Jacob quickly called the agent who, coincidentally, said she would be reviewing offers that day. At 9pm that same evening she called to say the seller had loved her client’s story and that, consequently, would be accepting her offer above all others.

When she phoned her client to tell her the news, she was taken aback by her reaction. “She was speechless (at first). She then started screaming – she had to go out on the street to scream because they were still living in a small apartment,” Jacob said, her voice breaking up with emotion as she recalled the moment.

“I saw her and her daughter work so hard. She was charging people about $30 to do their eyebrows, while her daughter, who was laid off from her job at the airport because of COVID, started doing pizza deliveries.

“They are both so determined to hold on to the house that they have not missed a payment – not a penny. That tells you how important this is for them,” she added.

The episode put Jacob’s own life into perspective. “For us to live in a country like that and have the opportunity to come here and establish a business and accomplish a dream, is priceless,” she said.