Kirk Chivas sold new construction homes in Wixom in 1994 — his first job out of high school, working the Hillsborough and Loon Lake Woods communities for a local builder. That is where he learned to talk to buyers, understand what they needed, and refer them to the mortgage professionals who could make it happen — including the team at Pioneer Mortgage that would eventually become his career. Ken Turkington's wife grew up in Walled Lake and attended Walled Lake Western. Ken's oldest daughter attended Walled Lake Western too. Both of Ken's daughters danced out of a studio in Walled Lake for years.
When we say we know this market — we mean it in the way that only comes from living it, not studying it. As an independent mortgage broker licensed in Michigan since 2007, we shop your loan across 20+ wholesale lenders to find the best rate available for your specific situation — with zero junk fees and complete transparency from day one.
Get Pre-Approved — It's FreeThree Communities. One Corridor. Deep Roots.
Wixom, Walled Lake, and Wolverine Lake sit in the northwest corner of Oakland County — connected by the I-96 corridor that gives residents some of the best freeway access in all of metro Detroit. You can be downtown in 30 minutes, at the airport in 20, or anywhere along the I-96/I-275 corridor in minutes. For families who want lake living, strong schools, and real-world accessibility — this pocket of Oakland County delivers something that is genuinely hard to find.
🏛 Wixom
Kirk's first professional home — literally. In 1994, fresh out of high school, Kirk was selling new construction in the Hillsborough and Loon Lake Woods communities for a local builder. He learned to read buyers, understand what they needed in a home, and connect them with the right mortgage professionals. Wixom is a family community with strong I-96 access, a mix of established and newer construction, and a character that has stayed consistent over decades.
Kirk's Origin Story🏊 Walled Lake
Ken Turkington's family is woven into this community. His wife grew up here and attended Walled Lake Western. His oldest daughter attended Walled Lake Western. Both of his daughters danced out of a studio in Walled Lake for years. Ken knows Walled Lake the way you only know a place when your family has roots there — the neighborhoods, the schools, the people, the feel of the community across different seasons of life.
Ken's Family Community⚓ Wolverine Lake
One of metro Detroit's best-kept secrets. Wolverine Lake is a small, private village built around an all-sports lake — great fishing, great boating, and a tight-knit community feel that comes from living on the water. Homes here are constantly being updated, renovated, or torn down and rebuilt from scratch. The combination of prime lake property and immediate I-96 access is something you simply cannot find in most of metro Detroit. When a home comes available here, it moves.
Prime Lake PropertyKirk's Origin Story — Wixom, 1994
— Kirk Chivas, Co-Founder, First Commerce Financial | NMLS #160828
My first job out of high school was selling new construction homes in Wixom. I worked the Hillsborough and Loon Lake Woods communities for a local builder — walking buyers through model homes, understanding what they were looking for, learning how to have real conversations with real people about one of the biggest decisions of their lives.
I was young. I did not know everything. But I learned fast — because when you are sitting across from a family trying to figure out whether they can afford to buy their first home, you figure out how to be genuinely helpful in a hurry. That is where my instinct for this business was formed.
The buyers I was working with needed mortgage financing. I started referring them to the team at Pioneer Mortgage — and those relationships eventually became my career. The road from selling new construction in Wixom in 1994 to co-founding First Commerce Financial in 2007 was not a straight line, but it started right there. I know these communities because I sold homes here when I was 18 years old. There is no substitute for that.
Ken's Story — Walled Lake Is Family
— Ken Turkington, Co-Founder, First Commerce Financial | NMLS #137873
My wife grew up in Walled Lake. She went to Walled Lake Western — one of the great high school programs in Oakland County. My oldest daughter went to Walled Lake Western too. Both of my daughters danced out of a studio in Walled Lake for years — which means I spent a lot of time in this community, at different stages of life, watching it from the inside rather than the outside.
I know what it means to raise a family in this area. I know the schools. I know the feel of the neighborhoods. I know what people value about living here and why they stay. When I work with a buyer or a homeowner in Walled Lake, I am not reading from a market report. I am speaking from experience — personal and professional — that goes back decades.
Wolverine Lake — The Metro Detroit Lake Community Most People Overlook
Wolverine Lake is a village of roughly 1,400 residents built around a private all-sports lake. Great fishing. Great boating. A genuine lake community feel in the middle of Oakland County. And freeway access that almost no other lake community in metro Detroit can match — I-96 is minutes away, connecting residents to downtown Detroit, Metro Airport, and the entire I-96/I-275 corridor with minimal effort.
Why Wolverine Lake Homes Move Fast
Wolverine Lake is a small village — there are only so many homes, and most of them sit on or near the water. When a property comes available, it attracts serious attention from buyers who know the market. Many homes here are being updated, renovated, or torn down and rebuilt entirely — which means buyers need lenders who can move quickly and finance a range of scenarios from standard purchases to construction-to-permanent loans on rebuild projects.
The combination of lake living, privacy, strong community character, and immediate I-96 access is genuinely rare in metro Detroit. Buyers who find it tend to stay — and buyers who are looking for it need a mortgage partner who can move as fast as the market does.
What Buyers in This Market Need to Know
Lake Property Financing Has Nuances
Waterfront and lake-access properties sometimes require additional review from lenders — particularly around property condition, insurance requirements, and comparable sales. As an independent broker with access to 20+ wholesale lenders, we find the lender whose guidelines best fit your specific property type and scenario. We have financed lake properties throughout Michigan and know where the land mines are before you step on them.
New Construction and Rebuild Financing
With the tear-down and rebuild activity in Wolverine Lake and the ongoing new construction inventory in Wixom, buyers in this market often need more than a standard purchase mortgage. Construction-to-permanent loans, extended rate locks, and builder-contract review are all part of what we bring to new construction transactions. Kirk sold new construction here in 1994 — he understands this market from both sides of the transaction.
The I-96 Corridor Advantage
One of the things that makes this pocket of Oakland County special is the freeway access. Wixom, Walled Lake, and Wolverine Lake all sit on or near the I-96 corridor — which means residents can reach downtown Detroit, Metro Airport, Ann Arbor, and the entire northwest Detroit metro quickly. That accessibility supports home values and makes the area attractive to buyers who want suburban and lake living without sacrificing connectivity.
Mortgage Programs for Wixom, Walled Lake & Wolverine Lake Buyers
Conventional Loans
The most common choice for Oakland County buyers with solid credit and standard down payments. Competitive wholesale rates across all price points in these communities.
Jumbo Loans
For higher-priced Wolverine Lake waterfront properties and premium Walled Lake homes above conventional loan limits. We work with multiple wholesale jumbo lenders.
FHA Loans
3.5% down for first-time buyers entering the Wixom or Walled Lake market. A strong option for buyers who want to get into a home without a large down payment.
VA Loans
Zero down payment for veterans and active-duty military. Michigan has a strong veteran population and we handle VA loans throughout Oakland County regularly.
Construction-to-Permanent
For the tear-down and rebuild market in Wolverine Lake and new construction in Wixom. One loan that covers construction and converts to a permanent mortgage at completion.
Refinance
Rate-and-term, cash-out, and no-closing-cost refinance options for existing homeowners in Wixom, Walled Lake, and Wolverine Lake. Join our Rate Watch System — free.
Why This Market Chooses First Commerce Financial
We Are Not From a Call Center
When you call or text First Commerce Financial, you reach Kirk or Ken directly. Not a junior loan officer. Not an assistant. Not a 1-800 number that routes you through a phone tree. The two people who built this company — one of whom sold homes in your neighborhood in 1994, and one whose family has roots in Walled Lake going back decades. That is direct access you will not get from a large retail lender or an online mortgage platform.
Wholesale Rates and Zero Junk Fees
As an independent mortgage broker, we shop your loan across 20+ wholesale lenders to find the lowest rate available for your specific situation. No processing fees, no administrative fees, no surprises at closing. What we quote on day one is what you pay — the way we have operated since 2007.
Local Knowledge That Is Actually Local
We are not a national platform that added Oakland County to a dropdown menu. Kirk sold new construction in Wixom at 18 years old. Ken's family is woven into the fabric of Walled Lake. When we work with buyers in this corridor we are drawing on decades of genuine local experience — not market data pulled from a database.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the housing market like in Wixom, Walled Lake, and Wolverine Lake right now?
Northwest Oakland County has remained a strong family market through multiple market cycles. The I-96 corridor access, the quality of the Walled Lake school district, and the lake communities in Wolverine Lake and Walled Lake itself continue to support demand. Wolverine Lake in particular tends to move quickly when properties come available given the limited inventory and strong desirability of lake property with freeway access. Call or text us for current market perspective — we watch this market closely.
Can you finance a tear-down and rebuild in Wolverine Lake?
Yes — construction-to-permanent financing is available and we have experience navigating it. The process involves a construction loan that covers the build period and then converts to a permanent mortgage at completion. Extended rate locks, draw schedules, and builder contract review are all part of the process. Call us early in the process — ideally before you have a signed construction contract — so we can structure the financing correctly from the start.
Is the Walled Lake school district a factor in home values?
Absolutely. The Walled Lake Consolidated School District — which includes Walled Lake Western, Walled Lake Central, and Walled Lake Northern — is consistently well-regarded and is a meaningful driver of demand in these communities. Families specifically relocate to this area for school district access and that sustained demand supports home values over time.
How quickly can you get me pre-approved for a home in this area?
In most cases same day or next business day. In a market like Wolverine Lake where inventory is limited and homes move fast, having a strong pre-approval in hand before you start seriously looking is important. We deliver fast, credible pre-approvals that sellers and their agents take seriously. Call or text Kirk or Ken directly at (248) 459-5511 and we will get started immediately.
Do you work with first-time buyers in Wixom and Walled Lake?
Absolutely — first-time buyers are a significant part of our Michigan business. Wixom in particular offers good entry-level inventory relative to other parts of Oakland County, and FHA financing with 3.5% down is a strong option for buyers who are ready to purchase but do not have a large down payment saved. We walk first-time buyers through every step of the process and make sure there are no surprises at the closing table.
Wondering why an independent broker beats a mortgage banker in this market?
In a competitive Oakland County market where deals move fast and financing needs to be bulletproof, the difference between a broker and a mortgage banker matters. We shop 20+ wholesale lenders on your behalf, disclose our compensation fully on your Loan Estimate, and charge zero junk fees. A mortgage banker works from one rate sheet with their margin built on top — and they are not required by law to disclose what they make on your loan. We are.
Mortgage Broker vs. Mortgage Banker — Who Is Transparent? →Looking for a Michigan mortgage broker who serves the whole state?
First Commerce Financial is licensed throughout Michigan — from Metro Detroit to Northern Michigan lake properties. Kirk and Ken have been working in the Michigan mortgage market since 1997.
Michigan Mortgage Broker — See All Markets We Serve →Ready to Buy or Refinance in Wixom, Walled Lake, or Wolverine Lake?
Talk directly with Kirk or Ken — two mortgage professionals with genuine roots in this exact market. Wholesale rates, zero junk fees, same-day pre-approvals, and direct access to the people responsible for your loan. No call centers. No junior loan officers. Just straight answers and real numbers.
Start Your Free Pre-ApprovalOr call or text us directly at (248) 459-5511
First Commerce Financial | Licensed Michigan Mortgage Broker | NMLS #137512 | Serving Wixom, Walled Lake, Wolverine Lake, and all of Oakland County, Michigan | Kirk Chivas NMLS #160828 | Ken Turkington NMLS #137873
