The Phoenix mortgage lender who actually finances portfolios.
Mike Certo runs the Phoenix branch of Cornerstone First Mortgage. A meaningful share of what we do here is help Arizona real-estate investors scale, through the conventional 10-property cap, into DSCR territory, and into short-term rental and portfolio programs that most retail mortgage desks can't reach.
What we're built for
Conventional financing runs out at property #10, and that's exactly where scaling investors need momentum, not a stalled file. They need a financing partner who routinely does DSCR, portfolio, and short-term-rental work, and can transition them between conventional and non-agency lanes without losing momentum.
Who we are
Cornerstone First Mortgage, LLC is a full-service mortgage lender headquartered in San Diego, CA, lending in 49 states + Puerto Rico under NMLS #173855. The Arizona Investor Loans desk is run from Mike Certo's Phoenix branch.
What we do daily
- Conventional investor financing through Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac (properties 1-10).
- DSCR loans across 1-4 unit and select 5-10 unit properties.
- Short-term rental financing for Airbnb / Vrbo properties, both long-term-rent and STR-history underwriting paths.
- Cash-out refinances structured for portfolio recycling (buy-rehab-rent-refinance-repeat investors).
- Portfolio and blanket loans for investors past the conventional 10-property cap.
- Bank Statement Investor loans for self-employed borrowers needing personal-income qualifying on investor properties.
What we won't do
- Push you onto DSCR when conventional pricing is sharper for your file.
- Quote a rate we know won't fund.
- Pretend a property's STR income will work when the city has a clear ordinance against it.
Talk to someone who's done this at portfolio scale.
20-minute call. Bring your existing portfolio + target property and we'll model the cleanest path.
How lenders are actually told to treat rental income
Agency rules set the floor even on a DSCR loan. Fannie Mae renumbered its rental-income requirements in Announcement SEL-2026-08, moving the guidance from B3-3.1-08 to B3-3.8-01, mandatory for applications taken on or after November 1, 2026. Freddie Mac carries its own treatment in the Seller/Servicer Guide. On a true DSCR program the ratio replaces personal income entirely, but the appraiser’s rent schedule or the signed lease still sets the income figure, not a listing price. Arizona adds its own layer: assessment and the statutory foreclosure process sit in A.R.S. Title 33, with valuation administered by the Arizona Department of Revenue.