Getting to 8% of the U.S. mortgage market has been a long time in the making–a virtual overnight success after almost four decades of hard work by tens of thousands of truly special credit union staffers.

And like many others, I imagine the obvious reply is we will blow though 10% and upward. But while we bask in that outcome, we need to be careful. Like so many of the pro sports teams so many of us follow, we need to reflect on the phrase "grasping defeat out of the jaws of victory."

We have to really assess where we are and where we want to be. I believe it's no coincidence that credit unions reaching 8% market share and crossing the $1 trillion asset level happened simultaneously. Our competitors have long known the benefit of cross selling the same kind of portfolio of financial service products that most all of us our leading credit union mortgage lenders offer. Now is when this model will be tested.