When you work with First Commerce Financial, you work directly with Kirk or Ken — not a call center, not a junior loan officer, not a processing queue. Every pre-approval, every rate quote, every question gets answered by one of the two people who built this company from scratch in 2007 and have been doing this work since 1997.
That is not how most mortgage companies work. It is exactly how we do.
Ken Turkington
Co-Founder & Mortgage Broker | NMLS# 137873
Ken Turkington has been in the mortgage business for over 30 years. Like Kirk, he started his career at Pioneer Mortgage in Novi, Michigan — where the two co-founders built their professional relationship and their shared philosophy about how a mortgage company should operate. In 2007 they founded First Commerce Financial together, and Ken has been one of its driving forces ever since.
Ken has lived in the Phoenix East Valley since 2019. He currently calls Gilbert, Arizona home — having previously spent two full years living in Tempe, where he still owns a rental property and where two of his daughters live. One of his daughters attended Arizona State University. Ken navigates the Arizona market as a full-time resident, a property owner, and an active mortgage professional. He has watched the Phoenix market grow, peak, and recalibrate in real time — from the perspective of someone living it every day.
When you call First Commerce Financial from Arizona, you are talking to Ken. He knows the East Valley market — Gilbert, Tempe, Chandler, Scottsdale — from the inside, not from a licensing exam. He answers his own phone, runs his own pre-approvals, and stays personally involved in every Arizona file he handles.
Kirk Chivas
Co-Founder & Mortgage Broker | NMLS# 160828
Kirk Chivas has been in the mortgage business since the mid-1990s. In 1997 he began working with Ken Turkington at Pioneer Mortgage in Novi, Michigan — where together they helped build the company into Michigan's second largest mortgage lender, recognized on the Inc. 500 list in both 1999 and 2002. In 2007, Kirk and Ken founded First Commerce Financial with a simple mission: treat people the way they would want to be treated, charge zero junk fees, and always fight for the best rate available.
Kirk currently splits his time between New Hudson, Michigan and Jacksonville, Florida. He built a townhome in Lakewood Ranch in 2016, moved his family there full-time in 2017, and lived in the Sarasota/Bradenton market for six years before relocating to Jacksonville in 2025. His daughter is enrolled in PA school at Nova Southeastern University in Jacksonville. Kirk has boots on the ground in both Southwest and Northeast Florida every month — and has been a Michigan resident for his entire career.
When you call First Commerce Financial from Michigan, Florida, or Texas, you are talking to Kirk. He answers his own phone, runs his own pre-approvals, and stays personally involved in every file he handles from application through closing.
The Story Behind First Commerce Financial
Most mortgage companies are built around a product, a rate, or a marketing campaign. First Commerce Financial was built around a relationship — and a shared conviction that the mortgage industry needed to do better by its clients.
Kirk and Ken Start Working Together at Pioneer Mortgage — Novi, MI
Two mortgage professionals meet at one of Michigan's most ambitious mortgage companies and discover they share the same philosophy: put the client first, be completely transparent about costs, and do not charge fees that do not add value.
Pioneer Mortgage Makes the Inc. 500 — Michigan's 2nd Largest Mortgage Lender
Kirk and Ken help build Pioneer Mortgage into one of Michigan's most recognized mortgage companies, earning its first Inc. 500 recognition and establishing the systems and standards that would later define First Commerce Financial.
Pioneer Mortgage Makes the Inc. 500 Again
Back-to-back Inc. 500 recognition confirms Pioneer Mortgage's position as Michigan's fastest-growing mortgage company. Kirk and Ken's combined experience deepens across every loan type, market condition, and borrower scenario imaginable.
Kirk and Ken Found First Commerce Financial
After a decade building one of Michigan's largest mortgage companies for someone else, Kirk and Ken build their own — on their own terms. Zero junk fees. Wholesale rates. Direct access to the founders on every file. No exceptions.
First Commerce Financial Expands to Florida
Kirk builds a townhome in Lakewood Ranch, establishing genuine roots in the Florida market. He moves his family there full-time in 2017 and spends six years serving buyers across the Sarasota/Bradenton corridor.
Ken Relocates to Gilbert, Arizona
Ken moves to the Phoenix East Valley, spending two years in Tempe before settling in Gilbert. He purchases a rental property in Tempe, where two of his daughters live. First Commerce Financial's Arizona presence becomes genuinely local.
Kirk Relocates to Jacksonville, FL — Building Northeast Florida Presence
Kirk splits his time between New Hudson, Michigan and Jacksonville, Florida — actively growing First Commerce Financial's Northeast Florida presence in St. Johns County, Ponte Vedra, and the greater Jacksonville market.
What We Believe
💰 Zero Junk Fees — Always
No processing fees. No administrative fees. No application fees. No charges that exist solely to increase our profit margin. What we quote on day one is what you pay at closing. This is non-negotiable and has been our policy since 2007.
📊 Wholesale Rates — Not Retail Markup
As independent brokers, we shop dozens of wholesale lenders to find the best rate available for your situation. We are not tied to one lender's rate sheet. We work for you — not for a bank.
📞 You Talk to Kirk or Ken — Not a Call Center
Every pre-approval, every rate quote, every question gets answered by one of the two people who built this company. We do not pass clients to processors or junior staff. You get our personal involvement from application to close.
🏠 We Live in the Markets We Serve
Ken lives in Gilbert, AZ and owns property in Tempe. Kirk lives in New Hudson, MI and Jacksonville, FL. We are not remote licensees — we are full-time residents who navigate these markets the same way our clients do.
🔍 Complete Transparency on Costs
We walk every client through every line item of their Loan Estimate. We explain every cost clearly and flag anything that is discretionary. No surprises at the closing table — ever.
✅ We Handle Complex Deals
Self-employed borrowers. Non-QM scenarios. Investment properties. Jumbo loans. VA loans. Deals that other lenders turn away. Our 60+ combined years means we have seen — and closed — nearly every scenario that exists.
Markets We Serve
Ready to Work With Ken or Kirk Directly?
No call centers. No runaround. Just two experienced mortgage professionals who have been doing this since 1997 and have never charged a junk fee in their careers. Get pre-approved today — it is free, fast, and you will talk to someone who actually knows what they are doing.
Start Your Free Pre-Approval →Or call or text us directly at (248) 459-5511 · NMLS #137512
First Commerce Financial | NMLS #137512 | AZ MB #1001354 | Ken Turkington NMLS #137873 | Kirk Chivas NMLS #160828 | Licensed in Michigan, Florida, Arizona, and Texas | Equal Housing Opportunity
