ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – It’s an American dream come true for an immigrant who bought his first U.S. home in Rockford. This comes as home sales are up in the Forest City after it was named the top real estate market in the nation.
Real estate experts say Illinois is one of the top four states nationwide for foreign and immigrant buyers. Given the fierceness of the market, they also tend to buy homes for more than the market average.
“You can achieve whatever goals you have. The sky’s the limit,” says homeowner Muhammad El Kavi.
El Kavi says he’s living the American dream. He’s originally from Morocco and immigrated to the United States at 26 years old. He recently landed his first home in Rockford. This started with a Diversity Visa Lotto Program he was randomly chosen for in 2009.
“I have my degree back home, but I wasn’t able to find an opportunity here since my English wasn’t that good.”
But things changed. In 2020 he earned a mechanical engineering degree and now works with ComEd. He’s lived in Rockford for four years and is thrilled to be a homeowner.
“We narrowed our search around three months around the mosque. And then we found out this beautiful house.”
“Many new immigrants are coming to the Rockford area. So, that is actually adding that pressure to, you know, to the inventory,” says Realtor Muhammad Atif.
The Rockford housing market recorded its lowest inventory in April 2024. There were only 175 homes available, a nearly 13% year-to-year drop. Atif says many immigrants like El Kavi pay more than the market average for their homes. In this case, it was a couple thousand dollars, but El Kavi says it’s worth the investment.
“They are a great fiber. I’m an immigrant as well and we are adding to the society in the best way we can,” says Atif.
“Trust yourself and you work hard on it. You can get it,” says El Kavi.
The three-month-rolling-average sales price for a home is more than $200,000 in April 2024. This is a more than $25,000 year-to-year gain.
El Kavi also co-hosts a podcast on YouTube to share his experience and advice with others on their journey to the U.S. Hoping to help more people achieve their dreams.
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