Your buyer's loan is falling apart? Send me the file.
I'm Tanner Cook, a loan officer with Cornerstone First Mortgage, LLC. When another lender denies your buyer, shrinks the approval or stops calling back, I take a fast second look and tell you straight whether the deal can be saved.
NMLS #2090424 · Cornerstone First Mortgage, LLC NMLS #173855
Many lenders handle a few buyer types well. These are the ones I'm built for.
A first lender's no is often about which guidelines that lender can use, not whether the buyer can afford the home.
Self-employed buyers
Qualify on 12 or 24 months of bank statements, a CPA-prepared P&L, or 1099s when write-offs make the tax returns look thin.
Just went 1099
When the company paying them documents no job-related business expenses, some programs skip the two-year self-employment wait.
ITIN buyers
Dedicated ITIN programs, including options without a traditional credit score, and a bilingual team (Spanish and Portuguese) for the whole loan.
Investors
DSCR loans qualify the property on its rent instead of the buyer’s income. First-time investors can be eligible.
Tight debt-to-income
Different guideline sets count income and debts differently. I recalculate the file from scratch instead of trusting the first lender’s math.
Credit bumps
FHA, VA and non-QM guidelines treat scores and past credit events differently, and some lenders add stricter rules of their own.
Non-warrantable condos
Projects that fail agency condo rules can sometimes be financed through non-QM programs.
Short on cash to close
Cornerstone has a dedicated team for down payment assistance programs, and many programs accept gift funds.
Veterans & buy-before-you-sell
VA loans for eligible veterans, plus programs for buyers who need to buy the next home before the current one sells.
Every program has its own eligibility rules, and not every buyer will qualify. See the common denial reasons.
The infrastructure behind the second look
Underwritten in-house
Cornerstone underwrites most loans with its own underwriters, so a hard file gets a real answer from the people making the decision, not a bank three states away.
No extra lender overlays
Some denials come from a lender’s own rules stacked on top of the guideline. Cornerstone underwrites to the agency or investor guideline as written.
25+ non-QM investors
As a delegated correspondent, Cornerstone works with more than 25 non-QM investors, so a complex file can be matched to the guideline that fits it instead of being forced through one rulebook.
A scenario desk
Complex files can be structured before they are submitted, so the answer is known before a buyer is tied up in a contract for weeks.
Approvals that are already underwritten
Buyers can be fully underwritten before they pick a home. That is a different thing from a pre-qualification letter, and it may help surface problems before you are under contract. The approval is still conditional.
The appraisal may come with you
An existing appraisal can sometimes be transferred to a new lender. It depends on the investor and on how it was ordered, so it gets checked on day one.
Three steps to a straight answer
- 1
Send me the scenario
Use the form, or call or text. Tell me what happened, how the buyer earns, and when you close.
- 2
I find the real reason
I ask for the denial notice or the open conditions, then recheck the income, debts, credit and property against the guidelines Cornerstone can underwrite to.
- 3
You get a straight answer
Either a plan (program, documents, realistic timeline) or an honest no with what would change it. No stringing you or your buyer along.
How long a saved file takes to close depends on the program, the appraisal and the documents, so you get a realistic timeline before anyone commits.
Tell me what happened. I'll call you back.
The form takes about a minute. If you're closing this week, call or text instead so nothing sits in an inbox.
Helpful to have handy
- The denial / adverse action notice, or the lender’s latest conditions list
- The pre-approval letter and the purchase contract with the closing date
- How the buyer earns (W-2, self-employed, 1099, rental, retirement)
- A rough idea of the buyer’s credit and any recent credit events
- The property type (single-family, condo, 2–4 unit) and whether an appraisal was done
What agents say
“Tanner is honestly the best loan officer I've worked with. His communication is always clear and timely and he makes the process smooth and stress-free for my buyers. I can always count on him, and I highly recommend him to anyone in need of a loan officer!”
Before you send the file
Will switching lenders delay the closing?
It can. A new lender has to take a new application, send new disclosures, and either transfer the appraisal or order a new one. That is why the first call matters: tell me the closing date up front and I will tell you honestly whether it is realistic, so you can talk to the buyer and the listing side about an extension early if one is needed.
Can you use the appraisal the first lender ordered?
Sometimes. Whether an appraisal can be transferred depends on the investor and on how it was ordered. Most transfer rules require that it came through an appraisal management company and that the original lender provides a transfer letter. I check this at the start so nobody counts on it by mistake.
What does it cost to send you a scenario?
Nothing. There is no cost to send a scenario or to talk it through. If the buyer moves forward, the loan’s normal costs are disclosed to them in writing like any mortgage.
Do I lose control of my client?
No. Your buyer stays your buyer. I work the loan, keep you posted as the file moves, and you know where it stands at each step.
What if the file really can’t be saved?
Then I say so quickly, explain why in plain English, and tell you and the buyer what would change the answer (paying down a debt, more time in business, a different property, or a co-borrower, for example). A fast honest no is better for everyone than a slow one.
Which states do you lend in?
I am licensed in Arizona, Michigan, Texas and Washington, so I can only take scenarios for properties in those four states. Cornerstone First Mortgage is licensed in many more; for other states, you can find a Cornerstone loan officer at cfmtg.com.
Not a commitment to lend. All loans are subject to credit approval, verification, appraisal and underwriting; not every file can be approved. Cornerstone First Mortgage, LLC NMLS #173855. Where we lend.