Women’s History Month: Working mom helps families find a place to call home

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ)  - It's women's history month and News Channel 3 is spotlighting Coachella Valley women who've made a difference in the community every Tuesday.

This week, we're highlighting working moms.

For Veronica Lopez, a senior loan officer with Secure Choice Lending, helping families buy homes is more than a career.

"I really feel like I'm fulfilling my life's purpose, my stewardship. I feel like I was put on this Earth to educate people on how to expand their knowledge, on how to become homeowners," Lopez said. "That's the number one wealth building tool that some families may feel that's unattainable for them."

Lopez said she starts most days at 4 a.m.

"That's where I fully embrace those challenging loans or those loans where I need to do a little bit of research to see how I can help this family," Lopez said. "Then I get my kids ready to go to school. Get them fed, make their lunch."

Her motivation traces back to childhood. When Lopez was 12, she said she watched her father work tirelessly to save enough money to buy her family’s first home.

"When this career opportunity came up over 20 years ago, it just brought me back to how I felt when I was 12 years old and my dad was able to purchase a home through hard work and through the help of a loan officer," Lopez said.

Now, Lopez helps create those same moments for other families.

"I'm helping [families] get a home, but they're also helping me provide financial security for my children and experiences that come with it," Lopez said.

She said her work has also meant helping other women navigate homeownership, including single mothers who may feel they can’t afford to buy on their own.

“Just empowering women and letting them know you don't necessarily need a male figure," Lopez said. "I can help you, let's put a plan together."

Women earned an average of 85% of what men earned according to a 2024 Pew Research Center analysis of median hourly earnings of both full and part-time workers.

But when it comes to buying homes, women are gaining ground.

Single women now make up 25% of first-time homebuyers, up from just 11% in 1985, according to the National Association of Realtors.

One of the families Lopez recently helped was Carmen Gill and her husband, who said they were looking to downsize after becoming empty nesters.

Gill said Lopez guided them through the complex modern homebuying process, something she hadn’t experienced when purchasing homes decades earlier.

"When it came to this one, we were so much more educated," Gill said. "Veronica really explained things and had a lot of patience with us because I had a lot of questions. So many things have changed since the first time we bought a home back in the '80s."

Gill, a veteran, said she was also able to use a VA loan for the first time, an option Lopez helped identify during the process.

"Finally I was able to use it," Gill said. "[Lopez] put it all together, explained everything and gave us the choices."

Now, settled into a new home with a swimming pool, Gill said the purchase represents more than just a place to live.

“I’ve always wanted to leave some type of legacy,” Gill said. “I just became a grandmother, and now I see more of that generational wealth that can be built.”

Lopez said stories like Gill's are what make the long hours worthwhile.

"I feel very blessed that they chose me," Gill said. "They could go with anyone, but they chose me for the education that I provided. That just is very special to me."