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Buying a home in Atlanta, Georgia

Loan limits, property tax, down payment help, and how a Georgia purchase is secured, for buyers in Atlanta and the rest of Fulton County.

Primary source: HUD FHA Mortgage Limits lookup · Georgia Dream Homeownership Program (Georgia DCA) · Invest Atlanta homebuyer programs · Georgia Department of Revenue, County Property Tax Facts: Fulton · Georgia Attorney General, Mortgage and Foreclosure Information

01

Atlanta at a glance

As of January 1, 2026, the FHA limit for a one-unit home in Fulton County is $718,750 and the conforming limit for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans is $832,750, per HUD’s FHA Mortgage Limits lookup. HUD lists the median sale price for the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell area at $625,000 on the same record.

Those two limits decide which loan a purchase fits. Above the FHA limit, an FHA loan is off the table for that home. Above the conforming limit, the loan is a jumbo. Buying two to four units and living in one raises both limits, as the table shows.

$718,750FHA limit, one-unit home

$832,750Conforming limit, one-unit home

$625,000HUD median sale price, Atlanta area

Fulton County loan limits by number of units, as of January 1, 2026
Units	FHA limit	Conforming limit
One	$718,750	$832,750
Two	$920,150	$1,066,250
Three	$1,112,250	$1,288,800
Four	$1,382,250	$1,601,750

Source: HUD FHA Mortgage Limits lookup, CY2026, Fulton County, Georgia (FHA and Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac limits), checked October 20, 2026. Limits reset each January.

02

Help with the down payment

The Georgia Dream Homeownership Program is the state’s program, run by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. Its page describes it as mortgage financing with down payment and closing cost assistance for eligible buyers, requires homebuyer education, and sends you to a participating lender to get started. Within the city, Invest Atlanta runs separate programs for buyers purchasing inside the Atlanta city limits, including one called ATL HomeNOW, and it also requires a participating lender and owner occupancy.

Neither agency is a lender, and the amounts and income limits are theirs to set. Their pages do not state whether funds are open at any given moment, so confirm the current status with the agency. What a lender can do is tell you early whether your file fits a program and structure the mortgage around it. Consumer loans in Georgia are ones I am licensed to originate.

03

How an Atlanta purchase is secured

Georgia does not use the mortgage instrument most states do. The Georgia Attorney General’s office says Georgia uses a deed to secure debt, which it describes as commonly referred to as a mortgage, and that Georgia is a non-judicial foreclosure state. The security deed is what you sign at closing, and the obligation to repay is the same as anywhere.

Ask your closing attorney or settlement agent to walk you through the paperwork before the day, so none of the names are a surprise.

04

Property tax, and the homestead exemption

Fulton County property tax is billed by the Fulton County Tax Commissioner, who mails bills to owners at the address on the assessor’s record. Georgia’s Department of Revenue says the state’s official due date is December 20, but a county can adopt a different date or bill in installments, so confirm the current Fulton schedule with the Tax Commissioner. Most lenders collect tax monthly in an escrow account and pay the bill for you, which is why a quoted payment includes tax as well as the loan.

A home you live in can qualify for a homestead exemption. Georgia’s Department of Revenue says you may apply any time during the year after the home becomes your primary residence, up to April 1 of the first year you want it. Set a reminder when you close so the deadline does not pass.

05

VA loans in Atlanta

For an eligible veteran or service member, a VA loan is often the strongest option on a home they will live in. VA says a purchase loan can be made with no down payment as long as the sales price is not higher than the home’s appraised value. I am an Army veteran myself, so this is a file I am glad to look at.

Investing in Atlanta instead? That is a different kind of loan, covered on the Atlanta investment property page.

Common questions

What help is there for first-time buyers in Georgia?

Two programs come up most for Atlanta buyers. The Georgia Dream Homeownership Program is run by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, and you reach it through a participating lender. Invest Atlanta runs separate programs for buyers purchasing inside the city limits. Each agency sets its own rules, amounts and income limits, so read their pages for the current terms before building a purchase around one.

Who counts as a first-time buyer in Georgia?

Georgia Dream describes eligible buyers as first-time buyers, people who have not owned a home in the past three years, or people buying in certain Georgia areas. That surprises people who owned once, years ago, and assumed the door was closed. The definition belongs to the program, so check it against the program rather than a general rule.

What is the FHA loan limit in Fulton County for 2026?

As of January 1, 2026, the FHA limit for a one-unit home in Fulton County is $718,750, per HUD’s FHA Mortgage Limits lookup. Two to four unit limits are higher and are listed in the table on this page. HUD resets these every January.

What is the conforming loan limit in Fulton County for 2026?

As of January 1, 2026, the conforming limit for a one-unit home in Fulton County is $832,750, per HUD’s lookup of the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac limits. A loan above it is a jumbo loan, which is underwritten under different rules.

Does Georgia’s deed to secure debt change how I buy?

The Georgia Attorney General’s office describes it as the Georgia version of what most states call a mortgage, and it lets a lender foreclose without a court case if a loan goes into default. For a buyer who pays on time the day-to-day experience is the same. It is worth knowing the name when you see it on your closing documents.

How do I get the homestead exemption on a home I live in?

Georgia’s Department of Revenue says you can apply with the county at any time during the year after the home becomes your primary residence, up to April 1 of the first year you want the exemption. Fulton County lists a homestead exemption among its property services. Apply promptly after you close so you do not miss the deadline.

Get prequalified before you shop

Knowing what you qualify for is what makes an offer credible in Atlanta. Start in the secure portal, select states only. Eligibility and terms vary by scenario.

Start in the secure portal

Sources

Guidance changes and lenders adopt it on their own timelines. Check the primary source before relying on any of this for a live file.

Educational only. Not an offer, an approval, or advice on your specific file.

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