Louisiana Mortgage Guide 2026
FHA and conforming loan limits for all 64 Louisiana parishes, the loan programs worth comparing, Louisiana Housing Corporation assistance, how the homestead exemption shapes property taxes, and what you will actually pay at closing in a state with no transfer tax.
2026 Loan Limits in Louisiana
Every one of its 64 parishes sits at the 2026 national FHA floor of $541,287 for a one-unit property, and the conforming limit is $832,750 statewide. No Louisiana parish is designated high-cost for CY2026, so there is no parish-by-parish tiering to work around — the ten parishes below are shown as a sample, not as exceptions.
| Parish | Conforming Limit | FHA Limit (1-unit) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orleans Parish | $832,750 | $541,287 | New Orleans. At the national floor, like every other parish. |
| Jefferson Parish | $832,750 | $541,287 | Metairie, Kenner. Part of the New Orleans-Metairie metro. |
| East Baton Rouge Parish | $832,750 | $541,287 | Baton Rouge, the state capital and second-largest parish. |
| Caddo Parish | $832,750 | $541,287 | Shreveport. Anchors the Shreveport-Bossier City metro with Bossier Parish. |
| Lafayette Parish | $832,750 | $541,287 | Lafayette, the centre of Acadiana. |
| St. Tammany Parish | $832,750 | $541,287 | Covington, Mandeville, Slidell. The highest LHC income limits in the state. |
| Calcasieu Parish | $832,750 | $541,287 | Lake Charles, the southwest industrial corridor. |
| Ouachita Parish | $832,750 | $541,287 | Monroe, the northeast regional centre. |
| Rapides Parish | $832,750 | $541,287 | Alexandria, central Louisiana. |
| Terrebonne Parish | $832,750 | $541,287 | Houma, the bayou parishes. |
FHA limits scale with unit count: $541,287 for one unit, $693,050 for two, $837,700 for three and $1,041,125 for four, in every parish. Verify any parish against HUD’s FHA Mortgage Limits lookup, and conforming limits against FHFA, before relying on a figure.
Loan Programs Compared
Because loan limits are uniform statewide, the decision that actually matters in Louisiana is which program you use — not which parish you buy in.
| Program | Min Down Payment | Min Credit Score | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| FHA | 3.5% | 580 | Lower credit scores and thin savings |
| VA | 0% | No VA minimum (set by lender) | Veterans, active duty and eligible spouses |
| USDA | 0% | No USDA minimum (640 is the automated-underwriting cutoff) | Rural and small-town Louisiana, which is most of the state by area |
| Conventional | 3–20% | Set by lender | Stronger credit; avoids lifetime FHA mortgage insurance |
| Jumbo | 10–20% | 700+ | Above $832,750, which is rare in Louisiana |
| LHC HomeStart | 0–3.5% after assistance | 640 | Buyers who need help with the down payment |
Down payment and credit figures in this table are practical lender thresholds rather than published agency floors. VA sets no minimum score and USDA’s 640 is an automated-underwriting threshold, not a program rule.
Louisiana Housing Corporation Assistance
The Louisiana Housing Corporation runs the state’s homebuyer programs under the HomeStart name. All of them use a 30-year fixed first mortgage and a minimum credit score of 640.
| Program | Assistance | Structure |
|---|---|---|
| HomeStart Ready | None currently offered | Rate-only first mortgage; repeat buyers eligible; qualifying income up to $99,000 |
| HomeStart Assist | 4% of the original first mortgage amount | 0% forgivable second, fully forgiven after 60 months; first-time buyers (waived for eligible veterans and targeted areas) |
| HomeStart Plus | 20% of the purchase price up to $55,000, plus up to $5,000 toward closing costs | 0% forgivable second, forgiven at 1/120 per month over 10 years; first-time buyers in 47 hurricane-affected parishes |
| HomeStart Advantage | 4% of the final first mortgage amount | 0% forgivable second, fully forgiven after 60 months; household income up to $125,000; first-time status not required |
Limits. Purchase price caps differ by program: HomeStart Assist is capped at $554,850 in non-targeted areas and $678,150 in targeted areas (effective May 4, 2026); HomeStart Plus is capped at the FHA loan limit; HomeStart Ready and Advantage are capped at the conforming loan limit. Income limits vary by program, parish and household size — see the LHC lender guide (rev. September 10, 2026) and its linked limit documents.
Louisiana Property Taxes
Louisiana’s homestead exemption shapes most owner-occupied tax bills. Statewide, the median owner-occupied home is valued at $216,500 and the median real estate tax bill is $1,180 — a median effective rate of about 0.55%.
The homestead exemption is why. Under Louisiana Constitution Art. VII, §20, the first $7,500 of assessed value is exempt from state, parish and special ad valorem taxes. Residential property is assessed at 10% of fair market value, so that exemption covers roughly the first $75,000 of a home’s value. It does not extend to municipal taxes, except in Orleans Parish and for municipal taxes levied for school purposes.
| Home Value | Est. Annual Tax | Est. Monthly Escrow |
|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | ~$825 | ~$69 |
| $216,500 (state median) | ~$1,190 | ~$99 |
| $300,000 | ~$1,650 | ~$138 |
| $450,000 | ~$2,475 | ~$206 |
These are estimates at the statewide median effective rate and do not account for the homestead exemption on a specific property. Millage varies widely by parish, municipality, school district and levee district. The median relationship above comes from Census ACS 5-year estimates (tables B25103 and B25077); it is a median, not an average millage rate, and not a statutory rate.
Louisiana Closing Costs
Louisiana has no state transfer tax.
| Fee | Rate / Amount | On a $250,000 purchase |
|---|---|---|
| State real estate transfer tax | None | $0 |
| Clerk of court recording, per record book | $100 for 1–5 pages; $200 for 6–25 | ~$200–$400 |
| Lender origination | ~0.5–1% of the loan | ~$1,200–$2,400 |
| Appraisal | ~$500–$700 | ~$500–$700 |
| Title insurance and settlement | Varies by insurer | ~$1,200–$2,200 |
Recording fees are statutory and statewide under La. R.S. 13:844, priced by page count rather than by document type, and assessed separately for the conveyance and mortgage records. Orleans Parish is the exception — its Clerk of Civil District Court operates under its own schedule. Ranges marked with ~ are typical market estimates, not published figures.
Louisiana Housing Markets in 2026
Louisiana’s housing markets differ far more from each other than its loan limits do.
| Area | Market Notes |
|---|---|
| New Orleans metro | The state’s largest market. Older housing stock, significant condo and historic inventory, and flood insurance is a central part of the affordability calculation. |
| Baton Rouge | State government and petrochemical employment. Steadier demand than the coastal parishes and substantial suburban construction in Ascension and Livingston. |
| Shreveport–Bossier City | Northwest Louisiana, anchored by Barksdale Air Force Base. |
| Lafayette and Acadiana | Energy-linked demand with a strong regional identity and a mix of urban and rural inventory. |
| Lake Charles | Industrial southwest. Housing supply here has been shaped heavily by storm damage and rebuilding. |
| Rural parishes | Most of Louisiana by land area. Widely USDA-eligible, and where the zero-down programs matter most. |
