Salem, OR
The straight path to a Salem mortgage.
Salem buyers get the full menu — conventional, FHA, first-time-buyer — fitted to the Salem budget you actually have, Downtown/CANDO included.
Who can help me get a mortgage in Salem, OR?
Choice Home Mortgage can. We arrange Salem home loans through licensed partner brokers in Oregon and coordinate each Salem file ourselves; our own license is California's (NMLS #2629064). Owner Esther Buede coordinates it personally, and we compare many lenders for it.
For Salem, FHFA's 2026 one-unit limit is $832,750 (Marion County), which is where a loan stops being conforming and becomes jumbo. Everything from the first call to closing runs by phone and online.
Buying in Salem: the numbers that matter.
As Oregon’s capital, Salem anchors a stable public-sector base in government, healthcare, and education; it sits at the north end of the Willamette Valley, drawing buyers who want Portland job access without urban-core prices.
The loan has to fit the Salem picture. A one-unit Salem purchase conforms to $832,750 in 2026 — the national baseline Marion County runs on. With Salem homes mostly under $832,750, conventional plus FHA plus first-time-buyer all work on Salem files. Price-wise, Salem runs solidly middle-of-market. FHFA publishes the 2026 schedule; we’ll square your numbers against it.
2026 loan limits checked against FHFA’s county file; this page was last updated October 13, 2026.
160,000-plus residents make Salem home — across Downtown/CANDO, Southeast Mill Creek, and between — with Keizer and Albany nearby. From the Oregon State Capitol outward, we treat Salem as home turf. We finance homes across Downtown/CANDO, Northeast Neighbors, South Gateway, and Southeast Mill Creek — and every other corner of Salem. “Mortgage broker near me” in Salem usually means the closest office — we skip the office and bring Salem-level help by phone and online instead. Across Oregon, our coverage runs 14 cities deep — and in Salem, as everywhere, the county numbers get verified before anything is quoted.
What working with us looks like.
Salem market knowledge
Near the Oregon State Capitol, across Downtown/CANDO, Northeast Neighbors, South Gateway — we know Salem's neighborhoods, prices, and the programs that fit them.
Down-payment friendly
Salem buyers often start with conventional, FHA, first-time-buyer — we match Salem files to the down-payment and first-time programs they qualify for.
Many lenders, one file
We make lenders compete for Salem business instead of squeezing Salem buyers into a single bank's box.
The owner, coordinating
Owner Esther Buede coordinates every Salem file herself, one point of contact from your first Salem call to your closing.
One owner, coordinating your whole loan.
Your Salem loan gets the owner as its coordinator: Esther Buede (individual NMLS #2003644), working with licensed partner brokers from Northeast Neighbors across the Salem map. Meet the family behind CHM →
“She was sincere. Got me processed and funded in 20 days. I felt taken care of every step of the way.”
Salem financing that fits the home and the borrower.
Near the Oregon State Capitol, conventional files are a Salem staple for us. Conventional, FHA, first-time-buyer carry most of our Salem work (via our licensed partner-broker network) — and beyond those, Salem buyers get the full menu: VA, FHA financing, non-QM, and conventional. Whenever you’re ready — buying, refinancing your mortgage, or still weighing options — apply online or call (949) 522-7310.
For Salem, that usually means FHA, first-time-buyer, conventional.
Self-employed in Salem? We also work with self-employed borrowers — 1099 income included, plus no-income investor financing for Salem investors. Want every unit count, not just single-family? Marion County’s 2026 loan limits page has the full table.
Salem is the center, not the edge — Keizer, Albany, Corvallis are covered too. Browse our Oregon service areas →
For Salem, OR: financing arranged through licensed partner brokers, coordinated by Choice Home Mortgage, licensed in California (NMLS #2629064). Equal Housing Opportunity. No Salem office — we work with Salem buyers remotely.
Salem mortgage questions, answered.
What counts as a conforming loan amount in Salem?
In Salem, a one-unit home can carry a conforming loan of up to $832,750 for 2026, under FHFA's limit for Marion County. That is the national baseline with no high-cost adjustment, so a loan above $832,750 is a jumbo loan. Two-unit homes in Marion County have a $1,066,250 conforming limit for 2026.
As a first-time buyer in Salem, where do I start?
Start by checking which of FHA and conventional loans you qualify for, since those are the loans first-time buyers in Salem use most. FHA loans allow 3.5% down with a credit score of 580 or higher, under HUD's rules. An FHA loan on one unit in Marion County can go to $541,287 in 2026 (HUD).
What parts of Salem do you work in?
Every part of Salem, including Downtown/CANDO, Northeast Neighbors, South Gateway and Southeast Mill Creek. What changes from one neighborhood to the next is the price and the appraisal, since the appraiser compares recent sales nearby. Licensed partner brokers originate loans across Downtown/CANDO and Southeast Mill Creek, and we coordinate them by phone and online.
Can an out-of-state broker really cover Salem, OR?
Yes, because a licensed partner broker in Oregon originates the Salem loan while Choice Home Mortgage, licensed in California, coordinates it. Choice Home Mortgage is licensed in California (NMLS #2629064) and has no Salem office, so the application, documents and updates run by phone and online.
What if I'm buying just outside Salem?
Buying just outside Salem changes nothing on our side; we also arrange loans in Keizer, Albany and Corvallis through licensed partner brokers. Each town's conforming limit depends on its county, so we confirm the 2026 limit for the exact address before quoting. Licensed partner brokers originate those loans and Choice Home Mortgage coordinates them, the same way as a Salem file.
How does the process run for a Salem buyer working with you?
A Salem buyer starts with one call to set the plan, then applies online, uploads documents and gets updates as the file moves. Licensed partner brokers cover the Oregon licensing, while Choice Home Mortgage (California NMLS #2629064) coordinates the file and the lender shopping. Owner Esther Buede is your point of contact from the first call to closing.
Buying near Salem? We cover that too
Next stop: your Salem address.
No call center — just Esther. We'll find what fits your Salem purchase and do the Salem lender legwork.