Mortgage lender in Strafford County, NH

Buying in Strafford County

Strafford County, with its county seat in Dover, also takes in Rochester, Somersworth, Durham, Barrington and Farmington. Strafford County files are handled by Steve Umansky, Sr. Branch Manager, NMLS #61764, who is licensed in New Hampshire, 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

title company or attorney

State housing agency

New Hampshire Housing (general information; not a participating lender)

Your officer

Steve Umansky, NMLS #61764

2026 limits for a one-unit property. Strafford 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.

Strafford County: Dover, Rochester and Durham

Dover, Rochester and Somersworth are the three cities, with older homes, two-family houses and prices lower than in Portsmouth next door. FHA loans are a common fit, and older homes are where an appraisal is more likely to raise condition items.

Durham is home to the University of New Hampshire. Near campus, tell us whether a property is for you or will be rented to students, because occupancy changes the loan. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and Pease are a short drive away, so VA-eligible buyers are common. In Barrington, Strafford and Farmington, wells and septic systems are standard.

Strafford County by the numbers

Median home value

$362,800 (Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024, table B25077)

Typical property tax

About 1.85% of home value a year: median tax bill $6,708 on a median value of $362,800 (Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024, table B25103)

Transfer tax

75 cents per $100 of the price charged to the buyer and the same to the seller (RSA 78-B:1)

Largest communities

Dover, Rochester, Durham, Somersworth (Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024, table B01003)

The county median home value is $362,800. 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 New Hampshire

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

Questions Strafford County buyers ask

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