Limits & Costs
2026 FHA Loan Limits: How High Can You Go in Your County?
FHA loan limits rose for 2026, with a floor of $541,287 and a ceiling of $1,249,125. Here's how to find your limit and why it matters.
December 12, 2025 · 6 min read
FHA Guides
The rules behind every FHA decision.
Deep-dive guides on the topics that decide whether an FHA file closes — appraisals, condo approval, 203(k) rehab, credit-event waiting periods, gift funds, self-employed income, manufactured housing, and the timeline itself. Every rule cited from HUD Handbook 4000.1 and published Mortgagee Letters.
3.5%
Min. down payment
580
Min. FICO score
$1,249,125
2026 high-cost ceiling
Quick answer
Where should you start learning about FHA loans?
Our FHA guides walk through the steps buyers actually get stuck on: pre-approval documents, the FHA appraisal and minimum property standards, down payment assistance stacking, credit repair timelines, and how to move from FHA to conventional once you have 20% equity.
What this means for your mortgage
Read the guide that matches your next decision — qualifying, budgeting, or choosing a program — then run the matching calculator.
Reviewed by the licensed mortgage team at Simply Approved Mortgages · Last verified August 23, 2026 against HUD Handbook 4000.1
Open the FHA toolsTL;DR
FHA guides: key takeaways
- Every guide is written against current HUD 4000.1 rules
- Start with the pre-approval guide if you're 30–90 days out
- The appraisal guide explains what fails FHA property standards
- DPA guides cover the FHA second lien and state programs
- Credit guides show realistic 30–60 day score improvement paths
- Refinance guides cover Streamline, cash-out, and the exit to conventional
Property & Appraisal
3 guides on property & appraisal, written for borrowers and sourced from HUD Handbook 4000.1.
Property & Appraisal
FHA appraisal requirements
What an FHA appraiser inspects, the minimum property requirements that trigger repairs, how long an FHA appraisal is valid, and how to challenge a low value.
- • How long is an FHA appraisal good for?
- • Who pays for the FHA appraisal?
8 min read · Updated for 2026
Property & Appraisal
FHA condo approval
How to check whether a condo is FHA-approved, what a project must satisfy to qualify, and how Single-Unit Approval lets you buy in an unapproved building.
- • How do I know if a condo is FHA-approved?
- • What is FHA Single-Unit Approval?
8 min read · Updated for 2026
Property & Appraisal
FHA manufactured home loans
FHA finances manufactured housing under Title II and Title I. Here are the June 1976 rule, foundation and permanent-affixation standards, terms, and limits.
- • Will FHA finance a mobile home?
- • What foundation does FHA require for a manufactured home?
7 min read · Updated for 2026
Renovation Lending
1 guide on renovation lending, written for borrowers and sourced from HUD Handbook 4000.1.
Credit & Qualifying
3 guides on credit & qualifying, written for borrowers and sourced from HUD Handbook 4000.1.
Credit & Qualifying
FHA waiting periods after bankruptcy, foreclosure & short sale
Exact FHA seasoning requirements after Chapter 7, Chapter 13, foreclosure, deed-in-lieu, and short sale — plus the extenuating-circumstances exceptions.
- • How long after Chapter 7 bankruptcy can I get an FHA loan?
- • Can I get an FHA loan while in Chapter 13 bankruptcy?
7 min read · Updated for 2026
Credit & Qualifying
FHA loans with 1099, gig and contract income
How FHA underwriting treats 1099 contractor, rideshare, delivery, freelance and platform income — the history required, how the average is calculated, and the documents that get a gig file approved.
- • Can I get an FHA loan with 1099 income?
- • How does FHA calculate Uber, DoorDash or Instacart income?
8 min read · Updated for 2026
Credit & Qualifying
Self-employed FHA loans
How FHA calculates self-employment income, the two-year rule and its exception, which documents underwriting requires, and how declining income is treated.
- • How long must I be self-employed for an FHA loan?
- • How does FHA calculate self-employed income?
7 min read · Updated for 2026
Down Payment
1 guide on down payment, written for borrowers and sourced from HUD Handbook 4000.1.
Getting Approved
1 guide on getting approved, written for borrowers and sourced from HUD Handbook 4000.1.
Loan Programs
1 guide on loan programs, written for borrowers and sourced from HUD Handbook 4000.1.
Getting Started
1 guide on getting started, written for borrowers and sourced from HUD Handbook 4000.1.
Costs & Insurance
1 guide on costs & insurance, written for borrowers and sourced from HUD Handbook 4000.1.
Refinance
2 guides on refinance, written for borrowers and sourced from HUD Handbook 4000.1.
Refinance
FHA streamline refinance
Who qualifies for an FHA streamline refinance in 2026, the net tangible benefit test, the short documentation checklist, and how it compares with a standard FHA or conventional refinance.
- • What is an FHA streamline refinance?
- • Do I need an appraisal for an FHA streamline refinance?
9 min read · Updated for 2026
Refinance
FHA cash-out refinance
The 80% loan-to-value cap, 12-month ownership and payment seasoning rules, county loan limits, costs, and the step-by-step process for an FHA cash-out refinance in 2026.
- • How much can I cash out with an FHA refinance?
- • How long must I own the home before an FHA cash-out refinance?
10 min read · Updated for 2026
Qualifying & Underwriting
4 guides on qualifying & underwriting, written for borrowers and sourced from HUD Handbook 4000.1.
Qualifying & Underwriting
FHA student loan guidelines
How FHA counts student loan payments in your debt-to-income ratio, including the 0.5% rule for deferred loans, documented actual payments, and $0 income-driven repayment plans.
- • Does FHA count deferred student loans in DTI?
- • What if my income-driven repayment plan shows a $0 payment?
8 min read · Updated for 2026
Qualifying & Underwriting
FHA collections and charge-offs
How FHA treats collection accounts, charge-offs, disputed accounts, judgments, and tax liens — including the $2,000 aggregate collections threshold and when they must be resolved.
- • Do I have to pay off collections to get an FHA loan?
- • What is the FHA collections threshold?
9 min read · Updated for 2026
Qualifying & Underwriting
FHA manual underwriting and compensating factors
What happens when TOTAL Scorecard issues a Refer, the manual underwriting DTI tiers of 31/43, 37/47, and 40/50, and the compensating factors that support each tier.
- • What triggers FHA manual underwriting?
- • What are the FHA manual underwriting DTI limits?
9 min read · Updated for 2026
Qualifying & Underwriting
FHA non-occupant co-borrower
How FHA non-occupant co-borrowers work, the 75% LTV limit for non-family-member co-borrowers, who qualifies as family, and how this differs from adding a cosigner.
- • What is an FHA non-occupant co-borrower?
- • What is the 75% LTV limit for non-occupant co-borrowers?
8 min read · Updated for 2026
Buying & Closing
3 guides on buying & closing, written for borrowers and sourced from HUD Handbook 4000.1.
Buying & Closing
FHA seller concessions
How much a seller can pay toward an FHA buyer's closing costs, what counts as an interested party contribution, and why going over the limit shrinks your loan.
- • What is the maximum seller concession on an FHA loan?
- • Does the 6% include the buyer's down payment?
7 min read · Updated for 2026
Buying & Closing
FHA amendatory clause
What the FHA Amendatory Clause and Real Estate Certification says, why it lets you walk away from a low appraisal, and the few sales it doesn't apply to.
- • What is the FHA Amendatory Clause?
- • Is the Amendatory Clause the same as an appraisal contingency?
6 min read · Updated for 2026
Buying & Closing
FHA identity-of-interest transactions
Why buying a home from a relative, landlord, or employer can cap your FHA loan at 85% loan-to-value, and the published exceptions that restore full financing.
- • What is an identity-of-interest transaction?
- • What is the maximum LTV for an identity-of-interest sale?
7 min read · Updated for 2026
Eligibility
2 guides on eligibility, written for borrowers and sourced from HUD Handbook 4000.1.
Eligibility
FHA occupancy requirements
Why FHA loans require owner-occupancy within 60 days and for at least a year, the one-FHA-loan-at-a-time policy, and the four published exceptions.
- • How soon do I have to move into an FHA home?
- • How long do I have to live in an FHA home?
7 min read · Updated for 2026
Eligibility
CAIVRS and FHA loan eligibility
CAIVRS flags delinquent federal debt before FHA will insure your loan. Here's what triggers a hit, how the Do Not Pay list connects to it, how to clear it, and a realistic timeline to resolve one.
- • What is CAIVRS and why does it matter for an FHA loan?
- • What kinds of debt show up on CAIVRS?
8 min read · Updated for 2026
Mortgage Insurance
1 guide on mortgage insurance, written for borrowers and sourced from HUD Handbook 4000.1.
Programs
2 guides on programs, written for borrowers and sourced from HUD Handbook 4000.1.
Programs
FHA assumable loans
FHA loans can be assumed by a qualified buyer, but the servicer still underwrites the new borrower and the seller needs a release of liability. Here's the process, the equity-gap problem, and why assumability matters when rates are high.
- • Can any FHA loan be assumed by a new buyer?
- • Does assuming an FHA loan skip the credit check?
8 min read · Updated for 2026
Programs
FHA Energy Efficient Mortgage
The FHA Energy Efficient Mortgage lets you finance cost-effective energy upgrades into your loan amount. Here's the cap formula, the required energy assessment, and how EEM pairs with 203(b) purchases and 203(k) rehab loans.
- • What is an FHA Energy Efficient Mortgage?
- • How is the maximum EEM add-on calculated?
8 min read · Updated for 2026
Ready to see what you qualify for?
Talk with a licensed FHA broker about your scenario. Licensed in Florida and Colorado.