Mike Certo · Branch Manager at Cornerstone First Mortgage
Twenty-three years of mortgage origination.
Mike Certo has originated residential mortgages since 2003 — through two housing booms, two crashes, and three rate cycles. He's worked retail, wholesale, broker, and direct lender shops. Today he's Branch Manager at Cornerstone First Mortgage, originating across Arizona and Nevada.
Why Nevada.
Nevada's mortgage landscape has structural advantages most originators don't fully use. Zero state income tax. Multiple down payment assistance programs that stack. A 3% annual property tax cap. The highest-in-US assumable mortgage rate (32.8%). The new Worker Advantage program ($20K for essential workers, no income cap). HIP for Heroes (below-market rate for first responders + healthcare). HIP for Teachers. City + county-specific DPA programs.
Mike's depth in Nevada-specific programs is what makes the difference. Most originators run one or two DPA programs. Mike is approved with all seven major Nevada DPA programs, plus the specialty paths — physician loan (Redwood Sequoia, broader credential acceptance than most), bank statement jumbo, foreign national, 1031 exchange financing, construction-to-permanent, HECM reverse mortgage.
How he works.
- Free 30-minute call before any commitment. You leave with a plan, not a pitch.
- Reachable on his cell. When an offer needs to go in tonight, you don't wait for a callback queue.
- No credit pull until you're ready.
- Honest tradeoff analysis. If your situation is better served by a different lender, Mike will tell you. If DPA isn't the right call for your numbers, Mike will tell you that too.
About Cornerstone First Mortgage.
Cornerstone First Mortgage, LLC (NMLS #173855) is a direct lender — not a broker, not a referral service. We originate, underwrite (in-house on the first mortgage), and close. We're approved as a participating lender for every Nevada DPA program listed on our sister site downpaymentassistancenevada.com.
Get in touch.
Phone: (480) 296-6513
Email: mcerto@cfmtg.com
Apply online: portal.myhometrac.com