Novato, CA
Novato home loans, built for Novato's market.
From jumbo to move-up money, Novato loans get built around real Novato price tags, Hamilton included.
Where do Novato buyers find a mortgage broker?
A Novato buyer can work with Choice Home Mortgage, a California mortgage broker licensed under NMLS #2629064 and CA DRE #01822046. We have been family-owned since 2005, we compare many lenders on each Novato loan, and owner Esther Buede runs the file personally.
The 2026 conforming limit for a one-unit Novato home is $1,249,125 (Marin County, per FHFA). We start every Novato file by placing the price against that number, then handle the application, documents and updates by phone and online.
Inside the Novato mortgage market.
As Marin County’s northernmost and most affordable city, Novato provides the county’s primary entry point for buyers who require proximity to the 101 corridor for Bay Area employment but cannot access Mill Valley or Tiburon price ranges.
Those Novato realities set the strategy. For a Novato one-unit home, the 2026 conforming line sits at $1,249,125 — high-cost-area room for Novato buyers. That means high-balance and jumbo tools come up constantly in Novato — the first job on any Novato file is placing it against $1,249,125. As a market, Novato runs above the national norm — consistent with Marin County’s high-cost status. 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 26, 2026.
Roughly 54,000-plus people call Novato home, spread from Hamilton to San Marin, with Petaluma and San Rafael minutes away. From the Hamilton district (former Hamilton Army Airfield) outward, we treat Novato as home turf. Buyers come to us from Hamilton, Ignacio, Bel Marin Keys, and San Marin, and from every other part of Novato. Looking for a mortgage broker near you in Novato? We serve Novato by phone and online, so Novato buyers get local-market help without driving anywhere.
How we work Novato loans.
Novato market knowledge
We know where Novato values run hot — Hamilton, Ignacio, Bel Marin Keys, out to the Hamilton district (former Hamilton Army Airfield) — and which programs fit each pocket.
High-balance & jumbo ready
Novato runs above the national norm — we structure high-balance, jumbo financing around Novato price points.
Lenders shopped for you
Many lenders bid on each Novato file we bring them — Novato buyers never shop one shelf.
Owner-handled
In Novato you get the owner, Esther Buede, personally — no queue for Novato files, and the Novato attention shows in our reviews.
Novato's file, the owner's desk.
In Novato, your loan is handled personally by owner Esther Buede — a licensed expert (individual NMLS #2003644) guiding families — Ignacio to all Novato — to closing. Not a call center — one expert on your Novato file. Choice Home Mortgage has been a family brokerage since 2005. Meet the family behind CHM →
“Esther is amazing, very knowledgeable. She made the loan process fast and easy.”
The right Novato loan for your situation.
Near the Hamilton district (former Hamilton Army Airfield), high-balance files are a Novato staple for us. For Novato we lean on high-balance, jumbo — but whatever fits your Novato file, we shop it: non-QM, FHA financing, conventional, jumbo, and VA. Jump in at any stage: buying, exploring a refinance, or just running numbers — begin online or call (949) 522-7310.
Novato files here lean on high-balance, jumbo.
First home in Novato? See which down-payment assistance is actually real in 2026 — CalHFA’s help applies to Novato buyers too.
Novato borrowers who work for themselves get their own path here, qualifying on bank-statement income instead of W-2s; Novato investors have DSCR investor loans too. See Marin County’s complete 2026 loan-limit table for the one- through four-unit numbers behind that figure.
Close to Novato, we also help buyers in Petaluma, San Rafael, Rohnert Park. See all California cities we serve →
A licensed California mortgage broker for Novato: Choice Home Mortgage, NMLS #2629064, CA DRE #01822046. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Novato home-loan questions, straight answers.
How high can a conforming loan go in Novato?
A conforming loan on a one-unit Novato home can go up to $1,249,125 in 2026, which is FHFA's limit for Marin County. Because Marin County is high-cost, its limit sits above the $832,750 national baseline; a loan in that gap is called high-balance and is still conforming.
Is a jumbo loan the norm for Novato purchases?
Jumbo applies to a Novato purchase only when the loan itself is over $1,249,125; at or under that, the loan is conforming. Between $832,750 and $1,249,125, a loan is still conforming under the high-balance rules for Marin County. Your file goes to many lenders, and you see their offers side by side.
What parts of Novato do you work in?
Every part of Novato, including Hamilton, Ignacio, Bel Marin Keys and San Marin. Prices shift from street to street, and the appraisal follows recent nearby sales; the loan terms follow your credit, income and down payment. Whether the home is in Hamilton or San Marin, owner Esther Buede handles the loan by phone and online.
Do you actually know the Novato market?
Yes. A one-unit Novato home has a $1,249,125 conforming limit for 2026, the FHA limit there is $1,249,125, and every file we take starts from those figures. We are a family-owned California mortgage broker (NMLS #2629064, CA DRE #01822046), and we compare many lenders on every loan.
Do you cover the towns around Novato?
Yes, the towns around Novato are covered, including Petaluma, San Rafael and Rohnert Park. Loan limits are set county by county, so the limit is re-checked for whichever town the home is in. Choice Home Mortgage arranges those loans as a licensed California broker, the same way as a Novato file.
Let's get you home in Novato.
One call with the owner — local, honest, no pressure. We'll match the program to your Novato purchase and shop lenders for your Novato file.