Merced, CA
Buy your first Merced home with confidence.
FHA, down-payment-assistance, and first-time-buyer programs that fit Merced budgets. We walk you through every step.
How Merced buyers get to the closing table.
Merced is the only Central Valley city home to a UC campus — UC Merced — still in a multi-decade buildout, creating structural demand from faculty, staff, and student-adjacent households that insulates it from pure agricultural cycles; housing remains among the most affordable in California.
That market shapes the loan. In Merced County, the 2026 one-unit conforming limit is the national baseline of $832,750. Most Merced 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 Merced from the ground up — close to UC Merced and Lake Yosemite. We finance homes across North Merced, Ragsdale, Bellevue Ranch, and Downtown Merced — and every other corner of Merced. Looking for a mortgage broker near you in Merced? 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.
Merced market knowledge
Near UC Merced and Lake Yosemite, across North Merced, Ragsdale, Bellevue Ranch — we know Merced's neighborhoods, prices, and the programs that fit them.
First-time & assistance
Merced 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 Merced file instead of selling one bank's product.
Owner-handled
Owner Esther Buede guides your Merced loan personally — the named expert behind our five-star reviews.
One owner, handling your whole loan.
In Merced, 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!”
Merced financing that fits the home and the borrower.
For Merced we lean on FHA, first-time-buyer, down-payment-assistance — but whatever fits, we shop it: FHA, conventional, jumbo, VA, and non-QM. Start when you’re ready: buying, refinancing, or just exploring — apply here or call (949) 522-7310.
Close to Merced, we also help buyers in Turlock, Ceres, Modesto. See all California cities we serve →
Choice Home Mortgage is a licensed California mortgage broker — NMLS #2629064, CA DRE #01822046. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Merced mortgage questions, answered.
What's the 2026 conforming loan limit in Merced?
In Merced 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 Merced?
FHA loans, down-payment-assistance, and first-time-buyer programs are common paths in Merced. We match you to the ones you qualify for.
Which Merced neighborhoods do you serve?
We serve buyers across Merced, including North Merced, Ragsdale, Bellevue Ranch. Financing works the same citywide — the loan is matched to you, not the ZIP code.
Are you a licensed mortgage broker in Merced?
Yes. Choice Home Mortgage is a licensed California mortgage broker (NMLS #2629064, CA DRE #01822046) serving Merced and the surrounding area.
Do you serve areas near Merced?
Yes — we also work with buyers in nearby Turlock, Ceres, Modesto. Same process, local loan-limit details for each.
Let's finance your Merced home.
Straight answers on your Merced options, and a broker who shops the whole market so you don't have to.