Mississippi down payment assistance · Cornerstone First Mortgage · NMLS #173855 Call Mike Certo · (480) 296-6513 · mcerto@cfmtg.com
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Talk to Someone Who Originates These Loans

Program and regulatory figures verified October 6, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.

By Mike Certo, Cornerstone First Mortgage · NMLS #260555 ·

The two things worth getting checked before you do anything else: which side of the line your address falls on, and which program your income actually allows.

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How to reach us

Call or text Mike at (480) 296-6513. Email mcerto@cfmtg.com. Either way you reach a person who originates these loans rather than a call centre.

What we will check for you

  • Your county's category. All-target, split, or non-target, and what that means for the first-time rule.
  • Your address, if the county is split. Thirty counties need this and MHC directs buyers to their lender for it.
  • Which income limit applies. Smart7's statewide $137,870, or your county figure by household size and target status.
  • Whether Smart7 or a bigger program is right. The arithmetic differs for every file.
  • HAT eligibility, if you teach. Your district's designation and the 1% own-funds requirement.
  • Trusty10 Plus 2's current status, if the extra $2,000 matters to you. MHC publishes it as funding-limited and we confirm rather than assume.

Why does the lender matter here?

Because MHC restricts it. Only an approved MHC participating lender can pre-qualify you or accept an application for an MHC product, and that same lender is who reserves the assistance with MHC once you are under contract.

It also means the lender is the one who checks target status on a specific address, which in thirty Mississippi counties is the question that decides your income limit.

What is useful to have ready?

Nothing formal for a first conversation. Your household income, roughly how many people are in the household, the county you are looking in, and whether you have owned a home in the past three years will get us to a real answer in one call.

If you teach, the district name. If you have served, that too, because the veteran exemption from the first-time rule is easy to miss.

Useful pages before you call

Mike Certo, NMLS #260555. Cornerstone First Mortgage, NMLS #173855. Equal Housing Lender. This is not a commitment to lend. Loans are subject to buyer and property qualification.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find an MHC participating lender?

MHC maintains the list, and only an approved participating lender can pre-qualify you or accept an application for an MHC product. Cornerstone First Mortgage originates in Mississippi. Mike Certo, NMLS #260555, can be reached at (480) 296-6513 or mcerto@cfmtg.com.

Who checks whether my address is in a target area?

Your lender. MHC's note on its own income-limits page directs buyers in the thirty split counties to check with their lender, because the target designation is drawn at a level finer than the county line. Only an approved MHC participating lender can run a specific address against it. Verified against MHC 2026-10-06.

What do I need before talking to a lender about Mississippi DPA?

Nothing formal. Your approximate household income, the number of people in the household, the county you are shopping in, and whether you have owned a home in the past three years is enough for a real answer. Mention it if you teach, since the teacher grant is district-specific, or if you are a veteran, since veterans are exempt from the first-time rule.

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.