FHA loans
3.5% down with credit around 580 and up. The Boston-metro FHA limit is $962,550 and the Massachusetts floor is $541,287, so FHA reaches most local price points.
Cornerstone First Mortgage · Mike Certo NMLS #260555
Massachusetts home loans, from 3% down conventional and FHA to Boston and Cambridge jumbo lending.
Massachusetts-licensed lending from the Boston suburbs to the Berkshires. Straight numbers on low-down-payment FHA, VA, USDA, and conventional loans, the Boston-metro loan limits that are lower than most people think, and the deeds excise. A Cornerstone branch manager who works the file himself instead of handing it to a call center.
The Massachusetts programs Mike runs
Massachusetts is an expensive state, so the loan menu runs from low-down-payment options for first-time buyers up to high-balance and jumbo financing. Here is what Mike runs.
Conventional 97 (3% down)
Just 3% down with private mortgage insurance you can cancel once you reach 20% equity. A strong fit for first-time buyers with solid credit.
VA loans
Zero down for eligible veterans, active-duty service members, and surviving spouses, with no monthly mortgage insurance.
USDA loans
Zero down in USDA-eligible areas. Most of Massachusetts does not qualify, but some western and central rural towns do. Mike checks the map for your address.
High-balance & jumbo
Boston-metro conforming up to $962,550, island conforming to $1,249,125, and jumbo above that, for the high-priced eastern Massachusetts market.
Self-employed loans
Bank-statement and 1099 programs for business owners who write off income and do not fit a standard W2 file.
Investor & DSCR
DSCR loans that qualify on the rental's cash flow, including ratios below 1.0, for buy-and-hold investors.
Bridge financing
Buy before you sell. Bridge financing lets you close on the next home without waiting for your current one to sell first.
The 2026 Massachusetts Home Loan Guide
Every Massachusetts loan type compared by credit and down payment. Free.
Every Massachusetts loan type compared by credit and down payment. Free.
Why work with Mike
Most Massachusetts buyers who search for a low down payment 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 Massachusetts files himself, and he will tell you straight which path fits: a conventional 3% down loan when your credit is strong, FHA when it is still building, VA when you have earned it, a high-balance conforming loan when your Boston-metro price crosses the baseline. He closes these across Greater Boston, Worcester, and the western part of the state, and he knows the parts that trip Massachusetts buyers up, the seller-paid deeds excise, the island Land Bank fees, and the gap between the Boston-metro and island loan limits.
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.
Massachusetts home-loan FAQ
How can I buy a home in Massachusetts with little money down?
You have several low-down-payment loans. FHA needs 3.5% down, Conventional 97 needs 3% down with mortgage insurance you can cancel later, VA is 0% down for eligible veterans, and USDA is 0% down in the few Massachusetts areas that qualify. All of these let you use gift funds from family toward the down payment. Mike helps you pick the one that fits your credit and budget.
How much down payment do I need to buy in Massachusetts?
You have several low down payment options. FHA needs 3.5% down, Conventional 97 needs 3% down with mortgage insurance that cancels at 20% equity, VA is 0% down for eligible veterans, and USDA is 0% down in the few Massachusetts areas that qualify. All of them accept documented gift funds toward the down payment, so many buyers bring less to closing than they expect.
What is the conforming loan limit in the Boston area for 2026?
$962,550 in Suffolk, Middlesex, Norfolk, Essex, and Plymouth counties, for both conforming and FHA loans, which happen to match there. That is the high-cost figure for the Boston metro, and it is lower than the $1,249,125 many websites quote. Only Dukes and Nantucket counties reach that $1,249,125 ceiling. The rest of Massachusetts uses the $832,750 baseline.
Can Massachusetts towns charge a transfer fee on expensive home sales?
No, not today. A local-option transfer fee on high-value sales was proposed and then removed from the 2024 Affordable Homes Act. It survives only as pending legislation, so as of 2026 no Massachusetts town actually levies one. What sellers do pay is the state deeds excise, about $4.56 per $1,000, plus higher rates on Cape Cod and the islands.
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.