The Arizona mortgage banker who actually understands self-employed income.
A large part of our work involves helping self-employed Arizona borrowers qualify when traditional banks have already said no. Business owners, contractors, investors, and high-income borrowers often look far weaker on paper than they actually are. This site exists to solve that problem.
Local Arizona guidance, backed by a national mortgage platform.
Mike Certo runs the Phoenix branch of Cornerstone First Mortgage, a full-service mortgage bank lending in 49 states. Because processing, underwriting, and funding are handled in-house, borrowers typically get faster communication and more direct accountability throughout the process.
Why we built this site
Traditional banks are built around clean W-2 income. Self-employed borrowers often reduce taxable income legally through deductions, business expenses, and reinvestment — which can make strong borrowers look weak on paper.
The alternative mortgage market solved this years ago. The challenge is finding a loan officer who actually understands how to structure it correctly.
Why this approach works better for self-employed borrowers
Instead of forcing every borrower into one rigid underwriting model, we work with multiple specialized lending partners that evaluate income differently depending on the situation. That flexibility matters for business owners, contractors, investors, and borrowers with complex income structures.
A bit about Mike
Mike Certo has spent more than two decades helping borrowers navigate difficult financing situations across Arizona and beyond. A large portion of that work involves self-employed borrowers whose real financial picture doesn't fit traditional bank underwriting.
His approach is straightforward: clear communication, practical strategy, and honest answers about what's realistic. No script, no salesy follow-up, no pretending a file fits when it doesn't.
What we won't do
- Push you into the wrong product because it's the easiest one for us to close.
- Push you into refinancing back to us later. If a different lender is better at that time, use them.
- Surprise-quote you with a rate that bears no relationship to what actually funds.
- Pretend a file works when it doesn't. If you're not ready yet, we'll tell you what would change that.
Stop fighting your tax return.
Send your real numbers — deposits, profit-and-loss, 1099 income, or assets. We'll tell you which qualifying approach may fit best based on how your income actually works.