Updated · Mike Certo, NMLS #260555
Georgia Mortgage Programs
Cornerstone First Mortgage originates mortgages in Atlanta, Savannah, Augusta, Columbus, and every Georgia county through Mike Certo and his team of seasoned loan officers licensed across all 159 counties. Below is the full menu of programs we run for Georgia buyers, each explained briefly with the key facts. For county income limits, purchase-price caps, FICO requirements, or to talk through your Georgia scenario, request more information below or call (480) 296-6513.
Georgia Down Payment Assistance
Designed for first-time and repeat Georgia buyers who need help with the down payment, closing costs, or both. Cornerstone is approved for both Georgia state-level DPA programs and the major national DPA options. We run the full menu — Georgia Dream programs (Standard / PEN / CHOICE) administered by the Georgia Housing and Finance Authority, plus the Atlanta Housing (AH) Homeownership Program for City of Atlanta buyers, plus national programs that work in Georgia (Chenoa Fund, Arrive Home, Essex/NHF).
- Georgia Dream Standard: Up to $10,000 deferred 0% second mortgage DPA. Pairs with FHA, VA, USDA, or Conventional first mortgage. Income and purchase-price limits by county.
- Georgia Dream PEN (Protectors, Educators, Nurses): Up to $12,500 deferred 0% DPA for eligible professions including law enforcement, firefighters, EMS, teachers, school staff, nurses, and other qualifying healthcare/public safety roles.
- Georgia Dream CHOICE: Up to $12,500 deferred 0% DPA for buyers with a disabled household member or buyers purchasing for a disabled family member.
- Atlanta Housing (AH) Homeownership Program: Down payment assistance for income-eligible buyers purchasing in the City of Atlanta. Administered by Atlanta Housing.
- National programs: Chenoa Fund (FHA-paired), Arrive Home (ITIN borrower path), Essex/NHF (multi-tier FHA/VA/USDA/conventional).
One DPA program per transaction. Specific eligibility (income limits by county, purchase-price caps, FICO thresholds, occupancy, FTHB status, profession for PEN, disability documentation for CHOICE) varies — request more information for your specific scenario.
Buy Before You Sell (BBYS)
Bridge financing for the move-up Georgia buyer who needs to buy their next home before their current one sells. In tight metro Atlanta submarkets like Alpharetta and Decatur, it removes the contingency Georgia listing agents call the deal-saver. Cornerstone's BBYS program lets the buyer write a clean offer, and we underwrite the bridge on the equity in the existing home plus the new purchase.
- Common Georgia scenario: a Contract Contingent on Buyer Sale (CCBS) where a Fulton or Cobb County seller won't take a contingent offer, so BBYS removes it.
- Process: we underwrite the bridge alongside your new Georgia purchase mortgage and close concurrently or near-concurrently.
- Audience: metro Atlanta and coastal Savannah move-up buyers, plus listing agents who want their CCBS deal to actually close.
Self-Employed Loans
For Georgia's contractors, gig workers, and small-business owners, tax returns underrepresent real income because of legal deductions, and standard underwriting punishes that. We run the alternative paths for self-employed buyers from Savannah to Athens: bank-statement loans (12 or 24 months), 1099 loans, and asset-qualifier loans that qualify on liquid assets.
- Bank statement loans: qualify a metro Atlanta business owner on 12 or 24 months of business bank deposits with expense-factor adjustments, not deposit gross.
- 1099 loans: for Georgia contractors, gig workers, real estate agents, and other 1099-only earners, qualified on documented 1099 income.
- Asset-qualifier loans: qualify on liquid assets (cash, brokerage, retirement) divided over an asset-utilization period, common for retired Savannah and Augusta buyers.
Jumbo & Medical Professionals
Loan amounts above the $832,750 conforming limit: full doc, alt doc, super jumbo (above $2M), plus the standout Medical Professionals program. Up to 100% LTV with no PMI for physicians and dentists at Emory Healthcare, Piedmont, Wellstar, and CHOA. Georgia has substantial jumbo markets in Atlanta's Buckhead, Druid Hills, and Sandy Springs plus coastal Savannah, and Medical Professionals is a frequent path for doctors across those systems.
- Medical Professionals eligible across Georgia hospital systems: MD, DO, DDS, DMD, DPM, DVM, PharmD, Ophthalmology MD/DO, Psychiatry MD/DO, CRNA with DNAP/DNP.
- For a Buckhead or Sandy Springs purchase: up to 100% LTV at $1.5M with FICO 680, 100% at $2M with FICO 720, 95% at $2M with FICO 680.
- Student loan exclusion: deferred and IBR student loans excluded from DTI for Emory and Augusta University residents and fellows on resident/fellow income.
Investor & DSCR Loans
For real estate investors buying Georgia rental property, from Savannah short-term rentals to Gwinnett County long-term holds. DSCR loans qualify on the property's rent, not your personal income. We finance below a 1.0 DSCR ratio, and those sub-1.0 programs sit on our investor menu. Short-term-rental products cover Georgia Airbnb and VRBO markets from the coast to metro Atlanta.
- DSCR loans: qualify a Georgia rental on its own rent versus its debt service, not your personal income.
- Below 1.0 DSCR: we finance sub-1.0 metro Atlanta and coastal Savannah deals, so request more information for your specific property.
- Short-term rental specific: Airbnb and VRBO DSCR products for Savannah and metro Atlanta rentals, underwritten on STR income.
First-Time Home Buyer Loans
FHA, USDA, conventional with low down payment, and Georgia Dream DPA-paired structures. Designed for the Georgia buyer with real-life income and credit, from Columbus to Macon, not a perfect-paper applicant. We pair the right first mortgage with the right Georgia Dream, Invest Atlanta, or national DPA program for your specific scenario. See how the first-time buyer path works in Georgia, from Georgia Dream eligibility to the attorney-state closing.
- FHA in Georgia: 3.5% down, 580+ FICO published with a 620+ practical overlay, paired with Georgia Dream's $10,000 second mortgage.
- USDA: zero down in USDA-eligible Georgia areas, with broad coverage outside the Atlanta metro core.
- Conventional 97: 3% down, 620+ FICO, and it pairs with Georgia Dream and Invest Atlanta assistance.
Not sure which program fits
Call (480) 296-6513 for a free consult, or send your scenario through the form below. Mike and his Georgia team review every file, from an Atlanta Dream purchase to a Savannah DSCR deal, and our team calls you back shortly: no commitment, no salesy follow-up, just an honest read on what's possible.