Traveling the world while playing professional soccer? That’s awesome.

Couch surfing every time you come back to your hometown? Not awesome.

After graduating from Rockhurst University in 2017 where he completed a successful collegiate soccer career, Mitch went from Sweden to Iceland to Costa Rica and most places in between playing professionally. While most people dream of a life like his, Mitch’s dream was only 90 percent complete.

“I was always coming back home in between seasons or during tryouts, but I didn’t have my own home base,” Mitch says. “I wanted a place I could call my own and maybe rent out while I was away for months at a time.”

The challenge for Mitch was twofold. First, there were precious few houses on the market. And secondly, his unique and varied work history made it difficult to qualify for a mortgage at traditional, old-school banks.

“Finding the right place to call home was the hard part,” Mitch says. “I lost my first bid, which was a blow because I loved the house. But then that deal fell through so the sellers came back to us, and I was finally able to go under contract to buy it. The easy part was getting the loan by working with Lindsay at Fountain Mortgage. She walked me through it very simply and quickly. After struggling to get the right house, having the loan process go so smoothly was extra helpful.”

When Covid hit and the leagues were forced to stop, having a place to call home could not have come at a better time for Mitch.

“The peace of mind that I have knowing that I always have somewhere to go back to is invaluable,” Mitch says. “I’m here in KC working a regular office job for now until my next team picks me up. Coming home to my own place every night is the next best thing to playing right now.”