Michigan mortgage broker

You could say Sandra Snow opens doors for first-time home buyers. As founder of The Mortgage Store Inc., in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, 37-year-old Snow specializes in getting young people the mortgages they need. "It's a rewarding experience when you get somebody into their first home," she enthuses. "The young kids are so excited."

Snow is excited too - by the success of her residential mortgage brokerage and lending firm. Launched in 1994, The Mortgage Store nailed down an estimated $35 million in sales last year. This year, Snow says she's hoping to increase that figure to $50 million. With such an impressive track record, it's little wonder The Mortgage Store rates as the top woman-owned small business in our listing.

Not that Snow is the sort of mortgage broker who is overly influenced by numbers. Indeed, this entrepreneur insists that the foundation of her thriving company is her ability to connect with the some 600 clients she works with every year. "I personally get involved - it's not just a transaction to me," she says. "I would say relationship-building has been the total reason for my success."

This relationship-building often translates into getting to know not only The Mortgage Store's customers but those customers' families, as well. "It's wonderful," she says of the word-of-mouth business she gets. "I don't really have to go out anymore looking for [clients] - they're all referrals now."

Having started as a bank teller nearly 20 years ago, Snow happily acknowledges her longtime interest in the financing industry. "I've been in this type of work my whole life," she reflects, pointing to her banking background as well as a two-year period spent running another mortgage company prior to starting The Mortgage Store. Guess you could say Snow has found a home of her own.

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