Mcallen, TX
First-time buying in Mcallen, TX? Start here.
FHA, first-time-buyer, down-payment-assistance programs sized to Mcallen budgets — matched to your Mcallen file, from Tres Lagos to every corner of Mcallen.
Does Choice Home Mortgage work with Mcallen, TX buyers?
Yes. Choice Home Mortgage arranges home loans for Mcallen buyers through licensed partner brokers who cover Texas. We are a family-owned broker, in business since 2005 and licensed in California (NMLS #2629064); a licensed partner broker handles the Mcallen loan while we coordinate it and compare many lenders for it, with owner Esther Buede as your point of contact.
For 2026, a one-unit Mcallen home can carry a conforming loan of up to $832,750, the Hidalgo County limit FHFA sets, and we check where your Mcallen price falls before you write an offer. The whole process runs by phone and online.
Buying in Mcallen: the numbers that matter.
McAllen is the commercial capital of the Rio Grande Valley and one of the most active international trade corridors in North America, with cross-border activity generating demand from binational professionals; as one of Texas’s most affordable metros, FHA and first-time programs are structurally important.
The loan has to fit the Mcallen picture. 2026 gives Mcallen buyers a $832,750 conforming cap on one-unit homes — Hidalgo County sits at the national baseline. For the typical Mcallen purchase, $832,750 is headroom, not a hurdle — Mcallen files keep conventional, FHA, and down-payment-assistance open. Mcallen’s price tier is entry-level. FHFA resets these limits each year; we verify before we quote.
2026 loan limits checked against FHFA’s county file; this page was last updated October 13, 2026.
Mcallen counts 136,000-plus residents, Tres Lagos to McAllen Country Club, with Pharr and Mission close enough to house-hunt the same weekend. Our Mcallen knowledge is street-level — the area around Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park included. Tres Lagos, North McAllen, Nolana, and McAllen Country Club — we finance homes in each of them, and everywhere else Mcallen reaches. If you’re in Mcallen hunting for a nearby broker: we work Mcallen loans by phone and online, Mcallen knowledge included. Texas coverage here spans 83 cities, Mcallen among them — each on its own county limits, each shopped the same way.
One file, many lenders, Mcallen terms.
Mcallen, block by block
From Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park across Tres Lagos, North McAllen, Nolana, we keep tabs on what Mcallen homes actually go for and which programs carry them.
First Mcallen home help
Mcallen buyers often start with FHA, first-time-buyer, down-payment-assistance — we match Mcallen files to the down-payment and first-time programs they qualify for.
Lenders shopped for you
As a broker we put many lenders in competition for your Mcallen file — not one bank's Mcallen shelf.
Owner-coordinated
Esther Buede, the owner, coordinates your Mcallen loan start to finish; our Google reviews show Mcallen buyers why that matters.
Mcallen's file, coordinated by the owner.
In Mcallen, owner Esther Buede (individual NMLS #2003644) is the one coordinating your file, North McAllen or anywhere on the Mcallen map, first call through keys. Meet the family behind CHM →
“Esther Buede was a breathe of fresh air to work with from starting to the finish line!”
Built around your Mcallen home, not a shelf product.
Mcallen keeps us busy with FHA files — the draw of Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park doesn’t hurt. FHA, first-time-buyer, down-payment-assistance carry most of our Mcallen work (via our licensed partner-broker network) — and beyond those, Mcallen buyers get the full menu: FHA loans, VA, conventional, and non-QM. Ready or just curious — buying, refinancing, or running scenarios — apply here or call (949) 522-7310.
The programs that come up most for Mcallen buyers: FHA, first-time-buyer, down-payment-assistance.
Self-employed in Mcallen? We also work with self-employed buyers — bank-statement income included. Hidalgo County’s 2026 conforming and FHA limits, by unit count are laid out in full if you’re comparing property types.
The same coverage rings Mcallen: Pharr, Mission, Edinburg included. Browse our Texas service areas →
Working with Mcallen, TX buyers through licensed partner brokers — Choice Home Mortgage, California-licensed, NMLS #2629064. Equal Housing Opportunity. We serve this area; we do not maintain a Mcallen office.
Straight answers for Mcallen buyers.
How much can Mcallen buyers borrow and stay conforming?
The 2026 conforming loan limit for a one-unit home in Mcallen is $832,750, the figure FHFA set for Hidalgo County. Hidalgo County uses the $832,750 national baseline, so a larger loan is a jumbo loan, which each lender prices and underwrites under its own rules. For two units, the Hidalgo County conforming limit is $1,066,250.
Do Mcallen first-time buyers have good loan options?
Yes. First-time buyers in Mcallen can choose from FHA and conventional loans, and down-payment assistance where they qualify. FHA loans allow 3.5% down with a credit score of 580 or higher, under HUD's rules. For FHA, the 2026 one-unit limit in Hidalgo County is $541,287, per HUD.
Do you cover all of Mcallen?
Yes, we cover all of Mcallen, including Tres Lagos, North McAllen, Nolana and McAllen Country Club. Prices shift from street to street, and the appraisal follows recent nearby sales; the loan terms follow your credit, income and down payment. For a one-unit home in Hidalgo County, the 2026 conforming limit is $832,750.
Are you set up to arrange loans in Mcallen, TX?
Yes. Mcallen loans are arranged through licensed partner brokers in Texas, with Choice Home Mortgage coordinating the file. Choice Home Mortgage is licensed in California (NMLS #2629064) and has no Mcallen office, so the application, documents and updates run by phone and online. Owner Esther Buede coordinates the file, and many lenders compete for it.
Can you help outside Mcallen too?
Yes. Our coverage goes past Mcallen to Pharr, Mission and Edinburg. 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 Mcallen file. For a one-unit home in Hidalgo County, the 2026 conforming limit is $832,750.
How do we work together on a Mcallen purchase?
We start with a call to map your Mcallen purchase, then coordinate the application, documents and updates online. A licensed partner broker in Texas 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.
Let's finance your Mcallen home.
Talk to the owner directly. We'll map the right loan for your Mcallen home and put lenders in competition for Mcallen business.