Columbia, SC
Columbia first homes, financed the smart way.
Your Columbia budget picks the program — down-payment-assistance, FHA, first-time-buyer — and we handle the Columbia lender legwork, whether you're eyeing Five Points or beyond.
Who can help me get a mortgage in Columbia, SC?
Choice Home Mortgage can. We arrange Columbia home loans through licensed partner brokers in South Carolina and coordinate each Columbia file ourselves; our own license is California's (NMLS #2629064). Owner Esther Buede coordinates it personally, and we compare many lenders for it.
For 2026, a one-unit Columbia home can carry a conforming loan of up to $832,750, the Richland County limit FHFA sets, and we check where your Columbia price falls before you write an offer. The whole process runs by phone and online.
The Columbia market, read honestly.
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.
Every Columbia loan starts from that reality. Columbia’s 2026 conforming ceiling is $832,750, the baseline figure Richland County shares with most of the country. Under that $832,750 line — where most Columbia purchases sit — conventional, FHA, and VA all stay in play. Columbia itself prices entry-level. FHFA publishes the 2026 schedule; we’ll square your numbers against it.
2026 loan limits checked against FHFA’s county file; this page was last updated October 13, 2026.
Roughly 133,000-plus people call Columbia home, spread from Five Points to Forest Acres, with Irmo and Seven Oaks minutes away. From the South Carolina State House outward, we treat Columbia as home turf. We finance homes across Five Points, The Vista, Shandon, and Forest Acres — and every other corner of Columbia. Searching “mortgage broker near me” from Columbia? We cover Columbia by phone and online — Columbia-level market help, no office visit. Across South Carolina, our coverage runs 12 cities deep — and in Columbia, as everywhere, the county numbers get verified before anything is quoted.
What you get with a local broker.
Columbia, block by block
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 Columbia home help
The Columbia starting lineup is usually down-payment-assistance, FHA, first-time-buyer; we add whichever down-payment help your Columbia budget is eligible for.
Many lenders, one file
Many lenders bid on each Columbia file we bring them — Columbia buyers never shop one shelf.
Owner-coordinated
Esther Buede, the owner, coordinates your Columbia loan start to finish; our Google reviews show Columbia buyers why that matters.
Owner-coordinated, application to Columbia keys.
Your Columbia loan gets the owner as its coordinator: Esther Buede (individual NMLS #2003644), working with licensed partner brokers from The Vista across the Columbia map. Meet the family behind CHM →
“I am a repeat customer. The service is spectacular.”
The loan follows your Columbia plan — not the reverse.
Near the South Carolina State House, down-payment-assistance files are a Columbia staple for us. Through licensed partner brokers, Columbia buyers lean on down-payment-assistance, FHA, first-time-buyer most — and whatever else the Columbia numbers call for: an FHA loan, non-QM, conventional, and VA. Any starting point works: buying, exploring a refinance, or simply exploring — apply online or call (949) 522-7310.
For Columbia, that usually means FHA, first-time-buyer, down-payment-assistance, VA.
Self-employed in Columbia? We also work with 1099 and business-owner borrowers — bank-statement income included. Want every unit count, not just single-family? Richland County’s 2026 loan limits page has the full table.
The same coverage rings Columbia: Irmo, Seven Oaks, St. Andrews included. All our South Carolina coverage, city by city →
Working with Columbia, SC buyers through licensed partner brokers — Choice Home Mortgage, California-licensed, NMLS #2629064. Equal Housing Opportunity. We serve this area; we do not maintain a Columbia office.
Columbia home-loan questions, straight answers.
What counts as a conforming loan amount in Columbia?
The 2026 conforming loan limit for a one-unit home in Columbia is $832,750, the figure FHFA set for Richland County. That is the national baseline with no high-cost adjustment, so a loan above $832,750 is a jumbo loan. A two-unit property in Richland County can borrow up to $1,066,250 and stay conforming.
Which programs fit Columbia first-time buyers?
FHA, VA and conventional loans fit most first-time buyers in Columbia, and the right one depends on your credit score and down payment. FHA loans allow 3.5% down with a credit score of 580 or higher, under HUD's rules. HUD's 2026 FHA limit for one unit in Richland County is $541,287.
Can you finance a home anywhere in Columbia?
Yes, anywhere in Columbia, from Five Points to Forest Acres. The neighborhood affects the appraisal, which compares recent nearby sales, but the loan terms come from your credit, income and down payment. Licensed partner brokers originate loans across Five Points and Forest Acres, and we coordinate them by phone and online.
Are you set up to arrange loans in Columbia, SC?
Yes. Columbia loans are arranged through licensed partner brokers in South Carolina, with Choice Home Mortgage coordinating the file. Our own license is California's (NMLS #2629064); we keep no local office, and the file runs by phone and online. Owner Esther Buede coordinates the file, and many lenders compete for it.
I'm shopping Columbia and the next town over: is that covered?
Yes. You can compare homes in Columbia with Irmo, Seven Oaks and St. Andrews on one file. Every address is checked against its own county's 2026 limit before we quote. Licensed partner brokers originate those loans and Choice Home Mortgage coordinates them, the same way as a Columbia file.
How does the process run for a Columbia buyer working with you?
A Columbia buyer starts with one call to set the plan, then applies online, uploads documents and gets updates as the file moves. Licensed partner brokers cover the South Carolina licensing, while Choice Home Mortgage (California NMLS #2629064) coordinates the file and the lender shopping. Owner Esther Buede is your point of contact from the first call to closing.
Start your Columbia loan today.
Tell us about the Columbia home you want — we'll match the program and make lenders compete for your Columbia loan.