Oakland, CA
Oakland home loans, built for Oakland's market.
The right Oakland loan respects Oakland prices — high-balance, jumbo, refinance — structured for Rockridge and every Oakland block from day one.
What financing an Oakland home really takes.
Oakland is the most attainable entry into the Bay Area’s high-cost market, drawing buyers priced out of San Francisco and the Peninsula who still need Bay Area access; Alameda County’s high-cost designation puts most single-family purchases in high-balance conforming.
That Oakland market shapes the loan. Because Alameda County is high-cost, an Oakland one-unit purchase can reach $1,249,125 and stay conforming on an Oakland file. So many Oakland buyers use high-balance or jumbo financing — knowing where an Oakland purchase lands against that $1,249,125 line is half the work. Source: FHFA 2026 limits. We’ll verify your numbers.
Oakland holds 406,000-plus residents across pockets like Rockridge and Fruitvale, with Alameda and San Leandro right next door. We work Oakland from the ground up — close to Lake Merritt and the Oakland Hills. Whether the address is in Rockridge, Temescal, Grand Lake, and Fruitvale or another Oakland pocket entirely, the financing follows. Searching “mortgage broker near me” from Oakland? We cover Oakland by phone and online — Oakland-level market help, no office visit.
What working with us looks like.
Oakland market knowledge
We know where Oakland values run hot — Rockridge, Temescal, Grand Lake, out to Lake Merritt and the Oakland Hills — and which programs fit each pocket.
High-balance & jumbo ready
Jumbo, FHA for East Oakland entry buyers, high-balance — that's the Oakland toolkit, because Oakland prices above the national norm and the financing keeps up.
Lenders shopped for you
One Oakland application, many lenders competing on it — that's what an Oakland buyer hires a broker for.
Owner-handled
In Oakland you get the owner, Esther Buede, personally — no queue for Oakland files, and the Oakland attention shows in our reviews.
One name on every Oakland loan.
Every Oakland file lands on one desk: owner Esther Buede’s (individual NMLS #2003644). Closing loans since 2005, she’ll know your Oakland plans — Temescal or anywhere Oakland — and your name from the first call. Meet the family behind CHM →
“One of the best business interactions that I've ever had. Esther Buede made my loan application possible.”
The right Oakland loan for your situation.
Oakland’s pull — think Lake Merritt and the Oakland Hills — keeps jumbo work coming. Oakland files most often land on jumbo, FHA for East Oakland entry buyers, high-balance — and past those, every Oakland option gets shopped: conventional, jumbo, VA, non-QM, and FHA. Jump in at any stage: buying, refinancing, or just running numbers — start your application here or call (949) 522-7310.
If the down payment is the wall between you and an Oakland home, read what assistance actually exists right now — CalHFA reaches Oakland.
Beyond Oakland itself, Alameda, San Leandro, Berkeley buyers work with us the same way. Every California city we cover →
NMLS #2629064 · CA DRE #01822046 — Choice Home Mortgage, a licensed California mortgage broker serving Oakland. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Real questions from Oakland buyers.
Where does the Oakland conforming loan limit sit for 2026?
Alameda County is high-cost, so an Oakland single-family purchase can reach $1,249,125 and stay conforming. FHFA resets these yearly; we'll verify your Oakland scenario.
How do Oakland buyers finance above the conforming limit?
Oakland's price points mean jumbo and high-balance financing come up constantly on Oakland files. We map your purchase against the limit first, then make lenders compete for it.
Do you cover all of Oakland?
All of Oakland — including Rockridge, Temescal, Grand Lake, Fruitvale. The financing follows you across Oakland: the loan matches your Oakland file, never the ZIP.
Do you actually know the Oakland market?
We do. Choice Home Mortgage is California-licensed (NMLS #2629064) and works Oakland loans regularly — your Oakland file stays owner-handled, phone-and-online, Oakland to closing.
Do you serve areas near Oakland?
Of course: Alameda, San Leandro, Berkeley run the same as Oakland files, with each area's numbers checked separately.
Let's get you home in Oakland.
Talk to the owner directly. We'll map the right loan for your Oakland home and put lenders in competition for Oakland business.