Scott Borschke (Supreme Lending)

Scott Borschke is a Mortgage Loan Originator for Supreme Lending.

Raised in the suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Borschke eventually left the Twin Cities and enrolled at St. Cloud State University, his intent being to graduate from the college’s renowned business school.

But like many freshmen, Borschke spent more time socializing than studying for exams.

“My grades ultimately suffered. Then wasn’t the right time for me to be pursuing higher education,” Borschke admits.

Following his departure from university, Borschke returned to the Twin Cities and moved into a townhome with some friends.

His employment prospects far from glittering, Borschke paid his rent by working odd jobs, one of which included delivering pizzas.

An amiable number-cruncher, Borschke enjoyed interacting with customers and counting his tips after handing off two-toppings to chain pizza enthusiasts, but he also knew that there was more he wanted to accomplish on a professional level.

“I’ve always been interested in numbers and people,” Borschke says, two traits that coincided well with the booming American housing market that existed pre-Great Recession, which helps explain how Borschke soon ended up as a Mortgage Loan Officer for Supreme Lending.

“They [Supreme Lending] offered me a small salary, with an opportunity for commission,” Borschke recalls of his arrival into the industry.

It helped that Borschke didn’t have a wife or children to support back then, in turn giving him ample time to develop a skillset and learn the nuances of a job that many others would shy away from embracing because of the lack of guaranteed income.

“For various reasons, many of which are completely valid, people are afraid to step out of their comfort zone, but sometimes when you step out you realize there is a lot more flexibility and options available in the marketplace,” Borschke says.

Today, Borschke is in his fifteenth year with Supreme Lending, and he credits the company with molding him into the highly sought-after loan originator that he is today.

In its simplest form, loan originators help current and prospective homeowners secure financing.

“I’m the person at the beginning of the process for someone who wants to attain a mortgage loan, whether it is for a home purchase, to acquire a new residence, or to refinance an existing mortgage loan,” Borschke explains.

But that’s not all mortgage loan originators do.

Borschke says much of his job also revolves around working with people from various socioeconomic levels to find the best fit for their buying needs, even if a prospective client isn’t yet financially ready to purchase a home.

“Another thing I do is create a plan to get people where they want to be, so even if their credit score is a little low today, we have some great simulators that work directly through the credit bureaus in order to generate a plan to get people where they want to go,” he mentions.

In addition to trying to elevate credit scores, Borschke also calculates how much extra income a client would need to make to qualify for the type of home they’re seeking.  

“People would be surprised to learn how much even a $2 raise can help in terms of securing a mortgage,” Borschke says, then noting how his experience differentiates him from other mortgage loan originators.

“Because I’ve worked in this industry for fifteen years, I have a lot of knowledge that many other loan originators might not have.”

While Borschke has a lengthy history of working with all types of homeowners, he specializes in assisting first-time homebuyers, because unlike some loan originators who elect to only pursue high-ticket deals, Borschke has no qualms about helping a new homebuyer who may feel overwhelmed with the entire process.

“In my industry, we’re paid on volume, and while I can certainly see the appeal to chasing those bigger price tags, my goal each day is simply to do the best job that I can for my clients, and I know that by doing that, the money will follow,” Borschke details.

“So to me, whether you are buying a $200,000 or a $500,000 house, I’m going to treat you the same way because I know how important the homebuying process is to each individual customer.”

For context, when Borschke works with a homebuyer, his primary goal is to educate so that the client feels comfortable at every step of the mortgage process, and while many loan originators claim to prioritize their customers’ needs, Borschke says that doesn’t always happen.  

“I hear all the time how other loan officers didn’t take the time to explain things to the same level of detail that I do,” he shares.

Of course, Borschke’s strategy behind educating homebuyers is to cultivate trust and build a relationship, but many loan originators won’t go to the same extent for clients who aren’t pursuing a highly listed property.

“It would be very easy for me to call somebody back or send them a text and say that due to their financial situation, now isn’t a good time to make things work, but my philosophy is I want to figure out how we can make things work. That’s the essence of what I do,” Borschke emphasizes, before going on to mention that despite the current economy’s uncertain future, there are still programs available to help homebuyers get into homes for as little as a $1,000 down payment.

That being said, there are many potential homeowners who are reluctant to commit to purchasing real estate, especially as today’s economy continues to show similarities to the dreadful market from 2007-2008.

Borschke understands why people are concerned, but he’s also quick to point out that there have been many protective measures put in place to help avoid the problems of yesteryear.

Most notably, gone is the practice of predatory lenders pushing adjustable mortgage rates onto unsuspecting customers who later were forced to foreclose on their home due to the exorbitant monthly increase in payments.

“I have talked to many people who back then didn’t even know they had an adjustable rate on their mortgage, but now people are more aware of the type of loans they’re signing for, and loan originators are more diligent in verifying how much money people are making,” Borschke says.

“Those are all factors that are not going to be in place today when we start to analyze the changing markets.”

As for Borschke, he’s comfortable in his role with Supreme Lending, so much so that he can’t fathom walking away from a profession that allows him to impact lives on a daily basis.

“There are many reasons why I have been a mortgage loan originator for fifteen years. Obviously, I love numbers and people, but there really are not too many things I feel better about than creating homeownership for families who may otherwise not have gotten it if they worked with someone else,” he says.

“I’m talking about a family of four, where the husband may only make $20 an hour, but I can still help get them into a home that affords them a sustainable way of life. Again, there just isn’t a better feeling than doing that for someone else.” QS

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