Hello everyone, my name is Maria Galvan and first I would like to share my gratitude for you making the time to hear my story.

Five years ago, my husband and I believed we had reached one of our biggest dreams. The one we had been working hard for since the day we got married. The dream we thought would change our lives for the better. You know, THE AMERICAN DREAM owning a home!

I REMEMBER TELLING MY HUSBAND , WE DID IT!

Unfortunately, life had other plans because our dream became a nightmare. When we made our purchase for our home, there was an agreement that the tenants at the time had to move out within 2 months after closing. BUT because we had just began the pandemic of COVID-19, laws were changing to accommodate the hardships others were also facing, making it difficult for us to move in and/or provide eviction notices passed the agreed terms.

After many meetings and consultations, we found out that the home was occupied by section 8 recipients. We were deceived and as a result, ended up buying a home that had several loop holes to be able to move in.

Section 8 never covered the full mortgage payment, and the tenants living there contributed to less than 5% of the mortgage payment (if and only when they wanted to). This meant we had to cover the rest of the monthly mortgage payment to a home we weren’t living in AND paying rent for a home we were lucky to stay in during this process.

We tried and tried to plead our case to section 8 so we could get the help we needed financially, however we never received support. They told us that we needed to deal with them legally through court and excused themselves out of the situation. As time passed, despite our strenuous efforts to get our home, the tenants worked the system and became squatters. They wouldn’t allow us in to inspect our home to ensure that it was functioning adequately. We lost any connection with section 8 due to so many rules and regulations we weren’t able to meet, not because of lack of effort, but because we weren’t being allowed on the property.

Despite our efforts to get support from several other realtors, lawyers, and section 8, we were being denied. Lawyers didn’t want to pick up the case and each consultation was making dents in our pockets. We felt defeated.

Regardless of the situation, my husband and I worked hard to make sure we didn’t lose our dream home nor our current home. Although we were also being evicted by our landlord,(because he need it the house for his family not because we were bad tenants) we were able to postpone our eviction date to a later time. During this grace period, I was forced to work 2 jobs AND side jobs to help my husband make ends meet, which has been so difficult. We missed out on so much time with our loved ones.

Finally, this March, the courts finally granted us our property back and had them vacate our home. We thought we were finally able to make this nightmare be just a memory…only to realize that we were wrong. Our home was destroyed to the capacity we could have never imagined. Trash EVERYWHERE; floors, walls and ceilings broken; it was unrecognizable from the first time we toured our home. The damage to our Home was appraised at $140,000, I am so devastated. How can people destroy someone’s Home so much.

Our hearts are broken and we are now feeling as hopeless as ever.

My family and I are asking for your help to make our dream a reality once again.

I THANK YOU EACH ONE OF YOU for taking the time to read this, sharing our story, and for your donations.

pictures and videos will be post!