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.
Is there a mortgage broker serving Oakland, CA?
Yes. Choice Home Mortgage is a family-owned California mortgage broker (NMLS #2629064, CA DRE #01822046), and Oakland is in our service area. Owner Esther Buede handles each Oakland loan herself and compares many lenders for it, so an Oakland buyer is not limited to one bank's programs.
For Oakland, FHFA's 2026 one-unit limit is $1,249,125 (Alameda County), which is where a loan stops being conforming and becomes jumbo. Everything from the first call to closing runs by phone and online.
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. Oakland itself prices above the national norm, which is part of why Alameda County carries a high-cost designation. Source: FHFA 2026 limits. We’ll verify your numbers.
2026 loan limits checked against FHFA’s county file; this page was last updated October 13, 2026.
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). She’ll know your Oakland plans — Temescal or anywhere Oakland — and your name from the first call. Choice Home Mortgage has closed loans since 2005. 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 loans. Jump in at any stage: buying, exploring a refinance, or just running numbers — start your application here or call (949) 522-7310.
Oakland files here lean on high-balance, jumbo, FHA for East Oakland entry buyers.
If the down payment is the wall between you and an Oakland home, read what assistance actually exists right now — CalHFA reaches Oakland.
Not every Oakland file fits a W-2 box — 1099 and business-owner borrowers can qualify on bank-statement income, and Oakland investors can lean on bridge financing. Alameda County’s 2026 conforming and FHA limits, by unit count are laid out in full if you’re comparing property types. We serve the wider county too: mortgage help across Alameda County.
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?
The 2026 conforming loan limit for a one-unit home in Oakland is $1,249,125, the figure FHFA set for Alameda County. Because Alameda 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. A two-unit property in Alameda County can borrow up to $1,599,375 and stay conforming.
How do Oakland buyers finance above the conforming limit?
Above $1,249,125, Oakland buyers either take a jumbo loan or raise the down payment until the loan fits under the Alameda County limit. High-balance conforming covers loans from $832,750 up to $1,249,125 in Alameda County. Choice Home Mortgage compares offers from many lenders on each loan.
Do you cover all of Oakland?
Yes, we cover all of Oakland, including Rockridge, Temescal, Grand Lake and Fruitvale. Prices shift from street to street, and the appraisal follows recent nearby sales; the loan terms follow your credit, income and down payment. A Rockridge address and a Fruitvale address get the same lender shopping from us.
Do you actually know the Oakland market?
Yes. We price Oakland loans off the 2026 Alameda County figures, $1,249,125 conforming and $1,249,125 FHA, and check each purchase against them. We are a family-owned California mortgage broker (NMLS #2629064, CA DRE #01822046), and we compare many lenders on every loan. Owner Esther Buede handles each loan herself.
Do you serve areas near Oakland?
Yes. Besides Oakland, we also arrange loans in Alameda, San Leandro and Berkeley. Each town's conforming limit depends on its county, so we confirm the 2026 limit for the exact address before quoting. Choice Home Mortgage arranges those loans as a licensed California broker, the same way as an Oakland file.
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.