Henderson-area realtors build home in Nicaragua

From selling homes to constructing seismic rebar reinforcements, Realty One Group Realtors Susan Brock, David Morris, Mark Sivek and Chad Roberts and his wife, Sarah, are passionate about the housing industry.

Between closing deals in the valley, the real estate gurus financed and built a home in Esteli, Nicaragua, in December through Giveback Homes, a network of real estate professionals who contribute physically or financially to construct homes for families in need.

The network partners with Habitat for Humanity in Nicaragua; Las Vegas; San Francisco; Los Angeles; Orange County, Calif.; Sacramento, Calif.; San Diego; Dallas; Houston; Phoenix; Denver; and New York City.

“We decided that if we were going to be part of the program, we wanted to make the most impact, and building a house in Nicaragua did just that,” Brock said. “It was a bit of a stretch, but we like to push ourselves to learn more and be better people.”

In five days, the real estate agents placed about 600 cinder blocks and mixed about 1,500 pounds of cement by hand to construct a “core home,” a basic structure that allows families to eventually add on rooms, kitchens, bathrooms and more.

The 387-square-foot home contained a door, an outlet, a light and switch, two windows and no plumbing.

“The idea is not to give away a free house but to create an atmosphere for success,” Roberts said. “The recipients of these homes get educated in construction, personal finance, safety and sanitation and more. It’s not that we just gave them a house without plumbing. We gave them a structure to succeed and start a new life.”

Esteli resident Elba Paramo, 28, was selected by her community to receive the home. As a single mother of three, she was living in a home made of scrap wood and plastic tarps, according to Sivek.

Paramo worked selling food at her daughter’s school and made about$150 a month. In order to purchase land for a home, she saved $30 each month for five years.

“They told us that Nicaragua is the second-poorest country in terms of housing conditions. About 70 percent of people don’t have adequate housing,” Roberts said. “But despite that, we were so surprised to see that everyone was so happy and friendly and welcoming.”

Brock, Morris, Sivek, Roberts and Realtor Kristen Vuckovic are part of a business mastermind group, nicknamed No Excuses, that meets weekly to discuss real estate or “do something Las Vegas-related.” The idea to travel to Nicaragua was sparked when the group was approached by Giveback Homes.

“We saw their presentation, and the idea to take on the whole project was just thrown out there during one of our weekly meetings,” Morris said. “The next thing you know, we were buying airline tickets.”

Within 30 days, the team purchased airline tickets, received medical shots and packed their bags. The trip cost about $5,000 each and included accommodations and construction materials.

While most members of the mastermind group were getting their hands dirty, Vuckovic held down the fort in Henderson.

“I watched them all prepare the their trip, and they weren’t just going on a recreational vacation,” Vuckovic said. “They had to prepare financially, medically and culturally. Even just the logistics of the amount of time they were gone, five days in the real estate world can mean a ton of work. They had to make sure everything was taken care of at home before they left.”

Unlike closing a deal in the United States, the Henderson agents couldn’t hand Paramo keys to her new home; however, they celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the community.

“I came back a lighter person,” Brock said. “When I was at my worst with this last deal I closed, I would get upset but then laugh at myself, thinking, ‘How can I upset about this when I know they have worse issues in Nicaragua, but they’re still so happy?’ ”

In addition to their trip, the No Excuses team has also volunteered at food banks, fed the homeless and built homes locally with Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas.

“People can make a lot of money in our industry, so it’s very easy to write a check and say, ‘Here you go,’ ” Sivek said. “This project was from the heart. It was a labor of love. It was a lot of fun, and it was an adventure. We’d do it all over again.”

To contact Brock, Morris, Sivek, Roberts or Vuckovic, use the agent search function at realtyonegroup.com.

Contact Henderson View reporter Caitlyn Belcher at cbelcher@viewnews.com or 702-383-0403.