help others also! Everyone that I can!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road, I have ran into obstacles due to being a woman in an industry that is usually dominated by men. However, it has never stopped me. I have taken many leadership courses and have read many personal growth books where I have practiced what I learned. To never have fears and always be willing to be able get out of my comfort zone and learn and grow. I have been able to learn to always be brave and not let anyone or anything stop me from achieving things. I have been blessed on always meeting new people who are able to provide me guidance and support. One thing that has made this worth it I would say is that I have learned the worst thing I can be told is “no: and then I will follow up with a “why.”
Am also a mother of two beautiful girls, Vanessa (8) Valeria (6) who day to day are my inspiration to always do well. Being a working mother, I can assure is hard; at times the mom guilt gets the best out of me. However, knowing that they are well and they are able to see how much I care for others and try to always be a helping hand it gives me peace. I have amazing support from close people to me that are always willing to give me a hand with them. Knowing that at the end of the day, they are safe and well gives me peace and assurance that I am doing the right things.
We’ve been impressed with JPAL Mortgage, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Our motto is that we are your “best friend in home finance.” This means that we treat each loan as if we were helping our best friend. You’ll see the difference in three key areas. First, our planning is second to none. Whether a home is being purchased today or 12 months from now, we want to meet with our clients and craft that best plan possible. That also means we are willing to have difficult conversations and do what’s right instead of forcing a buyer into a loan immediately just to “make a sale.” We offer the same advice that we would give to friends and family.
We take action. Many hands touch a loan from application to closing. Loan officers, underwriters, processors, closers, title, realtors, etc., all have a piece of loan life cycle. When the ball is in our court, we take action immediately. We do not let our duties sit idle. This assures the loan closes as quickly as possible. We also act as the quarterback so that all players stay on track and know when it’s their time to shine.
Finally, when your best friend calls, you pick up the phone. When our clients call, we pick up the phone. Our philosophy is to “over-communicate.” We are available via phone, text, and email and we provide our clients updates frequently – and with a smile. We are not robots, and our communication does not feel that way. We’re heavy on the emojis😊.
The proof is in the pudding though. For JPAL Mortgage, the proof is in the Google reviews. We invite anyone to check out our many 5-star Google reviews that describe real situations where we financed a home for one of our “best friends.”
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was very quiet and reserved. A very shy person. I was very into reading; I would use it as a way to escape from everything. Grew up in a very conservative family that taught me many great values. I was a very hard-working student, always learning new things. Started school here when I was 7 years old, my father migrated to Michigan from Guatemala and brought us all here. I was just a little girl that knew no English not even how to communicate myself with anyone. But with my older brother’s support we both made it a goal to learn the language, and once we started school at least knew how to say Hello to out teachers and be able to introduce ourselves. It was very challenging, but as I have always been taught not impossible. No matter what, nothing is impossible hard work and dedication. He was my biggest supporter until the age of 13, he passed away this has been the hardest struggle to overcome, yet has given me that fire to always do better and leave a legacy for his name. I always carry our memories together and know he is watching over me from heaven.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jpalmortgage.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yesica.mazariegosmaldo
