Military Career

Jeff Hotz joined the Marine Corps in 1998 right out of high school. After boot camp and a six-month School of Music, he joined the band at Parris Island, SC. Following six years of service, he left the Marine Corps and took a job managing investment property in NW Washington D.C., many in Georgetown and Embassy Row.

He was later encouraged by friends to join the U.S. Navy Music Program, where he was stationed at Great Lakes Naval Base in Chicago, and then Naval Base San Diego. He spent seven years with the Navy, then decided with his family to move back to the Midwest near more family, and joined the Army Reserves Band in Columbus Ohio, where he served for about 10 years before formally retiring from the unit.

Military Highlights

Performing in three services was an incredible experience and an honor for Hotz, who supported a broad range of military events like large-scale concerts, high-ranking general retirements and changes of command, thousands of community engagement activities, and thousands of Military Boot Camp graduations in both the Marine Corps and Navy.

Hotz has performed for many of our Presidents including Gerald Ford, Geroge W Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden, as well as presidents, heads of state, and dignitaries from many countries, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff and upper echelon members of all branches of service. Additionally he has performed for many recording artists like Rascal Flatts, REO Speedwagon, Joe Walsh, Toby Keith, America, Eddie Money, Meatloaf, and Lt Dan Band.

Other notable highlights include:

• 2002 – Echo Taps at Ground Zero a year after 9-11
• 2002 – Fenway Park Ted Williams Tribute
• 2003 – First military band in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
• 2011 – Carrier Classic College Basketball game on the USS Vinson
• Positions held: Trumpet instrumentalist, Navy Band Great Lakes Brass Quintet Leader, Navy Band Southwest Brass Quintet leader, Operations Chief, Drum Major
• Awards held: 2015 – US Army Advanced Leadership Course Honor Graduate, 2007 – Navy Band Great Lakes Sailor of the Year, 2009/2010 – Navy Band Great Lakes Sailor of the Quarter

HomeVestors Career

Hotz had always been curious about real estate and loved to follow market trends in the various cities he lived during his military tenure. After seeing the billboards, calling the number, and learning about HomeVestors, he was immediately intrigued by the possibility of owning his own franchise and not being stuck in the corporate grind.

He was reading a lot about long-term wealth and real estate was a big part of that discussion, so building a rental portfolio became a goal. HomeVestors provided that as a possibility, and the national network, access to resources and funding, and guidance significantly derisked the opportunity.

Hotz started his first HomeVestors franchise in Cleveland. A few years later, his wife was offered an opportunity in Chicago, so he moved his franchise there and covered a wide territory in Northern Illinois. They decided to move to Columbus after their second son was born, as he was already commuting there for his commitment in the Army Reserves, and he’s been a franchisee there ever since.

HomeVestors Highlights

Hotz uses aspects of his military training almost every day. Maybe not the physical or the musical so much, but the deep mental and organizational principles that were ingrained in him over more than 20 years. The military instilled a strong sense of purpose, focus, and commitment in everything he does.

Also, it has helped him weather the cyclical and sometimes unexpected shifts in the housing market over the years, teaching him how to quickly pivot and find ways to be successful when the “tried and true” approaches of the past no longer apply. The military gives you grit and determination, above all else, and this allows for continuous action, which is important in any business.

The Marine Corps always taught him, “make the main point the main point,” and they were trained to hunt what that main point is. In business, it’s really easy to squirrel into activities that don’t really matter or impact the bottom line. But he’s found coming out of the military has given him a unique clarity to find the main point or the focus with the end goal in mind. Hotz has shifted his expectations of the business and varied the level of activity numerous times for various reasons, all to success.

Advice for Other Veterans

“I think franchise ownership is an ideal path for someone with a military background. In the military, we’re given a set of instructions and guidance, and are deeply trained to execute. And by that I mean, to understand the purpose and achieve the goal. Even with set-backs or roadblocks, we look at challenges differently and we know there is a path forward that we can figure out. The sense of grit and persistence in a military veteran is like no other, and I think for the often unclear, multi-option path of franchise ownership, those skills are at the forefront every day.”