Gainesville, FL
First-time buying in Gainesville, FL? Start here.
We fit the loan to your Gainesville plans — FHA, first-time-buyer, down-payment-assistance and more — walking Gainesville buyers through it, Duckpond Historic District to closing day.
Does Choice Home Mortgage work with Gainesville, FL buyers?
Yes. Choice Home Mortgage arranges home loans for Gainesville buyers through licensed partner brokers who cover Florida. We are a family-owned broker, in business since 2005 and licensed in California (NMLS #2629064); a licensed partner broker handles the Gainesville loan while we coordinate it and compare many lenders for it, with owner Esther Buede as your point of contact.
For Gainesville, FHFA's 2026 one-unit limit is $832,750 (Alachua County), which is where a loan stops being conforming and becomes jumbo. Everything from the first call to closing runs by phone and online.
Inside the Gainesville mortgage market.
The University of Florida anchors a recession-resistant base of university and UF Health employees; the dual driver of a major research university and a flagship academic medical center sustains demand independent of any single industry cycle.
Those Gainesville realities set the strategy. Gainesville’s 2026 conforming ceiling is $832,750, the baseline figure Alachua County shares with most of the country. Since typical Gainesville prices stay under $832,750, a Gainesville buyer keeps conventional, FHA, and down-payment-assistance all in play. As a market, Gainesville runs entry-level. 2026 limits published by FHFA — confirm your exact scenario with us.
2026 loan limits checked against FHFA’s county file; this page was last updated October 13, 2026.
Call it 127,000-plus people: Gainesville runs from Duckpond Historic District to University Area, and Ocala and Alachua sit just outside the line. Our Gainesville knowledge is street-level — the area around Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (The Swamp) included. Gainesville buyers reach us from Duckpond Historic District, Southeast Historic District, Pleasant Street, and University Area — and from every block in between. Gainesville buyers reach us in one call; the loan runs online from there, with the Gainesville market knowledge built in. Gainesville is one of 73 Florida markets we cover, and every Florida file gets the same treatment: real Gainesville numbers first, then lenders competing on them.
How Gainesville buyers come out ahead.
Gainesville market knowledge
Gainesville pricing shifts pocket by pocket — Duckpond Historic District, Southeast Historic District, Pleasant Street, near Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (The Swamp) — and the loan should match the pocket you pick.
First Gainesville home help
FHA, first-time-buyer, down-payment-assistance carry most Gainesville purchases — and we check every assistance program a Gainesville file qualifies for.
Many lenders, one file
Instead of one bank's rates, your Gainesville application sees many lenders competing — that's the whole point of working with us.
Owner-coordinated
Esther Buede, the owner, coordinates your Gainesville loan start to finish; our Google reviews show Gainesville buyers why that matters.
One coordinator, application to keys.
Your Gainesville loan gets the owner as its coordinator: Esther Buede (individual NMLS #2003644), working with licensed partner brokers from Southeast Historic District across the Gainesville map. Meet the family behind CHM →
“She was sincere. Got me processed and funded in 20 days. I felt taken care of every step of the way.”
Programs shaped to Gainesville price tags.
Near Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (The Swamp), FHA files are a Gainesville staple for us. Most Gainesville files start at FHA, first-time-buyer, down-payment-assistance (via our licensed partner-broker network) and branch from there — every option gets a look: FHA, conventional, VA, and non-QM. Jump in at any stage: buying, refinancing, or just running numbers — start your application here or call (949) 522-7310.
Expect FHA, first-time-buyer, down-payment-assistance to carry most Gainesville files.
Not every Gainesville file fits a W-2 box — self-employed borrowers can qualify on bank-statement income. Want every unit count, not just single-family? Alachua County’s 2026 loan limits page has the full table.
Beyond Gainesville itself, Ocala, Alachua, Middleburg buyers work with us the same way. More Florida cities we work in →
For Gainesville, FL: financing arranged through licensed partner brokers, coordinated by Choice Home Mortgage, licensed in California (NMLS #2629064). Equal Housing Opportunity. We work with Gainesville buyers remotely and maintain no Gainesville office.
Before you buy in Gainesville: the FAQs.
What's the conforming cap on a Gainesville home loan?
$832,750 is the 2026 conforming limit for a single-family home in Gainesville, based on FHFA's figure for Alachua County. That is the national baseline with no high-cost adjustment, so a loan above $832,750 is a jumbo loan. Two-unit homes in Alachua County have a $1,066,250 conforming limit for 2026.
How do first-time buyers usually finance a Gainesville home?
First-time buyers in Gainesville usually finance with FHA and conventional loans. 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 Alachua County is $541,287. Some conventional programs accept 3% down from first-time buyers.
Which Gainesville neighborhoods do you serve?
All of them, from Duckpond Historic District to University Area; the rest of Gainesville is covered too. 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 Duckpond Historic District and University Area, and we coordinate them by phone and online.
Do you work with Gainesville, FL buyers?
Yes. We work with Gainesville buyers through licensed partner brokers who hold the Florida license, and we coordinate each 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.
What if I'm buying just outside Gainesville?
Buying just outside Gainesville changes nothing on our side; we also arrange loans in Ocala, Alachua and Middleburg through licensed partner brokers. 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 Gainesville file.
Do I ever need to visit an office for my Gainesville loan?
No. A Gainesville loan runs by phone and online, and Choice Home Mortgage has no local office to visit. A licensed partner broker in Florida originates the loan, and Choice Home Mortgage (California NMLS #2629064) coordinates it and compares many lenders. Owner Esther Buede is your point of contact from the first call to closing.
Start your Gainesville loan today.
Tell us where in Gainesville you're headed — the program match and the Gainesville lender legwork are on us.