MHDC First Place
4% of the loan amount toward your down payment, as a forgivable second cleared over ten years. For first-time buyers, 640 credit, with county income and price limits.
Cornerstone First Mortgage · Mike Certo NMLS #260555
Missouri home loans, from MHDC's 4% forgivable down payment help to Kansas City and St. Louis, in a state with no transfer tax.
Missouri-licensed lending from the Kansas City suburbs to the Ozarks. Straight numbers on MHDC's First Place and Next Step assistance, the mortgage credit certificate, USDA across rural Missouri, and the transfer tax that Missouri does not have. A Cornerstone branch manager who works the file himself instead of handing it to a call center.
The Missouri programs Mike runs
MHDC, the Missouri Housing Development Commission, anchors the first-time and assistance side. Around it sit the standard loan types and a few niche paths. Here is the menu.
MHDC Next Step
The same 4% forgivable assistance at higher income limits, with its first mortgage open to repeat buyers too; confirm assistance eligibility with MHDC. The path when First Place income limits are too low.
MHDC Mortgage Credit Certificate
A federal income-tax credit on your mortgage interest, for the life of the loan, worth up to $2,000 a year. Pairs with an MHDC loan.
FHA, VA & USDA
FHA from 3.5% down, VA at zero down for veterans, and USDA at zero down across rural Missouri and the Ozarks. Each pairs with MHDC.
Jumbo & self-employed
Above the $832,750 conforming limit, plus bank-statement and 1099 loans for business owners whose tax returns understate their income.
Investor & bridge
DSCR loans for rentals, including ratios below 1.0, and bridge financing so you can buy the next home before selling the current one.
The 2026 Missouri Home Loan Guide
Every Missouri loan type compared by credit and down payment. Free.
Every Missouri loan type compared by credit and down payment. Free.
Why work with Mike
Most Missouri buyers who search for MHDC help land on a national aggregator that sells the lead three times before anyone calls back. That is not us. Mike Certo is a branch manager with Cornerstone First Mortgage who works Missouri files himself, and he will tell you straight which path fits: First Place when you are a first-time buyer who needs the down payment, Next Step when your income runs above the First Place limit, a plain conventional or FHA when MHDC adds nothing. He closes these across metro Kansas City, St. Louis, and the Ozarks, and he knows the parts that trip Missouri buyers up, the fact that there is no transfer tax to budget for, the affordable prices that still need the right loan, and where USDA reaches out in the rural counties.
Complex files are the specialty
Self-employed income, jumbo with student debt, DSCR investor loans below a 1.0 ratio, buy-before-you-sell bridge financing, doctors still in residency. These are the files that stall at a call-center lender and close with Mike. If your situation has a wrinkle, that is the reason to call, not a reason to wait.
Missouri home-loan FAQ
What is MHDC's down payment assistance, and how does it work?
MHDC gives 4% of your loan amount toward the down payment and closing costs, through its First Place program for first-time buyers and Next Step for higher-income and repeat buyers. It is a forgivable second loan, not a grant. Forgiveness begins after five years and finishes at ten, so stay ten years and you owe nothing; leave earlier and you repay the unforgiven part. You need a 640 credit score, 660 on a manufactured home.
Does Missouri have a real estate transfer tax?
No. Missouri is one of a handful of states that constitutionally bans transfer taxes. A 2010 amendment to the state constitution prevents the state and any county or city from taxing the sale or transfer of a home. So at a Missouri closing you pay recording fees, but no transfer or deed-stamp tax, which saves what would be hundreds or thousands in many other states.
What is the difference between First Place and Next Step?
The assistance is the same: both give a 4% forgivable second and require a 640 credit score. The difference is who qualifies. First Place is for first-time buyers and has lower income limits. Next Step carries higher income limits, and its first mortgage serves repeat buyers as well, so it fits people who earn too much for First Place. Confirm current Next Step assistance eligibility with MHDC. Mike matches you to whichever one your income and history allow.
Is much of Missouri eligible for a zero-down USDA loan?
Yes. Outside the Kansas City and St. Louis metro cores, much of Missouri qualifies, including the Ozarks and the northern and southern farm counties. USDA asks for no down payment. Eligibility is address-specific and income-capped near $122,800 for a one-to-four-person household in most counties as of 2026, so confirm your address at USDA's tool.
What is 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. Our team calls you back shortly. Pre-approval typically takes 24 to 48 hours once your credit and income documents are in.