Local Scottsdale real estate company 72SOLD ran three commercials during the Super Bowl offering to make one lucky Arizona homeowner’s house payment for 72 months. 

Glendale’s Eloy and Eileen Cruz were the lucky winners. Their story is both inspiring and heartwarming. In an interview with Paradise Valley resident Greg Hague, they extolled their son, Daniel. 

Daniel’s dream in high school was to attend the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. He worked hard, achieved that dream, and became a model student at the academy. Daniel proudly graduated in 2001, and then served three tours of duty in Afghanistan.  

Daniel became a war hero by risking his life to save the lives of several fellow soldiers. Because of this heroism, he was awarded the Bronze Star and the Distinguished Flying Cross for "extraordinary achievement during aerial flight."

Tragically, Daniel died in 2016 as a result of complications from post traumatic stress disorder. He was just 37 years old. 

As with so many other Americans, the Cruz family recently has fallen on hard times financially. In the interview with Hague, they said they had refinanced their house to help their granddaughter pay tuition at Arizona State University. But their Social Security payments were not enough to make the higher house payments, so they had fallen behind. As Eileen said to Greg, “We were deathly afraid we were going to lose our house."

The Cruz family now feels a huge burden lifted off their shoulders as 72SOLD has stepped in to make their monthly house payments for the next six years.

When 72SOLD founders Greg and Teresa Hague met Eloy and Eileen for lunch, Greg was so moved by their story that he offered to pay for the entire family to travel to Colorado Springs to visit Daniel’s grave. They said that would be their “dream vacation.” 

Greg and Teresa shared the “why” behind 72SOLD offering to make someone’s house payment for 72 months. They said they deeply believe a business that grows in a community needs to contribute back to the people in that community.

“Being good to your community is the right thing to do, and it’s also good for business too,” said Greg. “Arizona has been my home since 1981. I feel like I was born here. Helping Eileen and Eloy save their home and live free for the next six years is a privilege and a memory I will cherish forever.”