By Germain Mucyo
Serge Sandrali, owner of the mortgage brokerage company Clear Vue Capital, knows firsthand that navigating the complexities of acquiring real estate in a new country can be daunting.
Born in Rwanda, Sandrali moved to the U.S. in 2010 at the age of 14, where he saw for himselfhow hard it is to be a newcomer to the U.S. “Many immigrants arrive without anyone to guidethem through the financial system.Things like qualifying for a loan or getting a credit card arecrucial. Without that knowledge, you’ll fall behind,” he said.
He went to college and started working in software development, but after working for a time for others, he decided to change direction.
“I grew tired of developing software for projects whose impact I never saw,” Sandrali said of the impetus for his career change
So he founded Clear Vue Capital, with an eye to helping others while earning a living.
“Now, I interact with people daily and witness how I’m making a difference in their lives.”
Sandrali is licensed in Maine, Texas, and Arizona, and plans to expand into other states with large Rwandan diaspora communities.
Maine’s real estate appeal: A new frontier
When asked why he chose Maine, Sandrali said, “I had no prior knowledge of Maine, but I noticed many of my Arizona clients were investing there, buying multiple properties within a short span. This piqued my curiosity about what makes Maine so attractive.”
His goal is to enter the New England market, focusing on Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Vermont, where many Rwandans reside.
“In Maine, people work hard,” said Sandrali. “They often hold two or three jobs and deeply understand the value of real estate and homeownership. You find single moms working multiple jobs, buying duplexes, renting out one side, and living in the other. You don’t see that level of commitment in many states. That really motivated me.”
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“There’s a clear opportunity here, and I’m committed to making an impact in the community,” he said. “For instance, I currently have about four clients interested in developing properties because of the housing shortage in Maine.”
Humble beginnings to dream homes
Sandrali’s interest in real estate began in college. “I wondered how people in America buy houses. I didn’t know the process, so I started researching. By 2015, I got my first credit card with a $500 limit during my freshman year,” he said.
“When my parents moved here in 2017, they would visit the U.S. for six months at a time since all their kids were here, and then return home [to Rwanda]. I had to learn about the home-buying process because they needed a house but couldn’t qualify with normal lenders due to a lack of credit scores,” he continued.
“I bought my first house in Phoenix, Arizona, needing a 3.5% down payment. The houses in that area were priced around $310,000, so I needed about $13,000 including closing costs. After purchasing, I sold that house for $500,000 and moved into a new home. Without that initial purchase, we wouldn’t have been able to afford our current home, where we put down 20%. I consider it our dream home.”
Sandrali said he tells people, “You have to start now. Your first house likely won’t be your dream home, because we often want the best house right away. But that’s not usually how it works. You have to start small and build up.”
Educational approach and community impact
After graduation from college, Sandrali spent over a year employed by industry professionals, learning from them. His goal was to help fellow Rwandans, but first he wanted to understand the ins and outs of the brokerage industry.
Reflecting on his time at the brokerage firm, he said, “Before departing, I realized their work lacked complexity. It was straightforward and primarily driven by financial motives.”
He recounted instances where clients, faced with linguistic barriers, were dismissed with phrases like, “I don’t understand your language,” and “I can’t help you.”
With a portion of the Rwandan diaspora lacking fluency, Sandrali stepped in to bridge the communication gap, either through phone conversations or face-to-face meetings, patiently explaining the necessary steps.
“The educational aspect is important to me,” he said. “Ensuring people understand what they’re doing and what they’re signing up for is crucial. My goal is to ensure they grasp at least 10% of the brokerage procedures. It is fundamental to fulfilling my role.”
After Sandrali felt confident that he had enough knowledge to be of service to the Rwandese community, he started his own company. “People want to work with me because I speak multiple languages. Other American lenders don’t know how to communicate with our community. There’s a language barrier, they don’t know how to explain things, and they lack patience. I work with real estate agents and have what I need for my brokerage, which is why I started my company last year.”
Paths to homeownership in Maine
Sandrali explained how to start working toward owning a dream house in Maine. “Here, you can start with as little as a 3.5% down payment for a house worth $400,000. That’s about $14,000, with an FHA loan.”
An FHA loan is a mortgage loan insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), allowing borrowers to make a smaller down payment (as low as 3.5%) compared to conventional loans. These loans are designed to help people with lower credit scores or limited savings achieve homeownership.
“Or you can go for conventional loans, which usually require a 5% down payment,” he said. “And if you don’t have any money saved up, there are programs for that too. Sometimes, the interest rates might be a bit higher, but we can work with that. Plus, we can always refinance your loan after about six months.”
Sandrali offers homeowner seminars through Clear Vue. “It’s not just me talking, or a real estate agent. We bring in experts like inspectors and appraisers. It’s great because people can ask specific questions, and we can give them direct answers. It’s all about making sure everyone understands what’s going on.”
When discussing the benefits of investing in U.S. real estate, he also spoke about investment in Africa.
“They say 80% of millionaires made their money in real estate. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t invest back home. It’s about finding a balance. It’s important to make your money work for you, especially for our generation. If we all invest in one or two houses, we could be retired by the time we are 40.”
“Remember,” he said. “When you buy a house, you’re not just buying a building. You are buying land.”
Sandrali is proud of his company’s prioritizing of personalized guidance in navigating the mortgage process.
By leveraging his expertise and connections, assessing each client’s financial situation, scouring for competitive rates, and negotiating terms on their behalf, Sandrali hopes to help immigrants like himself realize their dream of homeownership.
