Counselors & Course Speakers
Our homebuyer counselors and guest speakers are knowledgeable about all the steps you need to take in the home buying process. Under their instruction, you can be assured that upon completion of the course, you will have the know-how you need to buy a home.
Please note that class participants are under no obligation to use the homebuyer counselors or any guest speakers for their services.
Homebuyer Counselors
REALTORS®
Eileen Jonah
Realtor
Eileen has been selling residential real estate on the North Shore of Boston for 23 years. She was a broker owner of an independent real estate firm with her mother for 19 years before affiliating with C-21. She is a big believer in giving back and serving her community via local boards and charities. Eileen is involved in leadership on the Local and State Association level, taking advantage of continuing education and networking with other leaders. She also instructs the First time Home-buyer class for Lynn Housing Authority and New Agent Orientation for North Shore Realtors.
Shari McStay
Realtor
Shari McStay is an experienced real estate professional with Keller Williams Realty. As a member of the North Shore REALTORS®, she is held to the highest level of integrity and professionalism. Shari is known as a creative problem solver with the business acumen to help clients achieve their specific real estate needs and goals. Holding both a Master’s in Education and a Master’s in Business, and with a passion for teaching, Shari enjoys teaching the home buying process in a classroom setting, as well as educating her buying and selling clients day-to-day.
Cynthia Nina-Soto
Realtor
Cynthia Nina-Soto has over 12 years of experience working with first-time homebuyers. She started her own real estate brokerage, Nina-Soto Realty, offering residential real estate services to Massachusetts. The majority of her clients are Latino buyers. She has taught classes related to technology and also on how to work with and understand the Latino culture. She has participated in the First-Time Homebuyer classes offered by the CDC in Salem and enjoys helping others learn and apply those teachings to improve their lives. She is fluent in Spanish and English.
Janine Wuschke
Realtor
Janine (J9) is a top producing agent at Keller William Evolution and over the last 10 years, she has been guiding her clients through the process of buying, selling and investing. She has a Bachelor of Science in Communications and Graphic Design from Salem State College. Janine lives in Peabody and in her free time she loves playing softball and traveling.
Lenders/Loan Officers
Kevin Dillon
Helping North Shore Bank's customers choose the best mortgage products and simplifying the lending process is Kevin’s overarching objective. Dedicated to the personal-touch, he provides customers with individualized service and credits his success to community involvement, industry knowledge and customer focus. Kevin attended Westfield State University where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Beverly, the Danvers Educational Enrichment Partnership and the Greater Beverly Chamber of Commerce.
Patty Gabriel
Patty Gabriel has over 25 years of experience in mortgage banking, both with regional and national lenders. She works at Draper & Kramer, which provides comprehensive lending services to consumers. Patty is licensed in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. She has taught the First-Time Homebuyer Education classes for the past nine years for Community Team Works and MassHousing, and has been teaching continuing education classes to real estate agents at NSR for the past ten years.
George Koutsos
George Koutsos is a top loan officer with more than twenty-eight years of experience in the industry, over 8,000 closed loans and the winner of numerous awards for excellence in his field, he has the tools and the ability to help his clients navigate the mortgage process. He particularly prides himself on building lifelong relationships with each borrower, and he aims to give the most personalized service possible. On a personal level, George enjoys spending time with his wife Ruth at their home in Danvers. George is licensed to originate mortgage loans in MA, ME, NH, CT, RI, FL, SC. He is also a Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist (CMPS) and a Registered Mortgage Advisor (RMA).
Samantha Bomba
Samantha has been with Fairway Independent Mortgage in Newburyport for 9 years. She knows that exceptional customer service means answering all her client's questions, whether easy or complex. She has a "can-do" attitude and works hard to help her clients achieve their dream of owning their own home. Samantha has experience with purchasing, renovation loans, FHA and VA loans.
Cesar Mancebo
Cesar Mancebo is a Mortgage Loan Officer with Total Mortgage. I want to bring a sense of clarity and understanding of the entire mortgage process to the Latino community. I am someone who has been in their shoes, speaks the language and has a great understanding of each step of the home buying process in detail. My goal is to prepare and assist many more Latino buyers in our market area. Cesar is licensed to do mortgages in MA, NH, CT, RI and FL
Real Estate Attorneys
Liz Barletta
Elizabeth (Liz) Barletta is an attorney at Ligris & Associates, a firm specializing in real estate transactions. Her practice focuses primarily on representing buyers, sellers, and lenders in the acquisition, sale, and financing of real estate. She is a licensed attorney in Massachusetts and Florida and a licensed Notary Public in Massachusetts. She has presented at various first-time homebuyer seminars for Boston College, Northeastern University, and several community organizations in Greater Boston. She has also held numerous training sessions in real estate offices across Massachusetts. Liz is fluent in Spanish.
Rick Gilmore
Attorney Rick Gilmore has been a real estate attorney since 1998 and has extensive experience in both residential and commercial real estate. His over 20 years as an attorney and 8 years as a title examiner have given him experience in real estate, estate planning, personal injury, probate litigation, and business litigation and formation. Rick has conducted thousands of closings and helped hundreds of first-time homebuyers navigate their first purchase. He is active in the community and is a Past President and current Board member of the Danvers Rotary Club, Director of the Danvers YMCA, Past President and current Board member of Friends Forever USA, a member of the Real Estate Bar Association, Massachusetts Trial Lawyers Association, Essex Bar Association, and an affiliate member with the North Shore REALTORS®.
Meredith Fine
Meredith Fine brings 10 years of experience as an attorney opening her solo practice in 2009. Currently her practice is in real estate and business counseling. She has represented buyers, sellers, and lenders throughout Essex and Middlesex counties. She is a member of the North Shore REALTORS® and the Real Estate Bar Association and is a Title Agent for CATIC. She is a former journalist and uses those skills to help her communicate complex legal issues to first-time homebuyers.
Christina Petrucci
Attorney Christina Petrucci is a Partner specializing in Residential Real Estate, Commercial Real Estate and Wills and Trusts. Attorney Petrucci joined Dalton & Finegold in 2011. Attorney Petrucci received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Merrimack College, majoring in political science, and she received her law degree from Massachusetts School of Law. Attorney Petrucci focuses on representing Buyers, Sellers, Lender, and Developers. In addition Attorney Petrucci is also called upon a a subject matter expert by instructors who each Real Estate Agent Continuing Education courses. Attorney Petrucci was a student-athlete as a member of the Women’s Rugby team and held the position of Captain her Junior and Senior year. In addition to her work with Dalton & Finegold, Attorney Petrucci coaches a middle school girls basketball team. She also serves on the board of the Women’s Council of Realtors Central Mass. She is a member of the North East Association of Realtors, the North East Association of Builders and Remodelers, the Mass Bar Association and the Merrimack Alumni Association. Attorney Petrucci is admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Insurance Agents
Lauren D'Amico
Lauren D’Amico is the President and CEO of NewFed Insurance. With over 10yrs of experience in the industry, Lauren is well versed in all Personal and Commercial Lines of Insurance. NewFed Insurance offers clients the best possible protection for all their insurance needs. Lauren has built quite the clientele by maintaining a strict customer-comes-first approach. Lauren’s company, NewFed Insurance has been successfully meeting the needs of their customers since 2015. She has grown her agency from the ground up and has accumulated years of experience to ensure her clients’ security and safety.
Alex Ray
Alex is a lifelong North Shore resident, having graduated from Manchester Essex High School in 2011 and then Endicott College in 2015. In 2017 he began his career as a licensed insurance agent at Leslie Ray Insurance Agency, which is the business his grandfather, Leslie Ray, started in 1954. Since joining the family business, Alex has generated a passion for helping his clients manage the potential risks of owning a home, vehicle, or business. Alex was recently awarded the 2022 Greater Beverly Chamber of Commerce Emerging Leader of the Year award, and he is the current President of the Beverly Kiwanis Club.
Angela Turpin
Angela Turpin is owner of Zellik Insurange Agency in Salem. She launched her own insurance agency after working in conjunction with agencies across the state. Zellik Insurance Agency is a full-service independent agency offering personal, business and life insurance. It is her passion to teach people the importance of protecting the one asset they have worked hard to attain, their home. Angela has been teaching FTHB classes for 3+ years. Additionally, she teaches about the importance of renters insurance along with homeowners' insurance to individuals and Real Estate professionals.
Emily Jordan
Emily is a Personal Lines Producer for Zellick Insurance in Salem. She specializes in Homeowners, Renters, Auto, Umbrella and Pet Insurance. She graduated from Pace University in NYC with a Bachelors Degree in Arts and Entertainment Management. Emily enjoys helping others make sure their most important assets are protected.
Home Inspectors
Ray Jackson
Ray Jackson has been a licensed home inspector in Massachusetts and New Hampshire for over 30 years and, in addition, has owned his own construction company. He enjoys helping first-time homebuyers understand the home inspection process and why it is beneficial to them. He has long-been a speaker at first-time homebuyer seminars and has also been interviewed for television and newspapers on various home inspection topics.
Ramon Marte
Ramon Marte is the owner of Marte Home Inspections, Inc.
I started Marte Home Inspections in 2018.
As your home inspector, my goal is to educate and inform you about the condition of the house prior to your purchase or a sale. I conduct a non-invasive, unbiased visual inspection of the house and systems. Buying or selling a home is one of the most important financial investments and emotional decisions you will ever make. Marte Home Inspections Inc is a locally owned, bilingual home inspection company that offers home inspections in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Se habla Español!
MassHousing / Mass Housing Partnership
Annaly Monteiro-Serena
In my current role at MHP, I serve as a representative to our partner lenders and help answer any questions/comments/concerns that arise regarding our mortgage product. I also help answer any questions the public may have when giving our team a call. Lastly, I represent MHP at First Time Home-buyer courses with our partnering education agencies. I case manage MassDREAMS applications and lead trainings with our partner lenders.
I served as an AmeriCorps legal advocate for two years at the Justice Center in Brockton and Cambridge and Somerville Legal Services on an array of housing-related issues, including but not limited to: eviction notices, section 8 denials, and reasonable accommodations.