Meet Eric Villalobos
Our Investment Managers are experts in helping you tap into your home equity, but you may have more in common with them than you think. Learn a little more about your Investment Manager, their life outside of Hometap, and why they love working with homeowners like you.
What’s the best part of your job? How does being an Investment Manager at Hometap differ from your past work experiences?
It’s truly difficult to pick just one part of my job that I would consider to be the best part. My job as a whole is the best part. I am not only able to genuinely help homeowners, but I am able to do so while working alongside talented individuals while feeling 100% supported by Hometap. With that said, it’s important to understand that a lot of times these aren’t simply financial transactions between homeowners and Hometap, but that they are an emotional time in a homeowner’s life as well. Everyone’s story is different, but it is a rewarding feeling when you are able to help a homeowner achieve their financial goal and help them achieve an emotional goal as well. This rewarding feeling is something that I haven’t felt at previous organizations. I think a big part is due to the fact that we are on a mission to make homeownership less stressful and more accessible — and we truly stand by that.
Is there a particular homeowner story that really made an impact on you? What is it and why?
I’m currently working with a homeowner who has a business that she started with her late husband about 20 years ago. She began experiencing some hardships with the business due to the pandemic. The business is beginning to pick up again, but she found herself in a difficult situation she never thought she’d be in. Although the business started doing well again, she was in need of funds for the business. I could tell during our initial call how much this meant to her and the importance of being able to access the equity in her home. She had tried traditional financing options, but was constantly turned away due to her inconsistent income in the last two to three years. At this point, she had thought about giving up and letting the business go under, until she found Hometap. We began moving forward with the process and we came across some home valuation discrepancies. I conveyed this to her and I was able to hear the homeowner’s voice starting to crack at the thought of her business going over. I empathized with her and heard her out. Ultimately I was able to convince her to not give up yet, as nothing was finalized yet. She hesitantly agreed while letting me know that she had lost hope. A week letter we received the conditional approval and are simply waiting for scheduling availability. I was able to speak with the homeowner and relayed this information. I could see and hear the smile and joy behind the phone. She understood that nothing was finalized yet, but was hopeful that we were that much closer to achieving her financial and emotional goal. She expressed her deepest gratitude to me and to the entire Hometap team and let me know that finding Hometap was truly life changing.
What are your favorite things to do when you’re not working?
When I’m not working, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than on a mountain doing some mountain biking. I also like to go to the gym as it helps me decompress.
Describe your dreathroum home.
My dream home is a ranch somewhere in Montana. As someone who loves the outdoors, I’d love to be able to live in a ranch in Montana, with mountains nearby for mountain biking.
What’s one thing you wish people knew about Hometap?
Simply put, I wish more people knew about Hometap’s mission statement. We truly are trying to make homeownership less stressful and more accessible. I’d argue that a home is most Americans’ number one asset. They’re sitting on this asset with no real means to access it. By investing in the home alongside the homeowner, we are able to assist them in reaching their financial goals while overcoming the many obstacles you see in traditional financing.
