MEET ALTA AND MIKE SELUDO
Meet my neighbors from Broadmoor, Alta and Mike. They are a couple, who not only inspire me, my marriage and my business, but they are the kind of people who inspire every single person they come in contact with. I had the honor of meeting them at a local open house and have been getting to know them. My heart immediately gravitated toward their vivacious energy and their deep love and genuine affection toward one another.
Here is their story. Alta Seludo is a first-generation Filipino immigrant who was born in NYC in 1975. When she was five years old, her family moved to Louisiana, so her father could finish his residency as a physician. Her mother worked as an accountant at the time. Life was going well until tragedy struck. Her father was intentionally poisoned when she was 13 years old, and two years later, her mother was hit by a drunk driver, leaving both of her parents disabled. Unfortunately, this led to Separation of Alta and her sister, a story of hardship.
After her mom was hospitalized, Alta and her sister had to make the hard decision to send their dad to California to live with his family, and Alta’s older sister went with him. At the age of 15, Alta was left to deal with the foreclosure of their family home and the repossession of their cars. With her mother hospitalized, Alta found herself homeless and had to rely on friends and eventually her boyfriend for a place to stay.
Life was challenging for Alta as she became a mother at the age of 18 and had her second child at age 20. By the time she was 21, she was divorced from her children’s father and became the primary caregiver for both her kids and her disabled mother. Her father remained bedridden for a decade after being poisoned. Alta was 25 when he passed away.
Being a young single mother was an overwhelming journey. Alta had to work hard to provide for her family. She was the sole financial provider for her children and mother. Alta didn’t complete her college degree, but she managed to find a career in sales and was paid commission only. It allowed her to feed and support her family. At the age of 29, she relocated to California to live closer to her sister and continued her career as a mortgage banker at Lending Tree Loans. While juggling her life as a single parent and her mom’s ongoing medical needs, Alta worked tirelessly to make ends meet. Her mom’s ailments eventually took at turn for the worse, and she passed in 2009. Alta was 32.
One year later, Alta met Mike. After hearing his family’s story of survival and perseverance, you will understand why these two individuals became the strong and loving couple they are today. Mike’s story is one of a refugee immigrant to success!
Mike’s family, including his identical twin brother and older brother, had to flee Vietnam during the war in 1975 when he was only two years old. Mike’s father had been a math teacher, and his mother had been nurse in
Vietnam, but they had to start over in America as a result of their displacement. His dad began working as a janitor, and his mom worked as a seamstress to make ends meet. In order to provide a better life for their sons, they both attended night school after their full time jobs to learn English and adapt to American culture after their full time job. Mike’s dad continued his education and ultimately earned a college degree as an electrical engineer.
Mike and his family moved to Irvine in 1984 when he was 11 years old. Being Asian immigrants, they faced several hurdles, such as bullying, prejudice, and racism. Despite these challenges, Mike and his brothers maintained a positive attitude and embraced their cultural differences. Mike and his brothers embraced the opportunities America presented them. While working full-time jobs, they attended college and were able to pay for their education without accumulating any student loan debt.
Mike seized opportunities in the financial sector, specifically the mortgage industry, starting in 2001. Over the course of two decades, he worked his way up from a sales position to becoming CPO, gaining experience in every level of the corporate ladder along the way.
A Love Story Rooted in the 2009 Mortgage Crisis
Let’s take a trip back to 2009, during the height of the mortgage crisis. Despite the challenges, both Mike and Alta managed to maintain their positions as top producers. Although they were aware of each at work, they maintained a professional relationship. It wasn’t until Mike started working for another company that they began seeing each other romantically. In 2012, they tied the knot. At the time, Alta’s children were in their early teens, and the four of them lived in a rental property in Irvine. Her son attended the same high school as Mike, while her daughter pursued a career in cosmetology. They did try to have children of their own, but it wasn’t in God’s plans, and they trusted that. They kept their focus on their kids and their careers.
Alta’s Journey: A Career Path Fueled by Passion and Perseverance
After getting married, Alta made the decision to take a break from mortgage sales to pursue her late parents’ dream of her becoming a nurse. She enrolled in a nursing program and earned her degree. While working as a full-time nurse, she also started her own skincare business. To her amazement, her skincare income eventually surpassed her nursing income. After five years of nursing, she made the bold decision to fully invest all of her time to grow her business. Over the next eight years, she worked to establish a reliable stream of passive income and team of over 500 in multiple countries.
Mike and Alta, at the height of their careers, diligently saved for a substantial down payment in 2020. Their goal was to find a forever home with a breathtaking view and peaceful surroundings, a place that would feel like a permanent vacation. After narrowing down their search, they ultimately discovered the perfect location in Broadmoor. Only two homes caught their eye during their search, both of which were situated in the serene and nature-filled community of Broadmoor. They envisioned the area as an ideal environment where they could work from their home. Today, they flourish in their forever home on the lake. They rescue the ducks that have been injured on the lake and cherish a peaceful and humble life together! I can relate to this story of overcoming overwhelming hardship, leading to success. You never know what a person has gone through, until you take the time to hear their story and selflessly get to know them!