For Latinos, 'Sofia' has a home-y ring

LINDON — Quien es Sofia?

That question — which translates to "Who is Sofia?" in English — is written across shamrocks that dot the doors and windows of the Wells Fargo Bank in Lindon.

The answer has little to do with leprechauns, though meeting Sofia Avila is a lot like finding gold at the end of a rainbow for many Latinos in Utah.

"People see the sign and know that someone speaks Spanish here," said Avila, speaking English with a heavy Mexican accent. "I speak the language so I can help this people."

Technically, Avila works as a home mortgage consultant for Wells Fargo banks in the Utah County area. Catering exclusively to the Spanish-speaking market, she travels to various branches daily to help local Latinos navigate the difficult waters of purchasing a home using their native tongue.

While buying a home can be frustrating for most people, Avila says that Hispanics face additional challenges. Not only do they struggle to understand the American financial system, but they suffer from language and cultural barriers that burden the mortgage process, she said.

"It's sad to say, but lots of people take advantage of them," Avila said. "They need someone they can trust and understand."

Most of the families that Avila works with are Latin American immigrants that are holding down several jobs to make ends meet. With little time and little money, many of them have never even considered buying a house, and those who do find it nearly impossible to get a loan.

Avila said that many of her clients work for employers that pay them in cash due to immigration issues or to avoid paying legal wages. Since proof of income is required for any home loan, the workers assume that they won't be able to apply for a loan.

With Avila's help, however, they are able to get involved with numerous programs offered by Wells Fargo that help Latinos qualify for a home loan using various types of information — including receipts from monthly bills.

"We have an exceptional commitment to the Latino market," said Lisa Ralph, who works for Wells Fargo in Salt Lake. "We have materials in Spanish. We have everything to meet their needs."

Wells Fargo offers additional programs that enable people with little credit, no credit and even bad credit to purchase a small home within a year. That comes in handy, Avila said, since local Hispanics tend to go to extremes in establishing credit.