About Investor Loans Missouri
We are 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 Missouri 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.
Missouri is a favorite state to lend in, because it gives an investor two strong markets in one, Kansas City and St. Louis, with different economies and different opportunities. But investor lending is still where generic mortgage advice fails hardest. A Missouri deal turns on things most loan officers never touch: whether a property sits on the Missouri or Kansas side of the Kansas City line, what the tax bill really is after the 19% assessment and the Jackson County reassessment fight, whether a St. Louis property falls under City or County occupancy rules, whether a series LLC under RSMo 347.186 fits the lender's box. 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 will tell you when a deal does not 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, from the 19% assessment rule to the Kansas City STR fees to the December 30, 2025 Jackson County appeals ruling. When a local rule needs confirming at the source, we say so instead of rounding to a comfortable answer.
- Direct lender. Underwriting, docs, and funding under one roof.
What we lend
DSCR purchases and refinances, investor cash-out, short-term-rental financing, bank statement loans for the self-employed, foreign-national programs, and conventional investor loans, all across Missouri. 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. City short-term-rental rules, tax figures, and the Jackson County reassessment litigation change; confirm current requirements with the county, your CPA, or a Missouri real estate attorney before you buy. Loans are subject to buyer and property qualification.