Gayest & Greatest 2018: Real Estate

Mortgage agent and father of two Cody Grizzoffi specializes in building relationships.

Marene GustinOctober 9, 2018

543 2 minutes read

Cody Grizzoffi was in banking management when he met a mortgage agent at a luncheon one day. After they got to talking about the business, Grizzoffi decided that it was time for a career change. That was almost 15 years ago. Now, Grizzoffi is a branch manager with InterLinc Mortgage Services LLC, which has been one of the fastest-growing mortgage companies in the Southwest since 2004.

“I really enjoy being able to help people at a major point in their lives,” he says. “I don’t think of people as clients, because many of them have turned into longtime friends.”

So why choose a mortgage firm over a bank or a broker when buying a home, or refinancing one?

“It’s usually cheaper, but it’s really about that personal relationship,” Grizzoffi explains. “We’ll find the loan that’s right for you, and one with some of the lowest mortgage rates available in the country.”

He specializes in helping all types of buyers, from builders and investors to first-time home buyers. “I had a couple in their 60s,” he says, “who just bought their first home.”

But more and more, he adds, he’s seeing younger Millennials buying homes. And he says that the Houston and surrounding markets aren’t slowing down anytime soon.

“That’s good news for the economy,” he says. “Maybe not so good for commuters.”

Which he is. Grizzoffi and his husband, David (pictured kneeling), who is in risk management, own a home in the suburbs. He says they moved out of the city a few years ago, for their children. They have a 10-year-old son and a 9-year-old daughter.

“I would love to be back in the city—just pick this house and yard up and move it,” he says, “but realistically, we couldn’t afford anything like this inside the loop.”

The family has no pets and few hobbies. Grizzoffi says the kids come first, and it’s mostly about homework, games, and exercising. But they do like to take the whole family back to Montrose for a meal at Hamburger Mary’s because, he says, “the kids love a good drag show!”

As far as the community goes, he is a member of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus, and the entire family participates in the annual AIDS Walk Houston.

“We include the kids in it because we want them to learn to give back,” he says.

When choosing a lender, Grizzoffi has this advice: “It’s about your own comfort level. Pick someone who has the knowledge and a personality that clicks with you.”

—Marene Gustin