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South Central Pennsylvania · PennsylvaniaFrom Lancaster to Strasburg: what changes locally, what does not, and how to find out in fifteen minutes what you actually qualify for.
Lancaster County, with its county seat in Lancaster, takes in Lancaster, Lititz, Ephrata, Manheim Township, Elizabethtown, Columbia and Strasburg. Stellar lends across all of Pennsylvania, and Lancaster County files are handled from our Southampton, PA office by a licensed officer you can reach directly.
The 2026 baseline conforming limit is $832,750 nationally, and that is the figure that applies in Lancaster County. Loans above it are jumbo, which means tighter reserves and different pricing.
Lancaster County is a distinct market from the Philadelphia suburbs and we treat it that way. Lancaster city's rowhomes and the adjacent boroughs of Millersville, Columbia and Mountville are the county's entry-level inventory. Manheim Township, Lititz, East Hempfield and Lampeter-Strasburg are the suburban school districts where most single-family and new construction activity concentrates, and Ephrata, Elizabethtown, Mount Joy and Denver serve buyers who work in Lancaster, Harrisburg or the Route 222 corridor. Beyond that the county is farmland, and a large share of its addresses are inside USDA's eligible area.
Rural Lancaster County brings lending questions the suburbs do not: private wells and septic systems that require testing, properties with acreage or outbuildings where the appraiser has to separate residential value from agricultural use, and homes sold with land leases or right-of-way arrangements that title has to clear. We flag those at the pre-approval stage so the appraisal does not become a surprise.
Lancaster County files are handled from our Southampton office by a licensed Pennsylvania officer, primarily by phone and secure portal, with closings through the title company. PHFA assistance pairs with FHA, VA, USDA and conventional loans for buyers within the agency's limits. Elmer Perez, our Spanish-speaking branch manager, serves Lancaster County buyers in Spanish, and a Spanish-language version of this page is available.
In Pennsylvania, closings are typically handled by a title company. Transfer tax is customarily split between buyer and seller, property taxes are paid to the county, municipality, and school district, and older housing stock can bring lead-paint, knob-and-tube, or well-and-septic questions into the appraisal.
FHA limits are set by HUD county by county, and PHFA income and purchase price caps change periodically. We check the current figures for Lancaster County on every file rather than quoting from memory. Official source: PHFA. VA and USDA $0-down loans are available where the borrower and property qualify; USDA eligibility is address-specific, so we check the property on the USDA map before assuming either way.
Yes. Stellar Mortgage Corporation is licensed in Pennsylvania and lends in all 67 counties, including Lancaster County. Our head office is in Southampton, Bucks County, and every file is handled by a licensed loan officer with a direct line.
For 2026 the one-unit conforming limit in Lancaster County is $832,750, the FHFA baseline. Loans above that are jumbo, which brings tighter reserve and credit requirements. FHA limits are set separately by HUD and are usually lower; we check both for the property address before quoting.
PHFA, the state housing agency, offers first mortgages paired with down payment and closing cost assistance for eligible Pennsylvania buyers, and Stellar is an approved PHFA lender. Income and purchase price limits are set by county and change periodically, so we confirm the current Lancaster County figures on your file rather than quoting them here. Some counties and municipalities run their own programs as well; ask your officer what is funded right now.
Once we have your application, credit, and the documents on our checklist, most buyers have a letter within one to two business days. If you have already found a home in Lancaster or anywhere else in Lancaster County and are writing an offer, tell us on the form and we prioritize the file.
Conforming limit shown is the 2026 FHFA figure for Lancaster County. FHA limits and state agency caps are set by HUD and PHFA and change periodically. Verify on the official source. Not a commitment to lend.
Three quick steps, about a minute. No Social Security number, no pay stubs. A licensed officer from our Southampton office calls you back, usually the same business day.
Ready to see what you qualify for?