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Philadelphia · PennsylvaniaFrom Philadelphia to West Philadelphia: what changes locally, what does not, and how to find out in fifteen minutes what you actually qualify for.
Philadelphia County, with its county seat in Philadelphia, takes in Northeast Philadelphia, South Philadelphia, Fishtown, Roxborough, Manayunk, Germantown and West Philadelphia. This is home territory for us: our head office is in Southampton, and our officers write pre-approvals here every week.
The 2026 baseline conforming limit is $832,750 nationally, and that is the figure that applies in Philadelphia County. Loans above it are jumbo, which means tighter reserves and different pricing.
Philadelphia is where many of our Bucks and Montgomery clients started, and our Southampton office is a straight shot down Bustleton Avenue from the Northeast. The city's housing stock is dominated by attached rowhomes and twins: the Northeast from Somerton and Bustleton through Rhawnhurst and Mayfair, South Philadelphia, Fishtown and Kensington, Roxborough and Manayunk along the Schuylkill, Germantown and Mount Airy to the northwest, and West and Southwest Philadelphia around the universities. Prices still range widely block by block, which is why the city remains the most realistic first purchase for many buyers in the region.
Three things about Philadelphia are different from the surrounding counties. The city's realty transfer tax is higher than the rate elsewhere in Pennsylvania, and how it is split between buyer and seller is negotiated in the agreement of sale, so we put it in the closing cost estimate up front. Older rowhomes bring condition items into an FHA appraisal, such as peeling paint, roof wear and knob-and-tube wiring, and we talk through those before the inspection so a repair condition does not stall the closing. And the city and its housing development corporation run their own first-time buyer assistance programs with separate rules; we tell you when one of those is the better path.
Because so much of the city's inventory needs work, renovation financing is in constant demand here, and PHFA's Purchase and Improvement option and FHA 203(k) both fit the typical Philadelphia rowhome purchase. Our Southampton office also handles Philadelphia files in Spanish, Russian and Ukrainian.
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 Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia 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 Northeast Philadelphia or anywhere else in Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia 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?