Minnesota Housing recognizes Sarah Zahler and Matt O’Brien as a Top Producer
Plymouth, Minn. — Sarah Zahler and Matt O'Brien at Summit Mortgage Corporation were named Top Producers by Minnesota Housing for their homeownership program loan production volume during 2025. More
Buying a home as a Self-Employed Borrower: What Lenders Look For
If you’re self-employed, you already know the tradeoff: more freedom, but less predictability. This is especially true on paper, and when it comes to securing financing for a home purchase, lenders tend to focus heavily on consistency and documentation. That doesn’t mean buying a home is out ... More
How buying a home impacts your net worth
When you think of buying a home, the first thing that comes to mind might be debt. After all, a mortgage is the largest financial obligation that most people will ever take on. The often overlooked part, however, is that buying a home doesn’t just add debt to your ... More
Stacking Strategies: Combining Down Payment Assistance + Seller Credits
Many first-time homebuyers are already used to making a significant monthly rent payment. So, it’s not usually the monthly mortgage payment that stands as a barrier to homeownership. More often, it’s the significant amount of upfront cash needed to cover a down payment and the closing costs on ... More
Summit Perspectives: Spring 2026 Housing Market Update
As the snow continues to melt and the sunshine lasts through your evening commute, another natural cycle begins to shift - the Spring housing market. Balancing affordability pressures, rising inventory, and renewed buyer interest, the Spring 2026 housing market is primed for launch after several years of elevated mortgage rates ... More
Getting to know ESCROW
If you’re a current homeowner or in the process of buying a home, you’ve probably heard the word “escrow”. It’s one of those mortgage terms that gets used often but isn’t always clearly explained. So, let’s break it down. More
PMI: The Not-So-Secret Cost of Putting Less Down
Saving for a down payment is one of the biggest hurdles to buying a home. For many buyers (especially first-time buyers), coming up with 20% upfront just isn’t realistic. The good news? You don’t always need to put that much down to buy a home. The catch? You may ... More
Getting The Lay of The Land Trusts
If you’ve been keeping an eye on the housing market, you’ve probably noticed one thing: buying a home feels harder than it used to. Rising prices, limited inventory, and growing competition have pushed homeownership out of reach for many would-be buyers. That’s where community land trusts come ... More
Preparing For a Home Sale or Purchase in Winter
Winter may not be the first season that comes to mind when you think about buying or selling a home, but for many homeowners and buyers, it can be one of the smartest times to make a move. At Summit Mortgage, we work with clients year-round and see firsthand ... More