About Investor Loans Tennessee
We're the investor-lending arm of Mike Certo's team at Cornerstone First Mortgage: a direct lender, licensed in all 50 states, with 23 years of residential lending behind the desk.
Who we are
Investor Loans Tennessee is run by Mike Certo, Branch Manager at Cornerstone First Mortgage (NMLS #173855), and the team around him. Mike has originated residential mortgages for 23 years, through two rate cycles, one housing crash, and every flavor of investor market in between. He holds NMLS #260555, and Cornerstone lends as a direct lender in all 50 states and DC.
This site exists because investor lending is where generic mortgage advice fails hardest, and Tennessee proves the point. A deal here turns on things most loan officers never touch: whether the rent schedule carries the ratio, whether a rented duplex is quietly assessed at 40%, whether a Nashville STR permit survives the LLC you were about to deed it into, whether the franchise-and-excise tax applies to your out-of-state entity. We work those questions all week.
How we work
- Real numbers, no salesy script. We run the actual PITIA against realistic rent before you offer, and we'll tell you when a deal doesn't pencil.
- You always know where you are in the loan process. Communication is the thing our clients mention most, and we guard that reputation.
- Verified facts, dated. Every figure on this site traces to a source and carries its verification date. Tax and entity rules are framed as educational, with your CPA and a Tennessee attorney applying them to your facts.
- Direct lender. Underwriting, docs, and funding under one roof.
What we lend
DSCR purchases and refinances, investor cash-out, short-term-rental and cabin financing, bank-statement loans for the self-employed, foreign-national programs, and conventional investor loans, all across Tennessee. Start with the programs page, the DSCR guide, or just send us the deal.
Mike Certo · NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Educational content, not a loan commitment and not legal or tax advice. Tennessee franchise and excise tax, FONCE eligibility, property-tax classification, and city short-term-rental rules change and depend on your facts; confirm your situation with your CPA, a Tennessee attorney, and the city before you buy. Loans are subject to buyer and property qualification.