From Undocumented Immigrant to Financial Independence

Diego is originally from Lima, Peru. He is a millennial entrepreneur living and working in Austin, TX. He is an investor, a realtor, a speaker and a coach. He likes to run; he likes to dance salsa - talk about high energy!

Diego’s Journey 

Diego’s story is unique. He is a Dreamer/DACA recipient. He came to the United States with his family on a tourist visa when he was 9 years old with $8,000 in cash. Their family of four moved into Diego’s aunt’s house, and for the first months everyone shared a single bedroom fitted with bunk beds.

Diego’s parents found work in a restaurant. His dad was a cook and his mother a waitress. His parents emphasized to their children how important school was, and their future success would greatly depend on it. Securing a higher education was always Diego’s priority while his parents worked tirelessly to provide for the family.

Diego encountered some unexpected setbacks due to his immigration status:

“When I was a teenager, I did not fully understand what it meant to be an undocumented immigrant. After the visa expired, I thought everything was going to be the same until the day I went to get my driver’s license. I was denied due to lack of documentation’’.

At that moment, he understood that his life was going to be different compared to the rest of his friends and classmates. Though, instead of feeling sorry for himself, he put all his time and attention into school. Diego ended up graduating third atop his high school class.

Emphasis on School

When he was applying for colleges, just like his friends, he found out that due to his immigration status he could not qualify for student loans or financial aid. He won a lot of scholarships; yet he couldn’t receive the funds because he did not have a Green Card. This was difficult to deal with, but he continued to look for other opportunities.

He was determined to find his path to success despite these challenges of not being able to drive, not being able to benefit from student loans, and not having a work permit. Consequently, Diego created his own LLC and began working as a contractor for small businesses and nonprofits, developing their websites. That’s precisely how he was able to pay for his college tuition.

Diego went on to graduate in the top 1% from Florida State University with two bachelor’s degrees in less than 4 years. He started working as a software developer for General Motors. He soon discovered that corporate America was not for him. In 2015 Diego was seeking a career shift, and ultimately decided to pursue his passion in real estate.

Real Estate Investing

Diego read “Rich Dad Poor Dad” when he was 21 years old. The book instantly made an impression and taught him two things – you can trade your time for money, or you can make your money work for you. He knew he wanted to put his money to work and saw real estate as an asset and a tool that would allow him to generate money on a recurring basis.

Now Diego is pursuing financial freedom and early retirement (aka FIRE) through real estate investment. He owns more than ten properties in Texas and Florida and is able to generate enough passive income to cover his monthly expenses. Diego’s goal is to continue to grow his passive income and to become a millionaire in 2020, just before he turns 30.

“If I can become a millionaire by 30 as a Dreamer/DACA recipient, anything is possible for anybody, starting at any age!”

Diego is passionate about helping others, especially Millennials, become financially independent. Thought his real estate work he assists other dreamers and DACA recipients in realizing their real estate ownership dreams. Diego is also the founder of House-Hacking Club.

Advice for Fellow Immigrants

Diego has developed 6 keys to achieving financial freedom. This is the wisdom he acquired from surrounding himself with 200 millionaires since 2014, and being a fly on the wall in their conversations:

Manage your personal finances Schedule personal development Understanding the power of your tribe and your peer group Goal setting with accountability Increase your income Investing

Resources Mentioned

Books (affiliate links)

Rich Dad Poor Dad

Think and Grow Rich

The Richest Man in Babylon

Financial Freedom

Podcasts

https://www.choosefi.com/

https://thefishow.com/

Connect with Diego

https://www.instagram.com/realdiegocorzo/

https://www.facebook.com/diego.corzo

http://www.ratracetofi.com/

Diego’s TEDx talk “Can the American Dream Be Achieved If You’re Not A Citizen?”

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