Today we’d like to introduce you to ARACELI VILLANUEVA.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m Araceli Villanueva, and my story is one of persistence, education, and learning how to master the financial system from the inside out.
I was born and raised in Mexico, where I learned early on the importance of discipline, responsibility, and the value of money. Those foundational lessons shaped my mindset long before I began my professional career. When I moved to the United States as a young adult, I arrived with determination and a clear goal: to understand how the financial, credit, and investment systems truly work so I could build a better future.
At just 20 years old, I purchased my first home, which became the starting point of my career in real estate and mortgage finance. That experience sparked a deep interest in lending, property ownership, and wealth creation. Over the years, I worked my way through nearly every role in the mortgage industry as a loan officer, processor, underwriter, lender representative, and eventually a mortgage loan originator. This hands-on progression gave me a rare, comprehensive understanding of how loans are evaluated, approved, structured, and funded.
At the same time, I became a licensed real estate broker, investor, and property owner, successfully acquiring and managing multiple properties. Experiencing real estate from all angles buyer, investor, broker, and lender allowed me to see where most people make mistakes and where opportunities are often overlooked.
With over 25 years of experience in real estate, mortgages, credit, banking, and taxation, I eventually founded AVL Consultants. This firm is dedicated to helping clients structure their finances intelligently, minimize taxes, protect assets, and build long-term wealth. My work goes beyond transactions, I act as a strategist and business manager, coordinating every aspect of my clients’ financial lives.
Today, I am also an international speaker and the author of Crea Fortunas, where I share both my professional expertise and my personal journey from arriving in the U.S. with limited resources to becoming an entrepreneur, investor, and financial mentor. My mission is to empower others with the knowledge and confidence to take control of their finances and create sustainable wealth with purpose.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it has absolutely not been a smooth road and I believe that’s an important part of my story.
Like many immigrants, I started by navigating an entirely new system: a different language, a different culture, and a financial structure I had to learn from the ground up. I didn’t have a roadmap or shortcuts. I had to educate myself, make mistakes, and learn quickly, especially in industries as demanding as mortgage lending, real estate, credit, and taxation.
One of the biggest challenges was earning credibility in highly regulated, male-dominated industries. Early in my career, I often had to work twice as hard to be taken seriously, prove my expertise, and earn trust not just from clients, but from institutions, lenders, and professionals. There were moments where doors were closed, deals fell apart, or decisions were questioned simply because I was young, a woman, or an immigrant.
Another struggle was learning that financial success without structure can be fragile. I experienced firsthand how quickly progress can be lost without proper planning, tax strategy, asset protection, and guidance. Those lessons were sometimes costly, emotionally and financially, but they shaped the strategist I am today.
Balancing entrepreneurship, motherhood, and leadership was also challenging. Building businesses, investing, and growing professionally while raising a family required discipline, sacrifice, and very clear priorities. There were moments of exhaustion and doubt, but also moments that strengthened my resolve.
What carried me through was my mindset: I never saw obstacles as limitations, but more as classrooms. Every challenge pushed me to learn more, prepare better, and refine my approach. Those struggles are the reason I now emphasize education, structure, and proactive planning with my clients.
Today, I don’t share my journey to highlight hardship, but to show that success is built, not inherited. The road was challenging, but it gave me the experience, perspective, and resilience that now allow me to guide others with confidence and clarity.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Araceli Villanueva PA and AVL Consultants represent a strategic financial advisory ecosystem designed to help individuals, families, entrepreneurs, and investors build, protect, and multiply wealth with intention and structure.
At the core of what we do is a belief that financial success is not about isolated decisions, but about designing a cohesive strategy that aligns business, real estate, taxes, credit, and long-term planning. We do not offer one-size-fits-all solutions. Instead, we operate as a boutique, concierge-style advisory, similar to a modern Family Office, where every component of a client’s financial life is thoughtfully coordinated.
We specialize in financial structuring and strategic planning, including:
* Proactive tax strategy and tax efficiency planning
* Business and entity structuring (LLCs, corporations, holdings, trusts)
* Real estate investment strategy and transactional guidance
* Mortgage and financing solutions
* Credit optimization and banking strategy
* Asset protection and long-term legacy planning
* Ongoing bookkeeping and financial oversight to ensure strategies are executed correctly
We are known for our hands-on, proactive approach, working with clients year-round, not just at tax time or during transactions. This allows us to anticipate opportunities and risks before they arise.
What truly differentiates Araceli Villanueva PA and AVL Consultants is the depth and lengthy experience behind every strategy. With over 25 years of hands-on experience across mortgage lending, underwriting, real estate brokerage, investing, taxation, and business management, we understand financial systems from the inside out.
Additionally, we take a relationship-driven approach. We don’t simply advise, we walk alongside our clients, coordinating with attorneys, CPAs, lenders, and insurance professionals to ensure alignment and execution at every level.
Brand-wise, we are most proud of the trust and longevity of our client relationships. Many of our clients work with us for years, refer their families and business partners, and rely on us as a central point of guidance in their financial lives. That trust is something we protect fiercely.
We are also proud of the educational component of our brand. Through conferences, workshops, and the book Crea Fortunas, we empower clients not only to grow wealth, but to truly understand the systems they are operating within so they can make confident, informed decisions.
We want readers to understand that our brand is built on clarity, integrity, and results. Our mission is not just to help clients make money, but to help them keep it, protect it, and grow it responsibly.
Whether someone is a business owner, real estate investor, professional, or family planning for the future, our work is about creating financial peace of mind through structure, strategy, and education.
At the heart of everything we do is a guiding principle: “My clients’ needs are my needs.”
That commitment defines our brand, our services, and the long-term impact we strive to create.
What’s next?
The future, for me, is about expanding purpose, not just success.
I’m entering a chapter where the focus is no longer only on building wealth, but on creating lasting impact. Through AVL Consultants and Araceli Villanueva PA, my vision is to continue evolving our work into a global, high-level advisory platform. My hope is that it empowers individuals, families, and entrepreneurs to design lives of clarity, stability, and freedom through strategic financial planning.
One of my greatest passions moving forward is education. I am deeply committed to expanding financial education through conferences, workshops, books, and digital platforms; especially for women, young entrepreneurs, and the next generation. I believe that when people understand money, they reclaim their power, their choices, and their future.
I am also working toward initiatives that bring financial education into schools, organizations, and communities, starting at a young age. Teaching children and young adults how the financial system works has the potential to break generational cycles, create responsible leaders, and foster societies rooted in independence rather than fear.
From an investment and business perspective, I will continue growing and structuring real estate and entrepreneurial ventures, not just for profitability, but as living examples of what intentional planning can create. Legacy has become central to my vision: helping families protect what they build and pass it on with wisdom, purpose, and values.
What excites me most about the future is the opportunity to inspire others to believe in what’s possible; to see that financial freedom is not reserved for a few, but available to anyone willing to learn, commit, and act with intention.
The next chapter is about alignment: scaling impact without losing authenticity, building systems that empower others, and leaving behind something greater than myself.
Because when purpose leads, abundance follows.
Pricing:
- $500 – 1 hr Real Estate Investment Consultation + Recommendation
- $750 – 1 hr Tax Planning Consultation + Recommendation
- $1,500 – Comprehensive Tax, business and or Investment Consultation + Recommendation
- Other
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.avlconsultants.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/araceli_bella
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AraceliVillanuevaBiz
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aracelivillanueva
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@creafortunas
- Other: https://www.aracelivillanueva.com
