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Reviewed by David Ghazaryan, Mortgage Broker, NMLS 1486726 · iQRATE Mortgages, Company NMLS 1862492 · Last updated: November 12, 2026
Quick answer: A conventional mortgage is a home loan that no government agency backs. It is not FHA, VA or USDA. For Austin properties, the conventional loan limit is set by county. In Travis County the 2026 conforming limit for a one-unit home is $832,750. The FHA limit is $571,550. A loan above the conforming limit is a jumbo loan. iQRATE Mortgages is a licensed Texas mortgage broker. We compare many wholesale lenders for each file. This page is general information and not a commitment to lend.
Start your application or call (702) 766-3744.
The county decides which loan bucket your price falls into. Austin sits mostly in Travis County, so confirm the county for your exact address. The official limits are published by FHFA. The FHA figures come from HUD Mortgagee Letter 2025-23. You can look up any county on the HUD limits lookup.
| Loan bucket | Travis County, one-unit home (2026) | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Conventional conforming | Up to $832,750 | Most Austin-area purchases fit here. |
| FHA | Up to $571,550, which is $261,200 lower | Government-backed. Often a different path when credit is thin. |
| Jumbo | Above $832,750 | Common for homes in Tarrytown, Westlake and Barton Creek. See our jumbo loan page. |
This is subtraction on the published numbers, not a loan quote.
| Price point | Amount | Gap to the $832,750 conforming limit | Gap to the $571,550 FHA limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median sold, September 2026 | $415,000 | $417,750 below | $156,550 below |
| Metro median listing | $446,450 | $386,300 below | $125,100 below |
Both can work. The right pick depends on your credit, savings and price. We run both and show you the totals side by side.
| Question | Conventional | FHA |
|---|---|---|
| Who backs it? | Private lenders, sold to investors | Federal Housing Administration |
| Price ceiling in Travis County | $832,750 for one unit | $571,550 for one unit |
| Mortgage insurance | Private mortgage insurance may apply depending on how much you put down. Ask us how and when it can end on your file. | FHA has its own mortgage insurance rules. Ask us to show both side by side. |
| Property types | Primary homes, second homes and rentals, depending on lender rules | Occupancy rules differ by program, so confirm yours with us |
Rules and pricing vary by lender and change often. Your Loan Estimate shows the real terms for your file. The CFPB Loan Estimate guide explains how to read it.
We do not advertise a minimum down payment, because it varies by lender, program and borrower. Two general rules hold across conventional loans. A smaller down payment usually means private mortgage insurance, and a larger one usually does not. Mortgage insurance is a monthly cost line on your Loan Estimate, so ask us to show it next to your other costs before you choose.
Conventional underwriting is a review of the whole file, not one number. We do not publish minimum scores or ratios, because each lender sets its own and they change. What we can tell you is what gets looked at, so you can prepare before you apply.
Lenders disagree on these points. That is the main reason a broker adds value on a conventional loan. If one lender's rules do not fit your file, another may. We show you the options and you decide.
Whether you use us or someone else, these questions make offers easier to compare. Have every answer written on a Loan Estimate, because only the Loan Estimate is a standard document. The CFPB Loan Estimate guide shows where each item sits.
| Question to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Who is the actual lender, and who services the loan? | A broker such as iQRATE is not the lender. The Loan Estimate names the lender. |
| Is the quote locked, and for how long? | An unlocked quote can change. A lock is a written agreement. |
| Does the quote include mortgage insurance? | Insurance is a monthly cost line that changes the total. |
| Are points being paid, and for what? | Points are paid at closing to change the rate. Compare how long you plan to keep the loan. |
| Are seller credits applied, and to what? | Credits can go toward closing costs or a rate buydown. We compare both uses. |
| Are taxes and insurance escrowed? | Texas taxes are large. Escrow decides how the bill is paid. |
| What is the expected closing timeline? | Our goal is 17 calendar days from initial disclosures on eligible full-documentation purchases. It is a goal, not a promise. |
Often it can, depending on lender rules. Lenders usually look harder at second homes and rentals than at a primary home, and they may ask for more reserves. If you plan to count rental income, the lender decides how much of it qualifies, and a short-term rental plan adds a city license question for Austin properties. A conventional loan qualifies you on your personal income and debts. A DSCR loan qualifies on the property's market rent instead. That is a different tool, so we compare both and link the related guides in the situations table below.
Questions about your own file? Call (702) 766-3744 and David Ghazaryan or his team will walk through it.
Gathering paperwork early is the most useful thing you can do. A typical full-documentation file asks for the items below. Your lender may ask for more or less.
Self-employed buyers should ask us early whether their returns support a conventional loan or whether a deposit-based loan fits better.
When the market gives buyers room to negotiate, a seller may offer a concession. That money can go to closing costs, or it can pay to lower the interest rate for a period. The better use depends on how long you keep the loan, how much cash you have, and what each lender allows. We do not quote numbers here, because the answer depends on your Loan Estimate. We run the comparison across lenders, including builder incentives and outside lenders, and show you how each use looks on paper. Treat any single lender's buydown offer as one option, not the only one.
David has invested in real estate himself. In his words: "One thing being a real estate investor has taught me is that getting a loan approved and making a good investment are two different things." He also says: "I've seen investors spend weeks negotiating a purchase price and then barely examine the financing terms." We bring that habit to conventional files too. Look at cash required, monthly carrying costs, reserves and what happens if you refinance or sell early, not just the headline rate.
David also described a case from Las Vegas, not Texas, as an example of how we work when a lender says no. In his words, a client's builder-lender denied her loan on a new investment property. The builder agreed to honor its incentives if she used outside financing. David arranged a DSCR mortgage that qualified on the property's rental income, with a debt-service coverage ratio of approximately 1.00, applied the builder incentives toward a rate buydown, and closed in less than three weeks. His lesson: "a lender's denial doesn't necessarily mean a good investment opportunity is dead." That example is another market and another loan type. Results vary for every file.
The median sold price was near $415,000 for September 2026, based on Unlock MLS data reported by Team Price. The metro median listing price was about $446,450 per WealthyBud, which is $31,450 above the sold median. Prices have eased from their 2022 peak, and inventory is higher. That gives buyers room to ask for seller concessions toward closing costs or a rate buydown. ZIP-code coverage and more local detail are on our Austin mortgage broker page.
Texas has no state income tax, and the property tax bill is large. The 2025 combined rate for the City of Austin with Austin ISD was about $2.23 per $100 of value before exemptions, according to the iQRATE Austin mortgage broker page. The Texas Comptroller property tax page explains how Texas property tax works. $2.23 per $100 is $22.30 per $1,000. Your bill follows the taxing units for your address, and suburban MUDs and PIDs near Austin, such as in Pflugerville, Leander and Manor, can add to it.
| Home value | Working at $2.23 per $100 | Yearly tax before exemptions | Monthly share |
|---|---|---|---|
| $300,000 | $22.30 times 300 | About $6,690 | About $558 |
| $415,000 (median sold) | $22.30 times 415 | About $9,255 | About $771 |
| $446,450 (metro median listing) | $22.30 times 446.45 | About $9,956 | About $830 |
| $500,000 | $22.30 times 500 | About $11,150 | About $929 |
| $571,550 (FHA limit) | $22.30 times 571.55 | About $12,746 | About $1,062 |
| $600,000 | $22.30 times 600 | About $13,380 | About $1,115 |
| $700,000 | $22.30 times 700 | About $15,610 | About $1,301 |
| $832,750 (conforming limit) | $22.30 times 832.75 | About $18,570 | About $1,548 |
This is arithmetic on a published rate. It is not a loan payment and not a quote. Lenders collect taxes into escrow, so this is the part of your housing cost that is not the loan itself.
These two terms are not the same. We do not quote one flat range, because costs depend on county, price and loan type. Every line is itemized on your Loan Estimate.
| Item | Counts as | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Origination, points, appraisal | Cost of getting the loan | Shown in the Loan Estimate |
| Escrow and title | Cost of getting the loan | Texas sets title premiums |
| First-year homeowners insurance | Prepaid, your own bill paid ahead | One of the main prepaids |
| Property tax escrow deposit | Prepaid, your own bill paid ahead | Often two to six months, partly offset by the seller's tax credit |
| Daily interest to month-end | Prepaid | Depends on closing date |
| Down payment | Part of cash to close | Varies by lender and program |
Statewide help is run by public agencies, and eligibility rules apply. The Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation runs Homes for Texas Heroes and Home Sweet Texas. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs runs My First Texas Home. The City of Austin and the Austin Community Land Trust also offer local programs with their own income and resale rules. Ask us which lenders accept the program you want to use, since not every lender does.
| Your situation | How we approach it | Related page |
|---|---|---|
| Primary home purchase | We compare conventional offers from several lenders and weigh seller credits against a rate buydown. | Texas mortgage broker |
| Price above $832,750 | We move to jumbo options. | Jumbo loans, linked above |
| Self-employed, founders, contractors | A bank statement loan uses deposits instead of tax returns. | Bank statement loans, linked above |
| Rental property | A DSCR loan qualifies on market rent. | DSCR loans for San Antonio and Austin |
| Several properties | Portfolio and serial-investor structures. | Serial investor loans |
For rental buyers who want a conventional loan first, see our investor loans page, our portfolio loans page and the DSCR hub. A short video explains why rental income numbers can fail lender review.
A short-term rental plan changes the picture. Since February 2025 Austin has allowed short-term rentals as an accessory use in every residential zone only with a city operating license, a September 2025 ordinance added spacing limits and a cap on rentals per single-family site, and from July 1, 2026 the city began asking platforms to remove unlicensed listings. Confirm you can get a license before you count rental income. The Austin mortgage broker page linked above has the license details. A conventional primary-home loan is a different product from a rental loan, so ask us which path fits your plan.
Not sure which row fits you? Call (702) 766-3744 to talk it through with David Ghazaryan's team.
| Term | Plain-English meaning | Where it shows up |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed-rate loan | Principal and interest stay the same for the life of the loan. | Loan Estimate, page 1 |
| Adjustable-rate loan | The rate can change after an initial period. | Loan Estimate, page 1 |
| Amortization | The schedule that pays the balance down to zero. | Loan terms |
| Private mortgage insurance (PMI) | Insurance that can apply on a conventional loan, depending on your down payment. Ask how it ends. | Monthly cost line |
| Discount points | Fees paid at closing to lower the rate. | Closing costs |
| Rate lock | A written hold on a rate for a set period. | Lock agreement |
| Escrow account | Holds your property tax and insurance money. | Monthly payment |
| Appraisal | An independent opinion of the home's value. | Closing costs |
| Closing Disclosure | The final cost statement before signing. | Closing |
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Lenders compared on complex files | More than 100 |
| Closing goal, eligible full-documentation conventional, FHA and VA purchases | 17 calendar days from initial disclosures |
| Typical closing for most of our loans | Under 30 days |
| Google rating, company-wide | Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars from 77 reviews |
| Yelp rating, company-wide | 5.0 from 51 reviews |
| Zillow rating, company-wide | 5.00 from 9 reviews |
| Experience.com rating, as of October 2026 | 5.0 from 87 reviews |
| States where we are licensed | 4: Nevada, California, Texas and Florida |
These are goals and not promises for any one file. Questions before you apply? Call (702) 766-3744. To start your file, apply online.
| Step | What happens | Who acts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Share your goals, price range and income type, then contact us. | You and David |
| 2 | We compare lenders and pick fits. | iQRATE |
| 3 | You submit the application and documents. | You |
| 4 | Initial disclosures start the 17-day closing goal clock on eligible purchases. | Lender and iQRATE |
| 5 | The appraisal is ordered, and underwriting reviews the file. | Lender |
| 6 | You lock a rate when it suits your plan. | You and iQRATE |
| 7 | You review the Closing Disclosure before signing. | You |
| 8 | You sign with local escrow and title and receive your keys. | You and escrow |
A bank offers its own menu. A broker compares many lenders. iQRATE shops more than 100 lenders on complex files. We work Austin-area files from our Las Vegas office and close with local escrow and title. iQRATE is a mortgage broker. We are not the lender and we do not fund loans.
For rental buyers, David Ghazaryan says: "They focus on the interest rate. I look at the entire transaction: cash invested, monthly carrying costs, reserves, prepayment penalties, and the exit strategy." He adds that a loan that saves money today can become expensive if you refinance or sell before a prepayment penalty expires. See about iQRATE.
These are verbatim reviews of iQRATE and David Ghazaryan from clients in other markets. We show them for company-wide experience only. See all on our reviews page and on Zillow.
"I highly reccomend David. He treated my loan process in the same manner as he would of had if it's his own. David walked me through the process from the beginning to the end. He was always available when i called, even on weekends and holidays, especially when he had a family tragedy he still made my loan a priority and finished it on time as promised."
Zillow reviewer, Henderson, NV (company-wide review, other market)
"My experience with the IQRATE team was phenomenal. I bought my first house and they helped me through the entire process. David , Andrei & Gayane were so helpful, communicative & patient with me as I had so many questions throughout the entire process. They made everything so simple & effortless & I will definitely be working with them for any mortgage needs I have."
Google reviewer (company-wide review, other market)
"David and his team are very professional in their field of expertise. They helped me to get the loan really quick and easy, explaining all steps and assisting me with all of the papers. It has been a pleasure to work with such a reliable and responsible team. I would truly recommend their service to everyone."
Yelp reviewer, Las Vegas, NV (company-wide review, other market)
"By and far the best service and people. David and Andrei were instrumental in helping me buy my first home. They are efficient, organized, and highly knowledgable. They made me feel comfortable and informed throughout the entire process. We closed on my home in 2 weeks because my apartment lease was ending. Unbelievable teamwork from IQ Mortgage and can't wait to work with them again soon!"
Anita A., Yelp, Las Vegas, NV, August 2022 (company-wide review, other market)
"We've been working with David's team for over 4 years now, they helped us get home loans and then refinance later when possible. Very responsive, always answer all our questions and concerns. When we had issues on our first home purchase with buyer, David quickly stepped in and had our back and helped us make the process as smooth as possible. Amazing team, super nice and just overall such a pleasure to work with. Thank you! Y'all are the best!"
Margarita G., Yelp, Las Vegas, NV, January 2023 (company-wide review, other market)
"David was very professional and went above and beyond to make sure I understand the loan procedure. In addition, he went with me to my closing because I expressed that I would be more comfortable with him there to explain the documents to me. He was there and ensured a smooth transaction. Everything completed as expected. I would definitely recommend him to my friends and family."
Zillow reviewer, Las Vegas, NV, February 2019 (company-wide review, other market)
"Very efficient and transparent service. They go above and beyond to deliver the loan closure on time even in a very tight time line. Also very resourceful and knowledgeable staff. I'll go to them again next time I need a loan."
Rita S., Yelp, Los Angeles, CA, October 2026 (company-wide review, other market)
For a one-unit home the 2026 conforming limit is $832,750. Above that, a jumbo loan is needed.
It is $571,550 for a one-unit home, per HUD.
The 2025 combined rate for the City of Austin with Austin ISD was about $2.23 per $100 of value before exemptions. MUDs and PIDs in the suburbs add more.
About $415,000 for homes sold, according to MLS data reported by Team Price.
Often, yes. Lender rules vary, which is why we compare several. A bank statement loan may fit when tax returns understate income.
Compare it first. A buydown can be worth it, but an outside lender with seller credits may cost less overall.
Most of our loans close in under 30 days. For eligible full-documentation conventional, FHA and VA purchases, our goal is 17 calendar days from initial disclosures.
No. iQRATE Mortgages is a broker. A lender funds the loan, and your Loan Estimate names it.
It means the lender has to document your income in a way its rules accept. Tell us your income mix, including any stock pay, and we confirm how each lender documents it.
Often, depending on lender rules, and lenders may ask for more reserves. A DSCR loan is another path for rentals.
No. It depends on your credit, savings and price. We run both and show you the totals side by side.
No. The minimum varies by lender, program and borrower, so we confirm it for your file.
Apply now or call (702) 766-3744. You can verify our licenses on NMLS Consumer Access.
iQRATE Mortgages · Company NMLS 1862492 · David Ghazaryan, Mortgage Broker, NMLS 1486726 · (702) 766-3744 · Licensed in Nevada, California, Texas and Florida. Equal Housing Opportunity. iQRATE is a mortgage broker and not a lender. Programs and terms change and depend on credit, property and underwriting approval. This page is general information, not a commitment to lend, and not legal or tax advice.
