By iQRATE Mortgages · Mortgage broker: David Ghazaryan, NMLS 1486726 · Company NMLS 1862492 · Updated November 10, 2026
Quick answer
A conventional mortgage in Killeen is a home loan made under Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines, with no government guarantee or insurance behind it. For 2026, the conforming limit in Bell County is $832,750 for a one-unit home and $1,066,250 for a duplex (FHFA conforming loan limits). Above that, you need a jumbo loan. VA and FHA loans are for homes you live in. A conventional loan can also finance a second home or an investment property, and it doesn't use your VA entitlement. iQRATE Mortgages (NMLS 1862492) is a mortgage broker licensed in Texas. We compare wholesale lenders on your file, more than 100 on complex deals, instead of offering one bank's menu.
The local line to watch is property tax. For 2025, a City of Killeen home in Killeen ISD carried about $1.89 per $100 of value in combined city, school and county taxes, before exemptions. That tax is part of the housing payment a conventional underwriter weighs against your income. For comparison, Bell County's 2026 FHA limit for a one-unit home is $541,287 (HUD Mortgagee Letter 2025-23).
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A conventional loan is a mortgage with no government guarantee or insurance. Instead of following VA or HUD rules, it follows the guidelines and loan limits that apply to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two government-sponsored enterprises. The Federal Housing Finance Agency publishes the conforming limit for every county, and those limits can change each year. On top of the agency rules, each lender has its own guidelines. That's why the same file can get different answers from different lenders.
Most of the Killeen, Harker Heights, Copperas Cove and Nolanville clients we work with are soldiers, spouses and veterans on PCS timelines. The post next to Killeen is Fort Hood again: the Army redesignated Fort Cavazos as Fort Hood on June 11, 2025. If you're eligible for a VA loan, we price a VA option next to the conventional one. You compare them on your own numbers, not on a rule of thumb.
A conventional loan is worth pricing when one of these describes you:
If the VA side wins on your numbers, we'll tell you. Our VA and PCS guide for Fort Hood families, including BAH and entitlement planning, is on our Killeen mortgage broker page.
This table sticks to the differences set by program and county for 2026. Pricing, credit rules and documentation vary by lender and by borrower. Treat it as a starting point, not a quote.
| Question | Conventional | FHA | VA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rules behind the loan | Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines; no government guarantee | HUD guidelines | VA program for eligible veterans and service members |
| 2026 one-unit limit, Bell County | $832,750 | $541,287 | No VA loan limit with full entitlement |
| Homes it can finance | Primary home, second home or investment property; single- and multi-family | Primary residence | A home you live in, including a duplex to fourplex when you live in one unit |
| Uses your VA entitlement | No | No | Yes |
| Where we cover it in depth | This page | Our Texas mortgage broker page | Our Killeen mortgage broker page |
General comparison, not a quote and not a commitment to lend. Conforming limit: FHFA. FHA limit: HUD Mortgagee Letter 2025-23. VA limit and occupancy notes: our Killeen mortgage broker page.
Two rows matter most for conventional borrowers. First, the Bell County conventional one-unit limit of $832,750 sits well above the Bell County FHA one-unit limit of $541,287. A conventional loan leaves more room on price before you reach jumbo territory. Second, of the three programs, conventional is the one that can finance a rental you don't live in at all.
| Property | 2026 conforming limit, Bell County | Above the limit |
|---|---|---|
| One-unit home | $832,750 | Jumbo loan |
| Duplex | $1,066,250 | Jumbo or other non-conforming loan |
The 2026 one-unit conforming limit is $832,750 in every Texas county. So a buyer in Copperas Cove, which is in Coryell County west of the post, works with the same conventional ceiling as a buyer inside Killeen city limits in Bell County. FHA limits are set separately by HUD. You can check any county in HUD's FHA mortgage limits lookup. The FHFA county file lists conforming limits by county and number of units.
A higher limit doesn't mean a lender will approve that amount for you. Your income, debts, credit and the home's appraised value decide what you can borrow. The limit only decides whether the loan is conforming or jumbo.
Texas has no state income tax and no state property tax. Cities, counties and school districts levy their own property taxes, and combined rates are among the highest in the country. On a conventional loan, that shows up in two places.
When you qualify. Your monthly property tax and homeowners insurance are part of your housing payment. The housing payment is part of the debt-to-income ratio an underwriter uses to judge whether you can carry the loan. A higher tax bill on the same price means a larger housing payment, which can lower the price you qualify for. That's why we price your file with the tax for the actual address, not a citywide average.
When you close. Texas bills property taxes in October and collects them in arrears. Lenders usually collect about 2–6 months of taxes into your escrow account at closing, depending on the closing month. The seller's prorated tax credit offsets part of it.
Three details can change the tax line on a specific home:
Two numbers get confused, so it helps to separate them.
Closing costs are what it costs to get the loan: lender origination, any discount points you choose, the appraisal, the credit report, title insurance, escrow or settlement, and recording. They show up in Sections A–E of your Loan Estimate.
Cash to close is your closing costs plus your prepaids plus your down payment. Prepaids are your own future bills paid up front: the first year of homeowners insurance, daily interest from closing to the end of the month, and the opening deposit into your escrow account. They aren't fees. In Killeen, the first year of homeowners insurance and the property-tax escrow deposit are the big prepaids.
Texas details that apply to every Killeen conventional closing:
Texas has statewide programs that can help with down payment and closing costs. Each one has its own eligibility rules, income and price limits, and participating lenders. Availability depends on the program and on your file.
These programs need participating lenders, so ask early. We'll check what you qualify for before we price your conventional options. That way you see any assistance and the first mortgage together.
Conventional underwriting comes down to two questions: can you repay the loan, and does the home support it? Here's what that means in practice.
Yes. We arrange rate-and-term and cash-out refinances on primary homes, second homes and rentals. Texas homestead rules are strict, so the property's status matters.
A PCS move puts a hard date on everything. Here's how we build a conventional file around it.
Large tracts in south Killeen, Harker Heights and Nolanville offer builder incentives. Before you count on one, read exactly what it requires. Some incentives are tied to applying through the builder's preferred lender, and that changes how you compare loans.
David saw this firsthand on a file outside Texas. It was a Las Vegas, Nevada investment property financed with a DSCR loan. It was not a Killeen home and not a conventional loan, but the incentive lesson carries over. In David's words:
“To receive those incentives, she was required to apply through the builder's preferred lender.”
The builder's lender denied her loan. Normally that means losing the financing, and switching lenders can mean losing the incentives too. In this case she had already satisfied the builder's requirement to apply through its lending channel. As David put it:
“The builder ultimately agreed to honor the incentives if she obtained outside financing.”
We arranged a DSCR mortgage based on the property's rental income, applied the builder incentives toward a rate buydown, and closed in less than three weeks. David's takeaway:
“The lesson I took from that transaction is that a lender's denial doesn't necessarily mean a good investment opportunity is dead. Sometimes the solution is understanding the purchase contract, preserving the buyer's negotiating position, and choosing a financing program that fits the actual investment.”
For a Killeen buyer, the practical step is simple. Get the incentive terms in writing before you choose a lender, and ask us to compare the builder's offer with what we can find elsewhere. We can't promise any builder will honor an incentive with outside financing; that depends on the contract.
We don't have a closed Killeen conventional file we can show you, so we won't present one. These are real conventional purchases we closed elsewhere in Texas, from our own records. The numbers are rounded, and names and addresses are left out. More Texas files are on our Texas mortgage broker page.
The pattern: all three Texas conventional buyers closed in under four weeks and ahead of the target date, and in all three the home appraised above the price.
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. This is not a commitment to lend.
In David's words, on what he looks at beyond loan approval:
“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.
I've seen investors spend weeks negotiating a purchase price and then barely examine the financing terms.
They focus on the interest rate. I look at the entire transaction: cash invested, monthly carrying costs, reserves, prepayment penalties, and the exit strategy.”
For the soldiers and families we work with, part of that plan is what happens to the home when the next set of orders arrives. We build the loan around it.
Conventional loans share agency guidelines, but each lender adds its own rules and sets its own pricing. That's the gap a broker closes.
Each guarantee has full terms on its own page; see all iQRATE guarantees.
We lend in Killeen and the surrounding area, including Harker Heights, Copperas Cove, Nolanville, Belton and Temple. ZIP codes and area notes are on our Killeen mortgage broker page. We're licensed in Texas under company NMLS 1862492, and we work Killeen files remotely from Las Vegas, Nevada, closing with local escrow and title.
| Topic | Source |
|---|---|
| 2026 conforming loan limits, including Bell County | FHFA, Conforming Loan Limit Values for 2026 |
| 2026 FHA loan limits | HUD Mortgagee Letter 2025-23 |
| Homestead cash-out rules | Texas Constitution, Article XVI, Section 50(a)(6) |
| Title insurance premiums | Texas Department of Insurance, title insurance rates |
| Property tax and homestead exemptions | Texas Comptroller, property tax basics |
| Homes for Texas Heroes | TSAHC, Homes for Texas Heroes |
| 2025 City of Killeen, Killeen ISD and Bell County tax rates | Bell County 2025 rate chart, as summarized on our Killeen mortgage broker page |
| Fort Hood redesignation | U.S. Army, June 11, 2025, as summarized on our Killeen mortgage broker page |
| License verification | NMLS Consumer Access: search company NMLS 1862492 or David Ghazaryan, NMLS 1486726 |
| Conventional purchase files | iQRATE loan records, rounded and de-identified |
These are real 5-star reviews, quoted word for word, with a screenshot of each review above its quote. They describe working with David Ghazaryan and the iQRATE team overall. They aren't reviews of a Killeen loan, and they aren't a promise about yours.
“Thank you Andrei and David again for being professional and very patient. They both helped my brother to buy a house in time. They know what they're doing. We're glad that we choose iQRate Mortgage.”
— ศิวกร น. (CO), 5-star review on Yelp
“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.”
— Jasmin (Las Vegas, NV), 5-star review on Zillow
Our ratings: Google 5.0 from 77 reviews. Yelp 5.0 from 51 reviews. Zillow 5.00 from 9 reviews. David also has 5.0 stars from 87 reviews on Experience.com (October 2026).
Read our Google reviews · Read our Zillow reviews
$832,750 for a one-unit home in Bell County, and $1,066,250 for a duplex. The one-unit figure is the same in every Texas county for 2026, including Coryell County for Copperas Cove. A loan above the limit is a jumbo loan.
No. A conventional loan isn't a VA loan, so it doesn't use VA entitlement. If you already have a VA loan on another home, we calculate what entitlement remains. Then you can compare a VA loan here with a conventional one.
There's no single answer, and we won't hand you a rule of thumb. It depends on whether you'll live in the home, whether you already have a VA loan elsewhere, your credit and income, and your plans for the next set of orders. If you're VA-eligible, we price both and show you the difference on your own numbers.
Yes. Conventional loans can finance a primary home, a second home or an investment property, subject to lender guidelines. VA and FHA loans are for homes you live in. If you want the rent, rather than your personal income, to qualify you for a rental, a DSCR loan is a separate option.
Yes. Conventional loans cover single- and multi-family homes, including as an investment property. The 2026 conforming limit for a duplex is $1,066,250. Eligible veterans can also buy a duplex to fourplex with a VA loan if they live in one unit.
It depends on your equity. With a smaller down payment, you'll generally pay private mortgage insurance until you reach a specified level of equity. With a large enough down payment, you may not need it at all. In one of our Tyler, Texas files, the conventional loan needed no PMI.
They can. Property tax is part of your monthly housing payment, and that payment counts in your debt-to-income ratio. The combined rate for the exact address, along with any homestead exemption, feeds directly into that ratio. We price your file with the tax for the actual address.
Yes. BAH is non-taxable income, and lenders count it. We make sure the lender counts it correctly.
Yes, within Texas rules. On a homestead, a cash-out loan falls under Section 50(a)(6). It is limited to 80% of fair market value counting all liens, needs a 12-day waiting period after the required notice, and generally can be done once a year. On a rental, those homestead limits don't apply, and conventional cash-out is allowed within Fannie Mae limits.
Possibly. TSAHC's Homes for Texas Heroes and Home Sweet Texas, and TDHCA's My First Texas Home and My Choice Texas Home, each have their own eligibility rules, income and price limits, and participating lenders. Ask before you shop. We'll check which programs fit your file and how they pair with the first mortgage.
With a broker, a decline from one lender isn't the end of the file. We move it to another lender whose guidelines fit, without starting over.
A conventional loan qualifies on documented income, which for self-employed borrowers means tax returns. If write-offs shrink taxable income too far, a bank statement loan uses 12 or 24 months of deposits instead. We check which fits before you apply.
Call or text (702) 766-3744, or start an application to get a fully verified pre-approval before you make an offer. Tell us whether you're VA-eligible and whether you might rent the home out later. We'll compare conventional, VA and FHA side by side.
Apply now or contact us to get a quote on the property you have in mind. You can also schedule a call or book a call with David at (702) 766-3744. This is not a commitment to lend.
These are live iQRATE pages on related loan types, cities and topics. Each link goes to a published page on this site.
iQRATE Mortgages LLC · NMLS 1862492 · 6360 S Rainbow Blvd Ste 101, Las Vegas, NV 89118 · Licensed in Nevada, California, Texas and Florida. Verify us on NMLS Consumer Access. David Ghazaryan, Mortgage Broker, NMLS 1486726. (702) 766-3744. Equal Housing Opportunity. Loan programs and terms change and are subject to credit, property and lender approval. Not all borrowers qualify. DSCR and other investment-property loans are for business purposes only. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Local facts on this page come from the public sources listed above and are not legal or tax advice. This page is general information, not a quote and not a commitment to lend.