South Carolina mortgage lending, held to a higher standard.
South Carolina-licensed lending. Real numbers. Loans built around your scenario. Built from a Cornerstone branch — a branch manager who closes the complex files.
Program figures verified July 2026 — details change; confirm your scenario with us.
South Carolina-licensed lender team — we know the programs available to South Carolina borrowers.
Real numbers. No salesy script. We tell you when Down Payment Assistance (DPA) isn't the right move.
First-time buyer, self-employed, jumbo, investor, move-up — we cover the full lender's toolbox.
Mike and his team of seasoned loan officers handle every file directly. No handoffs. You always know where you are in the loan process.
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
SC Housing Homebuyer Program, Forgivable DPA, MCC, plus Chenoa, Arrive, and Essex. The full South Carolina DPA menu, explained simply.
See South Carolina DPA details →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 BBYS details →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.
See Self-Employed details →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.
See Jumbo / Doctor details →Investor & DSCR Loans
DSCR loans that finance below a 1.0 ratio — sub-1.0 programs are on our investor menu. Short-term-rental and standard rental property options. Built for SC STR markets.
See Investor / DSCR details →First-Time Home Buyer Loans
FHA, USDA, and Conventional 97 with low down payment, plus SC Housing DPA-paired structures. Designed for the South Carolina buyer with real-life income and credit, not perfect-paper applicants.
See First-Time Buyer details →A South Carolina-licensed loan officer, not a call-center voice.
Mike Certo is the Branch Manager at Cornerstone First Mortgage's Charleston office. He leads a team of seasoned South Carolina-licensed loan officers 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 complex deals: Complex income docs, contingency removal, jumbo with student debt, investors at scale.
Common questions.
Why does SC 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. SC Loan Experts is the brand parent linking them all.
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.
Do you work with real estate agents?
Yes — complex files are our specialty. 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.
Are property taxes really cheaper in South Carolina than up north?
Dramatically — a $400,000 legal residence runs roughly $2,300/year at SC's effective ~0.57% versus $8,900+ in New Jersey. The catch relocators miss: the low bill requires filing the 4% legal-residence application with your county assessor; until you do, you're billed at the 6% non-resident ratio.
Does South Carolina tax Social Security or retirement income?
Social Security is fully exempt from South Carolina income tax, military retirement is fully exempt, and other retirement income gets a deduction (larger at 65+; exact amounts per SC DOR's current guidance). For a purchase, that income still counts toward qualifying — often grossed up where it's non-taxable.
Ready when you are.
Get pre-approved in 24-48 hours, or talk to Mike first to figure out which path fits.