Building homes in Nicaragua one sale at a time

It’s heartwarming to hear a story about how one person with one simple idea can make a positive change that transforms the lives of others. Blake Andrews, founder of Giveback Homes, is one of those people, and his simple idea has had a big impact.

Visiting Nicaragua, Blake saw families who had nothing: families of six were sheltering in cardboard boxes with plastic bags for a roof. They had no protection from bugs or the elements, no clean water, and nowhere for the smallest family members to learn to crawl.

Talking with close friend, South Bay realtor Nick Schneider, Blake had a bright idea: for just $50 a month he would allow real estate agents to be featured on a “give back” website and to market themselves as “give back” agents. The money would go towards building homes in Nicaragua. Giveback Homes was born.

Estate agents are also asked to pledge a portion of their commissions from home sales to the project, and homebuyers are invited to contribute too. Nick has promised to build a $2,500 home for each property he sells. And families in Nicaragua are already benefiting from new homes.