Louisiana Mortgage Guides 2026
This complete Louisiana mortgage guide covers FHA loan limits across all 64 parishes, Louisiana Housing Corporation HomeStart assistance, USDA rural loans, VA resources for Louisiana’s veteran and military communities, and a full closing cost breakdown for a state with no transfer tax — all in one place.
Everything You Need for a Louisiana Home Purchase
Six in-depth guides covering every aspect of getting a mortgage in Louisiana — from program selection to what you will pay at closing.
Louisiana Mortgage Guide
FHA and conforming loan limits for all 64 parishes, loan programs, LHC assistance, property taxes and the 2026 Louisiana housing market.
Read guide →Louisiana First-Time Home Buyer
Louisiana Housing Corporation HomeStart programs, down payment assistance up to $60,000, and the income and purchase price limits that apply.
Read guide →Louisiana FHA Loan Requirements
2026 FHA limits for all 64 Louisiana parishes, credit and down payment minimums, and mortgage insurance premiums.
Read guide →Louisiana VA Loan Requirements
VA entitlement, the funding fee table and exemptions, and Louisiana’s military installations from Fort Polk to Barksdale.
Read guide →Louisiana USDA Loans
Zero-down rural financing, FY2026 income limits that are uniform statewide, guarantee fees, and how to check property eligibility.
Read guide →Louisiana Closing Costs
No state transfer tax, statutory recording fees by page count, title insurance, and how to reduce what you pay at closing.
Read guide →2026 Louisiana Mortgage Snapshot
FHA Loan Limits (2026)
- All 64 Louisiana parishes: $541,287 — the 2026 national floor
- Includes Orleans, Jefferson, East Baton Rouge, Caddo and Lafayette
- No Louisiana parish is designated high-cost for CY2026
- Conforming limit is $832,750 statewide. Verify any parish with HUD’s lookup tool.
Down Payment Assistance
- HomeStart Plus: 20% of the purchase price up to $55,000, plus up to $5,000 for closing costs, forgiven over 10 years (first-time buyers in 47 hurricane-affected parishes)
- HomeStart Assist: 4% forgivable second, fully forgiven after 60 months (first-time buyers)
- HomeStart Advantage: 4% forgivable second, fully forgiven after 60 months; income up to $125,000
- HomeStart Ready: first mortgage only; no assistance currently offered
- Minimum credit score of 640 across every HomeStart program
Property Taxes
- Median effective rate about 0.55%
- Median real estate taxes paid: $1,180 on a median home value of $216,500
- The homestead exemption covers the first $7,500 of assessed value, roughly $75,000 of market value
- Figures are statewide medians from the 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, not an average millage rate
Closing Costs
- No state real estate transfer tax, and new ones are constitutionally prohibited
- Clerk of court recording: $100 for a 1–5 page document, charged per record book
- New Orleans levies a grandfathered documentary transaction tax — confirm with the Clerk
Buying or Refinancing in Louisiana?
Louisiana has a median effective property tax rate of about 0.55% and no state transfer tax, and every parish sits at the national FHA floor — which makes program selection, not loan limits, the decision that matters most here.
- ✓ Check LHC HomeStart assistance and current limits at lhc.la.gov
- ✓ Confirm your parish’s 2026 FHA limit with HUD’s lookup tool
- ✓ Compare FHA, VA and USDA using our loan program guides
- ✓ Estimate your total cash to close with our closing cost guide
Coming soon · No obligation · Educational first
Louisiana Advisor Network — Coming Soon
We currently connect buyers with licensed mortgage advisors in Florida and Utah. Join the waitlist and we will let you know the moment Louisiana advisors are available.
Join the Louisiana Waitlist