THE PEOPLE—About Lara Fobian, CDPE:
I am the Senior Managing Partner and Client Relations for Home Freedom Properties™. As a largely referral-based multi-service real estate investment team, we thrive under the motto “Getting you Home Freedom, when others can’t.” I’m a Certified Distressed Property Expert and member of several esteemed real estate organizations, including the Austin RENC (Real Estate Networking Club), REICAustin (Real Estate Investment Club of Austin), National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), Austin Women’s Council of Realtors (WCR), and Austin Board of Realtors (ABOR).
Before I sunk myself neck-deep into the real estate world, I started out on an entirely different path. I was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition Sciences from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) to become an RD, or Registered Dietitian. Since my life-long interest was, and is, to improve peoples’ lives in a significant way, mainly through the power of education, I chose a career in Nutrition. Once in the field however, I quickly realized that drifting down sterile hospital hallways with medical clipboards in hand wasn’t the path I was meant to take. After reading Robert Kiyosaki’s famous book “Rich Dad, Poor Dad,” I became inspired to fix and flip houses, to have more fun at work and make more money, too.
My first real estate venture was flipping a house in Phoenix, Arizona. But it was 2007, and my investment unexpectedly turned sour when the housing market collapsed. After losing my hard-earned savings from that investment gone bad, I was more determined than ever to get educated, to keep that from happening again, and to create even greater future success.
Fast forward to 2008. Armed with the ability to offer various little-known ways people can sell quickly in this “post-bubble” market, I realized this was the way I was meant to improve others’ lives.
With that, Home Freedom Properties™ was born. Through our company, I’m able to help renters become buyers without bank qualifying, provide fair and creative ways for homeowners to sell, and help people sort out conflicting and unclear information to avoid scams and attain real solutions to problems. I’m passionate about sharing options with people they may not have realized they had and letting them decide what’s best for their situation. Since thousands of Texas homeowners and renters still don’t know they may have better options, I work hard to reach out to help as many people as possible. Today, we’re helping multiple families each month throughout Greater Austin, Killeen, San Antonio, and other cities. With help from our satisfied sellers, buyers, investors, mortgage professionals, and Realtors referring others to us, we’re always striving to spread the word wider.
When I do occasionally take a break, I like to relax at home with my wonderful husband, Matt, and our dogs: A docile female boxer named Tyson and a mischievous, energetic male pug named Flint. I’m currently writing several books and love to cook, travel to Las Vegas and Missouri to visit family, watch movies at the Alamo Drafthouse, catch live music under the Live Oaks at Guero’s, and generally enjoy the interesting and unique events that Austin has to offer.
Whether you’re a Texan born-and-bred or if you’re relatively new like me, don’t be shy; I just sharedmy story with you, so feel free to give me a call to do the same. Uncover all the ways we could be “Getting you Home Freedom, when others can’t.”
THE PEOPLE (PARTNERS)—About Attorney Daniel R Castro:
Daniel R Castro is an Attorney and consultant from a separate organization, who consults with our team at Home Freedom Realty. Dan Castro is the Founding Partner of the legal firm Castro & Baker, LLP (teknolaw.com), which is a "fee office" of Independence Title, conveniently located in-house with the law firm. Dan’s office prepares the closing documents and facilitates closings for most of our transactions.
Just like doctors have different areas of expertise because of extra training in certain specialties, it is the same with attorneys. A fairly small percentage of attorneys, even real estate attorneys, are “fluent” in owner-financing, assignments of mortgages, and other types of creative real estate, but Dan is. Dan is vital to our success because he understands owner-financing, it is one of his specialties, and he’s experienced in closing sales and purchases that involve owner-financing and assignments of mortgages.
So if you’re a seller considering selling your house to an investment company likes ours in an untraditional manner (or if you’re a buyer considering purchasing with owner-financing) and if you want to know the legal “ins and outs,” you need to consult with a competent attorney with a specialty in owner-financing and creative real estate. Although Dan stays quite busy as the owner of multiple real estate businesses, he may possibly be able to answer your questions from a legal perspective.
To provide more background on Dan, he is an honors graduate of the University of Texas School of Law and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Texas School of Law, where he trains students in the art of oral advocacy. As an award-winning author, Dan’s book “Critical Choices that Change Lives” has won the International Latino Book Award, the Parent to Parent “Adding Wisdom” Award, and was a Finalist for the Book of the Year Award, the Fresh Voices Award, and the Independent Publishers Award (You can download the first chapter of this book free by going to criticalchoices.com). Dan is listed in the Eighth Edition of Who’s Who In American Law, he has been a chairman of Teen Leadership Austin, and he has served on the Board of Directors of Leadership Austin, which is sponsored by the Austin Chamber of Commerce. Both Independence Title and the legal firm Castro & Baker, LLP are located at 7800 Shoal Creek Blvd, Suite 100N, Austin, Texas 78757, in the North building.
THE PEOPLE (PARTNERS)—About Insurance Agent Sam Sotelo:
Sam Sotelo is an insurance agent and consultant from a separate organization, who consults with our team at Home Freedom Realty. Sam is Owner of the Accent/Sotelo Insurance Group, an insurance brokerage specializing in insurance for single family homes, duplexes, 3-plexes, and 4-plexes.
Sam is a valuable partner for us to have because, when the buyers we help close on our owner-financed homes, Sam makes sure that the home insurance is structured correctly to protect all parties involved. As an insurance broker receiving quotes from multiple companies instead of just one, he also offers good coverage at competitive rates. Sam graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1987, and has been Owner of the Accent/Sotelo Insurance Group since January 1993. They are located at 12593 Research Blvd, Suite 202, Austin, TX 78759.
