About This Site and Who Runs It
Program and regulatory figures verified September 17, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
A lender's site about a California problem that is half financing and half property tax, and usually written about as if it were neither.
Why the site is shaped this way
Most writing about buying before selling comes from the real estate side and focuses on the offer. That is their expertise. What usually decides whether a California move-up buyer can act is the financing, and in this state it is tangled with Proposition 19 in a way that generic national advice does not capture at all.
A California owner who sells and rebuys without transferring a base year value can end up with a permanently higher payment than one who sequenced it differently. Since property tax is inside the payment we underwrite, that is not a tax footnote to us. It is the approval.
What we deliberately do not do
We do not advise on purchase contracts, contingencies or offer terms. We are lenders, not licensed real estate agents or attorneys. We also do not determine assessments or file Proposition 19 claims; your county assessor and your tax professional do that. If a page here ever reads like contract, legal or tax advice, that is a mistake and we want to hear about it.
How the figures are sourced
Proposition 19 provisions come from the Board of Equalization's own publication and the constitutional and statutory citations behind it. Lending rules come from the Fannie Mae Selling Guide with the section cited. Loan limits come from FHFA. Where a figure changes annually or sunsets, the page says so.
Reach us on the contact page, or start with the California guide.
Frequently asked questions
Are you a real estate agent?
No. Mike Certo is a mortgage loan originator, NMLS #260555, with Cornerstone First Mortgage, NMLS #173855. We finance the purchase; your agent represents you in it and handles the contract. Different licences, different jobs.
Can you tell me whether I qualify for Proposition 19?
No. Your county assessor determines eligibility and your tax professional helps you plan and claim it. What we do is take the outcome seriously when modelling your payment, because the property tax line sits inside the debt ratio that decides your approval.
Do you lend throughout California?
Yes, California statewide. Proposition 19 applies across the state, while loan limits are set by county and local rent regulation varies, so the specifics of your county matter.
Mike Certo · NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Educational content about financing, not a loan commitment and not legal, tax, or real estate advice. Proposition 19 eligibility, assessment practice, and landlord-tenant rules change and depend on your facts; your county assessor, your CPA or a California attorney, and your real estate agent each handle their own part. Loans are subject to borrower and property qualification.