Columbia, SC
Buy your first Columbia, SC home with confidence.
FHA, down-payment-assistance, and first-time-buyer programs that fit Columbia budgets. We walk you through every step.
How Columbia buyers get to the closing table.
Columbia is one of the more affordable Southern state capitals; the University of South Carolina and Fort Jackson together sustain a consistent entry-level and mid-tier market.
That market shapes the loan. In Richland County, the 2026 one-unit conforming limit is the national baseline of $832,750. Most Columbia purchases sit comfortably under that $832,750 line, which keeps conventional, FHA, and first-time-buyer options on the table. Limits per FHFA 2026; verify your scenario with us.
We work Columbia from the ground up — close to the South Carolina State House. We finance homes across Five Points, The Vista, Shandon, and Forest Acres — and every other corner of Columbia. Looking for a mortgage broker near you in Columbia? We serve the area by phone and online, so you get a local-market broker without driving to an office.
What you get with a local broker.
Columbia market knowledge
Near the South Carolina State House, across Five Points, The Vista, Shandon — we know Columbia's neighborhoods, prices, and the programs that fit them.
First-time & assistance
Columbia buyers often start with FHA, first-time-buyer, down-payment-assistance — we match you to the down-payment and first-time programs you qualify for.
Lenders shopped for you
As a broker we shop many lenders for your Columbia file instead of selling one bank's product.
Owner-handled
Owner Esther Buede guides your Columbia loan personally — the named expert behind our five-star reviews.
One owner, handling your whole loan.
In Columbia, your loan is handled personally by owner Esther Buede — a licensed mortgage expert (individual NMLS #2003644) who has guided California families to the closing table since 2005. Not a call center, not a rotating cast — one expert who knows your file and your market. Meet the family behind CHM →
“Closed in 8 days. I never knew a home refinance could happen so quickly and painlessly!”
Columbia financing that fits the home and the borrower.
For Columbia we lean on FHA, first-time-buyer, down-payment-assistance through our licensed partner-broker network — but whatever fits, we shop it: FHA, conventional, VA, and non-QM. Start when you’re ready: buying, refinancing, or just exploring — apply here or call (949) 522-7310.
Close to Columbia, we also help buyers in Sumter, Rock Hill, Augusta-Richmond County. See all South Carolina cities we serve →
Choice Home Mortgage is licensed in California (NMLS #2629064) and helps Columbia, SC buyers through licensed partner brokers. Equal Housing Opportunity. We serve this area; we do not maintain a Columbia office.
Columbia mortgage questions, answered.
What's the 2026 conforming loan limit in Columbia?
In Richland County, the 2026 conforming loan limit is $832,750 for a single-family home, the national baseline. Limits per FHFA 2026; verify your scenario with us.
What loans help first-time buyers in Columbia?
FHA loans, down-payment-assistance, and first-time-buyer programs are common paths in Columbia. We match you to the ones you qualify for.
Which Columbia neighborhoods do you serve?
We serve buyers across Columbia, including Five Points, The Vista, Shandon. Financing works the same citywide — the loan is matched to you, not the ZIP code.
Can Choice Home Mortgage help me buy in Columbia, SC?
Yes. We help Columbia homebuyers through licensed partner brokers. Choice Home Mortgage is licensed in California (NMLS #2629064); we coordinate SC financing for you.
Do you serve areas near Columbia?
Yes — we also work with buyers in nearby Sumter, Rock Hill, Augusta-Richmond County. Same process, local loan-limit details for each.
Let's finance your Columbia home.
Straight answers on your Columbia options, and a broker who shops the whole market so you don't have to.