Who Writes This and How It Is Verified
Program and regulatory figures verified October 6, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
A lender's site about a state agency's programs, which means the accuracy standard has to be higher than the usual.
Who writes this?
Mike Certo, NMLS #260555, Branch Manager at Cornerstone First Mortgage, NMLS #173855. We originate loans in Mississippi, including MHC products, which is why this site describes programs rather than recommending agents or interpreting contracts.
Reach Mike directly at (480) 296-6513 or mcerto@cfmtg.com.
How are the figures verified?
Three independent checks on everything that appears here.
Cross-source. Every program dollar figure was taken from MHC's live program pages and then independently confirmed against MHC's own Homebuyer Guide, a 32-page PDF. Both sources agreed exactly on all of them: $7,000, $8,000, $10,000, $6,000, $137,870, $413,610, the 2% rate and the 15-year term.
Arithmetic. Every one of the 82 county rows had its three-or-more-in-family figure checked against its one-or-two figure. All 82 land on the standard bond uplift. Zero anomalies.
Range. We checked the span of county figures, which is how we can state that Smart7's $137,870 beats the highest county limit in Mississippi rather than merely asserting it.
★ Why this site is dated so carefully
Because MHC's own site is hard to read for the systems people increasingly ask. We checked it: mshomecorp.com returns a rate-limit response to GPTBot and ClaudeBot on effectively every program page, and the Mississippi Department of Education's site refuses all requests.
So when someone asks an AI assistant about Smart7 or Trusty10, the assistant cannot read the source. Whatever it answers comes from somewhere downstream. That puts an unusual obligation on a page like this one, and it is why every figure here carries a verification date rather than an implied permanence.
What we will not do
- Quote rates. MHC sets and quotes its rates weekly and we do not publish them. Trusty10's 2% appears because MHC publishes it as a fixed program term for a state second lien, not as a rate we are offering.
- Print payment figures. Payments depend on rates. We show them on your file instead.
- Invent a figure to fill a gap. Where MHC has not published something, such as a minimum credit score across products, this site says so rather than guessing.
- Advise outside our lane. We are lenders. Purchase-contract mechanics, agent selection, legal interpretation of a divorce decree and tax questions are not ours to answer.
Found something wrong?
Tell us and we will fix it with a dated correction. MHC changes its limits and its programs, and the Trusty10 Plus 2 situation, where MHC's own guide is behind its website, shows how easily a source can drift.
Email mcerto@cfmtg.com. A dated correction is more useful to everyone than a page that pretends to be permanent.
Compliance
Cornerstone First Mortgage, NMLS #173855. Equal Housing Lender. This is not a commitment to lend. Loans are subject to buyer and property qualification. MHC program terms, income limits and purchase price limits are set by the Mississippi Home Corporation and change.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Mike Certo?
A Branch Manager at Cornerstone First Mortgage, NMLS #173855, holding NMLS #260555. He originates loans in Mississippi, including Mississippi Home Corporation products, and writes the program explanations on this site. He can be reached at (480) 296-6513 or mcerto@cfmtg.com.How are the figures on this site verified?
Three ways. Every program figure was taken from MHC's live pages and independently confirmed against MHC's own 32-page Homebuyer Guide, with both sources agreeing exactly. All 82 county income rows were arithmetic-checked against the standard bond uplift, with zero anomalies. And the range was checked, which is how the claim that Smart7's limit beats every county in the state can be stated as fact. Verified 2026-10-06.Why doesn't this site publish interest rates?
Because MHC sets and quotes its bond rates weekly, so any published figure would be stale, and because quoting rates is regulated. Trusty10's 2% appears here only because MHC publishes it as a fixed program term for its second lien rather than as a market rate. For a current quote, call (480) 296-6513.Mike Certo · NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Educational content about financing, not a loan commitment and not tax or legal guidance. MHC program terms, income limits and purchase price limits are set by the Mississippi Home Corporation and change; figures here carry the date we verified them against MHC's published pages and its Homebuyer Guide. Smart7 and Easy8 are 0% second mortgages with no monthly payment, deferred until sale, refinance, loss of owner-occupancy or payoff of the first mortgage. Trusty10 is a 15-year second at a 2% rate set by MHC and does carry a monthly payment. Housing Assistance for Teachers is Mississippi Department of Education grant money forgiven on completion of three years' service in a district the Department designates as critical-shortage. Loans are subject to borrower and property qualification.