A higher standard of lending.
Local expertise. Proven solutions. Loans built around you. Experience lending the Maryland way — with a Baltimore-based branch manager who closes the deals other lenders walk away from.
Baltimore-based, licensed in MD, we know the state-specific programs because we close them every week.
Real numbers. Real tradeoffs. No salesy script. We tell you when DPA isn't the right move.
First-time buyer, self-employed, jumbo, investor, move-up — we cover the full lender's toolbox.
Mike personally originates every file on his desk. No handoffs. You always know where you stand.
Pick the path that fits your situation.
Each of our specialized guides goes deep on one type of buyer. Land directly on the answers that matter to you.
Down Payment Assistance
Home Plus, Home In 5, Bowie CHAP, Annapolis SWHAP, Cottonwood CHP, plus Chenoa, Arrive, and Essex. The full MD DPA menu, explained simply.
Open the DPA guide →Buy Before You Sell
Bridge financing that removes the contingency from your offer. Buy your next home before your current one sells. Listing agents: this is the deal-saver.
See how BBYS works →Self-Employed Loans
Bank statement, 1099, and asset-qualifier paths. Qualify on what your business actually makes — not what your tax return shows after deductions.
Self-employed options →Jumbo & Doctor Loans
Full doc, alt doc, super jumbo, plus the Medical Professionals program — up to 100% LTV, no PMI, FICO 680, residents and fellows eligible 150 days pre-start.
Jumbo options →Investor & DSCR Loans
DSCR loans that finance below the 1.0 ratio floor most lenders quote. Short-term-rental and standard rental property options. Built for MD STR markets.
Investor loans →First-Time Home Buyer Loans
FHA, USDA, conventional with low down payment, and DPA-paired structures. Designed for the Maryland buyer with real-life income and credit, not perfect-paper applicants.
FTHB options →A Baltimore mortgage broker, not a call-center voice.
Mike Certo is the Branch Manager at Cornerstone First Mortgage's Baltimore office. He personally originates every loan on his desk and works directly with the buyer and the agent through closing. No junior LO running the file behind the scenes. No handoffs in the middle of escrow.
What you get when you work with Mike:
- Direct line. Real cell phone, real return calls within hours, not days.
- Real numbers. Honest math on which programs fit your scenario — including when DPA isn't the right move.
- Files that close. Mike specializes in the deals other lenders pass on: complex income docs, contingency removal, jumbo with student debt, investors at scale.
Common questions.
Why does MD Loan Experts have multiple websites?
Each lending niche has its own questions and audience. We built dedicated guides for down payment assistance, buy-before-you-sell, self-employed loans, jumbo, investor, and first-time-buyer paths so each set of buyers can land directly on the answers that matter to them. MD Loan Experts is the brand parent linking them all.
Are you actually local to Maryland?
Yes. Mike Certo runs the branch from Baltimore. We work with buyers and listing agents across Baltimore, Frederick, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Bowie, and surrounding areas. We follow Maryland's down payment assistance programs and county-level guidelines so qualifying buyers see every program they're eligible for.
What kind of borrowers do you typically work with?
First-time buyers using down payment assistance, self-employed borrowers who need bank-statement or 1099 loans, jumbo borrowers including doctors, investors using DSCR for rental properties, and move-up buyers who need bridge financing to remove the contingency from their offers. Roughly 70% consumer, 30% real-estate-agent referrals.
Do you work with real estate agents?
Yes — we close the deals other lenders walk away from. Listing agents bring us their CCBS files (contract contingent on buyer sale) so we can provide bridge financing that removes the contingency. Buyer agents bring us self-employed, complex-doc, or unusual-property files. Visit the For Agents page for the full referral playbook.
What's the fastest way to find out if you can help me?
Call (480) 296-6513 and ask for Mike. Or send your scenario through the contact form. We respond within one business day. Pre-approval typically takes 24-48 hours after credit + income docs are in.
Ready when you are.
Get pre-approved in 24-48 hours, or talk to Mike first to figure out which path fits.