Counselors & Guest Speakers

Rosa Ordaz

Rosa Ordaz is the Resident Services & Community Engagement Manager at Harborlight Homes. Rosa manages Harborlight’s Financial Coaching along with support services for Harborlight’s formerly homeless individuals, seniors, and disabled residents across multiple properties in Essex County. She is a certified First-Time Homebuyer Counselor and is also the newest member of the City of Salem’s Zoning Board of Appeals and Chairs 2 committees for Policy Advocacy and Resident Services.

Tom Houlihan

Tom Houlihan is the Senior Resident Service Coordinator for Harborlight Homes. He has worked as a Care Director for several elderly housing programs and is finishing his BS in Business Administration. Tom has worked as a home care nurse for ten years serving people around the North Shore and Greater Boston. He is passionate about housing and glad to be a part of the First-Time Homebuyer Course.

Ronn Huth

Ronn Huth received a Master’s degree from Case Western Reserve University in Organizational Development and a Master’s in Theology from Fuller Seminary. He has been a full time real estate buyer’s broker for 30+ years. He joined the REALTOR® association in 1988 and founded Buyer’s Choice Realty in 1990 as the first buyer-only agency in the North Shore area. Ronn is a Past President of the North Shore REALTORS® and continues to be a leader as a MA certified real estate instructor. He is also a member of the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council Hall of Fame and was one of the first approved instructors for the Accredited Buyer’s Representative course nationally.

Shari McStay

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

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.

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).

Dan Ventura

Securing a home loan is a big deal and we want to make sure you get it right.! We understand the importance of having someone on your side who can answer all the questions you may have about homeownership. With over 30 years of combined experience, the Home Mortgage 411 team is on a mission to provide education and content for anyone interested in buying a house. A sense of community is extremely important to us. We believe that by working together, we can make our neighborhoods and towns, better places to live for everyone. Sweet Paws Rescue is near and dear to our hearts. Not only do we donate a portion of our commission to SPR, a handful of our team members have also rescued their own pups through them as well. Helping people is a driving factor to this team with the objective to assist each client reach their unique homeownership goals smoothly and efficiently

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.

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.

David Ray

David Ray is the President and CEO of Leslie S. Ray Insurance Agency and has 30 years of experience in the industry. David is fluently versed in home, auto, boat, flood, and umbrella insurance as well as commercial business insurance. He has led Leslie S. Ray Insurance to be one of approximately twenty-five independent insurance agencies in Massachusetts to be awarded Five Stars. David takes pride in his community and is a former President of the Greater Beverly Chamber of Commerce and Kiwanis Club of Beverly, and was the Chamber's 2017 Business Person of the Year.

Andy Consoli

Andy Consoli is the owner of ABC Home Inspection and ABC Real Estate Training Institute. He has been teaching real estate and first-time homebuyer classes for over 25 years. He is a certified real estate instructor and licensed home inspector in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. He is also a licensed/certified contractor and home inspector instructor, heating system technician, de-leader, mold inspector, radon testing technician, EPA renovate, repair and paint instructor, exterminator, and real estate broker. Andy looks to bring his many years and range of experience to help first-time homebuyers understand home inspections within the home buying process.

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.

Adam Wright

As a 2nd generation Inspector and Contractor, Adam has quickly become one of the most reputable inspectors in the area and a leader in the industry. He is the lead trainer of all RJ Home Inspection’s new inspectors and uses his wealth of knowledge to not only teach clients about their potential home, but also teaches classes to realtors about home inspections.

Natasha Boye

Natasha Boye is Relationship Manager and Business Develop for MassHousing. MassHousing is an independent, quasi-public agency created in 1966 and charged with providing financing for affordable housing in Massachusetts. She has been in the mortgage industry for over 15 years including roles as a loan officer focusing on low-to-moderate income borrowers. She has also worked as a post-closing officer and is a non-practicing attorney. Natasha has also been a training consultant and taught pre-purchase counseling. She believes knowledge is power and enjoys empowering homebuyers.

Angelo Nuby

Angelo Nuby has been with MassHousing since 2007. His primary objectives are to reach out to underserved markets, enhance financial education, and increase minority lending. Angelo works with non-profits, faith-based organizations, municipalities, and realtors to access programs that educate prospective homeowners.

Angelo has over 35 years of mortgage and retail banking experience with national and regional institutions.

LaQuisa Burke

LaQuisa Burke is a college graduate of UMass Boston with an undergraduate degree in Psychology and post-graduate certificate with Gender, Public Policy and Leadership. She works as a housing advocate for Massachusetts Housing Partnership helping to promote their first-time homebuyer program to the people who need it the most. She has been working in this field for 3 years and has been promoted to training of lenders at banks. She has a passion for helping people in the housing industry whether it’s fighting for affordable housing or educating and connecting people to resources.

Peter Mullen

American Consumer Credit Counseling