Mortgage lender in Essex County, MA

Buying in Essex County

Essex County, on the North Shore, takes in Lynn, Lawrence, Haverhill, Peabody, Salem, Methuen, Gloucester and Newburyport. Essex County files are handled by Steve Umansky, Sr. Branch Manager, NMLS #61764, who is licensed in Massachusetts, from our Southampton, PA office.

2026 conforming limit

$962,550 (high-cost area)

2026 FHA limit

$962,550 (one-unit, set by HUD)

Above the conforming limit

Jumbo pricing

Closing commonly handled by

closing attorney

State housing agency

MassHousing (general information; not a participating lender)

Your officer

Steve Umansky, NMLS #61764

2026 limits for a one-unit property. Essex County is designated a high-cost area for conforming loans, so its limit is above the national baseline of $832,750. Sources: FHFA conforming loan limit values and HUD FHA mortgage limits.

Essex County: the North Shore and the Merrimack Valley

Lynn, Lawrence, Haverhill and Salem have many two- and three-family homes, and prices lower than Boston’s. Buying a multi-family home to live in follows owner-occupant rules, and rent from the other units can sometimes help you qualify, depending on the program.

Along the coast, in Gloucester, Marblehead, Salisbury and on Plum Island, many properties are in a mapped flood zone, so we order the flood determination and an insurance quote before you commit. Andover, North Andover and the towns inland are higher-priced single-family suburbs, where homes with a septic system need a Title 5 inspection before the sale.

Essex County by the numbers

Median home value

$619,100 (Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024, table B25077)

Typical property tax

About 1.04% of home value a year: median tax bill $6,430 on a median value of $619,100 (Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024, table B25103)

Transfer tax

Deeds excise of $2.28 per $500 of the sale price (Massachusetts Department of Revenue, tax rates)

Largest communities

Lynn, Lawrence, Haverhill, Peabody (Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024, table B01003)

The county median home value is $619,100. The 2026 one-unit conforming loan limit here is $962,550 and the FHA limit is $962,550.

Census figures are survey estimates for owner-occupied homes, not appraisals or tax quotes. We use the actual tax bill for the property when we quote.

Closing and programs in Massachusetts

Closings in Massachusetts are typically handled by a closing attorney. The closing process, state transfer and recording taxes and first-time buyer programs are covered on the Massachusetts page. Property taxes are set locally; we take the figure from the tax record for the address.

Questions Essex County buyers ask

Massachusetts notice. Stellar Mortgage Corporation, NMLS #2190975. Massachusetts Mortgage Lender License.

Limits shown are the 2026 FHFA and HUD figures for Essex County. Loan limits, tax rates and agency programs are set by third parties and change. Not a commitment to lend.