Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Almeida, Jr.
Joe, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Everyone has a starting point, I started this journey searching for passion.
I came to the United States in 2000, from Sao Paulo, Brazil. I attended culinary school, believe it or not, and for a season it was very rewarding, I was good at it, and it taught me many valuable lessons; I even went on to win competitions and got the opportunity to cook for a couple of celebrities.
I liked the idea of turning nothing into something. Raw ingredients turned into a masterpiece. But it became more of a job for me after some time, and I lost interest. At that time, I realized that the most gratifying thing for me involved helping people, interacting with them, and being part of their process.
In 2012, I became a youth pastor at my local church, and I also became a financial counselor. I would help the church members to organize their finances, get out of debt, start saving, get into a position to purchase a home, etc. Not long after, I started to learn about the mortgage industry from my wife, who was already working in the industry.
The more I dived into it, the more I loved it, so I soon took on the role of a mortgage loan officer working under a mortgage broker. Eventually, I would start my own brokerage, and here I am!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
During this journey, I’ve experienced a few challenges along the way. Each step of the way was presented with new obstacles. One of my first challenges was to face the discrimination that came with being an outsider, especially during my time in culinary school; I would often be misunderstood, taken advantage of, and battle through a language barrier for a while.
I had a classmate that would belittle me and give me a hard time because I spoke broken English. He would take unfair advantage during competitions, but the chefs would always encourage me privately. Life itself is great at teaching us invaluable lessons, growing in general life skills sometimes comes with unforgettable moments, I once gave a down payment on an apartment, only to realize that I had been scammed. I was out of money and was kicked out of my new place. The landlord took my money, left town, and left me homeless.
Fast forward many years after this, being new to the mortgage industry came with a different new set of challenges, here I was brand new in the business, who would trust me enough to give me a shot? My first deal took 7 months to close. I would spend money to network with other real estate professionals to try to generate some business.
They would enjoy many dinners at my expense and still hesitate on giving me a chance. Eventually, that led me to rework my strategies and turn such experiences into steppingstones for the days I am living now. When I first started my own brokerage, I faced the challenges every entrepreneur faces at the beginning stages.
But now, looking back, I can appreciate the beauty of the process, as it has made me resilient, strong, and confident in the present and for the future. My business doubled every year since that rough beginning, so my persistence has paid off!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Redefine Home Loans is a boutique Mortgage Brokerage.
Our goal is to offer our clients the best service possible with Integrity, Honesty, and Excellence as our core values. I know we’ve done a good job if our clients become our friends by the end of the transaction. We redefine the home-buying process by going above and beyond to ensure that each client is given the product and service that best fits their unique situation.
Homeownership is a huge step, but it doesn’t have to be a stressful one. Our role is to simplify the process and make our client’s dreams a reality.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Honesty, integrity, and excellence.
Contact Info:
- Email: Joe@redefineloans.com
- Website: https://redefineloans.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joealmeidajr/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RedefineLoans
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/redefinehomeloans/
