About Investor Loans Alabama
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 Alabama 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.
Alabama is a favorite state to lend in, because the lowest property tax in the nation gives an investor the cleanest DSCR math anywhere, and the state offers two very different markets in Birmingham and Huntsville. But investor lending is still where generic mortgage advice fails hardest. An Alabama deal turns on things most loan officers never touch: whether a rental is assessed at Class II 20% or Class III 10% under Ala. Code § 40-8-1, what the county millage really is, whether a Birmingham short-term rental is even legal under the city's pending ordinance, and how to use Alabama's series LLC (Ala. Code § 10A-5A, Article 11) to hold a multi-property portfolio. 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 Class II assessment rule to the Huntsville build-to-rent ranking to the Gulf Coast lodging taxes. 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 Alabama. 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, county millage, and tax figures change; confirm current requirements with the county, your CPA, or an Alabama real estate attorney before you buy. Loans are subject to buyer and property qualification.