We were at a crossroads, faced with a decision that brought us together and taught us a valuable lesson.
Severiano—I had to leave as soon as possible. Just the thought of leaving made my heart sink and my hands grow cold, but I knew it was the only thing to do. I’d gone back to Colombia when I was a teenager, after finishing my education in the US, to help my family. It was only supposed to be temporary, but over the years I built a life, got married, had a son. I thought I’d found a good life for myself and my family when I started a very successful Rainbow Trout farming business in the mountains near Bogota, surrounded by horses, potato fields, and canals filled with trout. Then everything changed when roaming (FARC) guerillas came to enforce monthly payments for the insurgent cause.
When they came after I first moved in, they promised to leave me and my family alone. A year and a half later, I discovered they were just biding their time. With their threats and a dwindling supply of machinery and livestock to sell off, I made a plan to go back to the US with my family. Slowly, we sold everything and then one day I was nearly kidnapped. I was lucky, and able to get away, but I knew this was no rare occurrence (my grandfather was kidnapped years earlier). That was the final straw, and I knew to protect my family we had to leave. I’d gone to high school in the US and been there many times over the years with my grandfather, touring properties that he invested in.
I had been in real estate in Colombia, so it was natural for me to do the same here. I’ve known Renny since he was 13 years old, and he was out of school, looking to build his life, so I asked him to join me. Our synergy created quick success and I was able to bring my wife and son over. Renny and I have been working together ever since.
Renyel—I love my bass and the music it made but I couldn’t face spending the rest of my life playing at weddings and corporate events. I needed to find a way to be free to express my art. I’ve been a musician since I was 8 years old and attended some of the best art schools in the country for jazz, eventually playing with some of the most prestigious names in the business. I’d been diligent with my practice and playing, even practicing for up to eight hours a day seven days a week for several years. Obligations were forcing me to take the best paying gigs, not the most artistically fulfilling and there had to be a better way.
After school, I started work as a graphic designer to get by while still playing music I didn’t really love. I was starting to grow sick of it. I didn’t know what to do. I was lost and confused and growing closer and closer toward loathing music with every event. I didn’t want to leave the music behind; but it was becoming clear that it wasn’t going to work for me as a career. In many settings amongst the musicians, I was the business guy, the one who would book, manage, and negotiate on the behalf of the band. I liked business, but mixing music and business was the opposite of where my heart wanted to go. Then Severiano asked me to join him in real estate and we began a lifelong partnership opening a new avenue for me. I still play music, locally, recording, and travelling, but I’ve found a new passion for business in real estate, and with it, I’ve found the artistic freedom I was longing for.
We’ve been REALTORS® together since 2001 and are more than just the friends we started out as. We’ve become a dynamic team of brothers. Our skillsets complement each others’, Severiano with the tech, me with the design. Severiano is the people person, I’m the negotiator. 
What we realized all those years ago when we were at a crossroads was that you have to pursue your passion and protect what’s important in your life, no one else will. We’re passionate about our families, music, and homeownership. We’re also driven to help the community that has made us successful, advocating for policies that help Hispanics find sustainable homeownership. Seve and I found a way to help people, live our passions, and have fun all at the same time.
When you’re buying a house, there are a lot of different situations to juggle. That’s why we work so well together and with our clients, we both have our own areas of expertise that complement the others’ and help you get the best deal possible. We started off flipping homes and selling businesses (dry cleaners, liquor stores, etc.), so we know how to spot problems in a home and also how to spot a good investment opportunity. Severiano’s keen attention to detail and technology trends has put us ahead of others for years, pioneering much of the online marketing so widely available today. We’re always staying ahead of the game, finding the most innovative ways to help you because we’re not just here to find you a home this one time, we’re here as your REALTORS® for life.
Sincerely,
Renny Rivero Seve Fernandez
Real Estate Consultants