They arrived in the United States 20 years ago with no money or support, and through hard work, sacrifice, and discipline, they have moved forward, acquiring properties and investing in businesses, one of which they opened in this city.
Marisela Cortés Gutiérrez and her husband Isaac Sacramento Cortés, originally from Puebla, Mexico, invested $600,000 in a three-story building to provide accommodation services through the Airbnb platform.
“When they told me this is a growing city, that it has a lot of things like hospitals, schools, universities, and affordable housing prices, all of that caught my attention, and that was the reason we invested, so I said: okay, let’s make the investment,” said Cortés Gutiérrez, who decided to share her success story.
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«I see a lot of potential in Pittsburgh. I know things are slow going, but it seems to have a lot to offer, many good things to come in this city,» emphasized Cortés Gutiérrez, who lives with her husband and three children in Bedford, a town located in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, where they make their home.
The first investment was $45,000
Cortés Gutiérrez and Sacramento Cortés recall that they bought their first restaurant in 2014 and invested $45,000. “We didn’t have the money or the experience, but we wanted to get ahead. We borrowed money from family and friends to buy the restaurant; it wasn’t easy,” she emphasizes.
In 2019, they bought their first home with the profits generated by the restaurant. In 2021, they bought another home, and a second restaurant was acquired in 2022. The two restaurants and the second home they acquired are in the city of Manchester, also in Hillsborough County.
They bought the second home with the goal of renting it to Hispanics and making it easier for them to rent a home. “When we rent a place like a condominium, they ask for a lot of references. We struggled because they asked us for a lot of requirements that we didn’t meet, and I said: if one day I can do that (rent houses), I’ll make things easier for other people who are hardworking people like us,” Cortés Gutiérrez emphasized.
Ten Years to obtain a Social Security Number
She recalls that her husband waited 10 years to obtain a Social Security number and have better job opportunities. However, during that time, they worked at whatever they could find and accepted low wages, “but we had to survive, we had to get ahead somehow,” Cortés Gutiérrez firmly emphasized.
Marisela and Isaac are humble but very kind and generous people. They define themselves as “hardworking country people.” She is the one who takes the initiative in the business and has learned English over the years, which has greatly helped her grow her businesses. Isaac says he is shy, and when asked if he wanted to share more details about his life experiences, he took a few steps back and let Marisela speak. He smiled and said, “I don’t like to talk; I don’t like cameras.”
However, his wife says he is the person she relies on to help her businesses succeed.
Reflection for hispanics
– Doña Marisela, are you planning to make another investment in the city of Pittsburgh?
-Not at the moment, but if something comes up, why not?
– What reflection do you have based on your experiences for the Hispanic community that wants to get ahead in the United States?
-First, identify what motivated you to come to the United States, and second, don’t be afraid, because like everything in life, if you wait and see what’s on the other side and never dare to cross, you’ll never know what’s there; obviously, there’s going to be everything, and it won’t be easy.
