Thread: Sob Story: Housing crisis hits immigrants (IAs) in Mass

In Milford, Pastor Peter Lopez of Family Worship Center has seen up close the effects of the mortgage crisis among his parishioners, who are mostly Hispanic immigrants.

"We've seen pressure from everywhere," said Lopez. "You're fighting for your immigration status, living with the fear of being deported and now the possibility that everything you've worked for, you might lose it too."


I've hearing horror stories since January of 2006," said Linera. "It's horrible across the board. At the end of the day, an immigrant is losing his home next to a white guy from Worcester who is also losing his home. But many immigrants didn't have information about the process, faced language barriers and were sold a false dream."

Brazilian pastor Marcia Cunha, who leads a church in Holliston, feels the same way.

"Many people were deceived," she said.

She has heard of stories in which many Brazilians bought houses with an individual tax identification number, but were later rejected by the banks that demanded a Social Security number. After September 2001, restrictions to offer loans to people without valid Social Security numbers were put in place.

"Some bought houses, and after a year, the bank told them they had to show a Social Security number," she said. "Many lost their homes."

Not only were consumers blinded by the enthusiasm driven by banks, brokers and mortgage lenders in the midst of the housing boom, they also rushed to buy houses hoping to make money, said Brazilian-American real estate agent John Dias.

Some planned to rent their properties while watching their investment grow, but the economic downturn, the scarcity of jobs and more restrictions to find employment made the investment riskier.


in their payments, and when towns across MetroWest began cracking down on illegal rooming houses, many felt the investment was not going to pay off. The failure of immigration reform in June last year dashed immigrants' hopes, said Dias.

"Many are leaving and giving up their dream," he said. "Many lost their houses and went back to Brazil."

Frustrated by their losses, some have stripped their foreclosed homes of countertops, windows, appliances and anything they could take, said several real estate agents. Recently, as reported by the Marlborough Enterprise, Marlborough Code Enforcement officer Pam Wilderman found a foreclosed home on Milham Street, whose former owners have left without shutting off the water.

How any illegal can qualify for purchasing a home is beyond me.
How can a people who know so much about the worth of the dollar, not know they can't afford what they are buying?

Mexico and those other Latin American countries don't have property taxes, etc? Are these people that uneducated?

I have difficulty with people being that gullible. Especially when they have the smarts and means to enter a country illegally and steal ID, etc.

And I do not want to be responsible for their bills.........why I have to pick up the tab for irresponsible and greedy lenders is way beyond me.

I have to live within my means and pay my bills and taxes.....no one bails me out. I am tired of giving and giving and giving. I think its time to shut off the ever spending valve!

When Ramon Gallo bought a $300,000 home in Westborough in late 2006, he thought he had achieved his dream. Sixteen months later, Gallo, who signed for an adjustable-rate mortgage, has fallen behind on his payments and fears he may soon live a foreclosure nightmare.

Gallo, 38, who came from Mexico five years ago

This is another thing.....in five years, he goes from total poverty to thinking he can afford a 300,000 house?

This is another thing.....in five years, he goes from total poverty to thinking he can afford a 300,000 house?

No lie.....my parents were born here and they couldn't begin to think of getting a loan for a house in 5 years from when they started working. Let alone a bartending job. That didn't even used to be a job they would consider as regular income since the majority of income is tips and not regular or guarenteed.

This all boils down to the fairy tales immigrant activists tell the illegals.

The activist organizations have no problem advising illegal aliens on their "rights", but somehow do not educate them on how our system works?

Illegal aliens are instructed in how to avoid deportation, sign up for freebie social services, how to circumvent our laws. They have no problems with that.

They drive without licenses and obviously no insurance, they use our emergency rooms without paying. Many work under the table and don't pay taxes. They naturally assume they do not have to pay for any type of insurance or pay taxes, right?

Don't worry about Senor Gallo. If he has been here 5 years and his youngest is 4 then he has an anchor baby in the family. Once they lose the house they will all get section 8 housing because of the 'American citizen' in their clan.

Its terrible, what we offer illegal aliens and what we offer citizens and legal emigrants.

How our gov thinks its ok to do things for people who have broken our laws and ignores its very citizens who require help or assistance is beyond me.

I can't punish a baby, I do resent that its parents are entitled to so much, and I don't think the baby born here of illegals should be considered a citizen.

This isn't a wild west show, we no longer have any need to "corral" new citizens. We have an infinite capacity. Time to get anchor babies as citizens off the books.