FHA Loans in Alaska: Juneau and Sitka Get Higher Limits, Anchorage Does Not

Of the four Alaska areas above the floor on HUD's 2026 FHA list, Kodiak Island Borough has the smallest raise, with a one-unit limit of $541,650, which is $363 above the national floor. Juneau has the largest at $596,850.

Of Alaska's 30 boroughs and census areas, 26 (including Anchorage and Fairbanks) have the $541,287 national floor as their 2026 FHA limit for a one-unit home. Four are above it: Juneau, Sitka, the Aleutians West Census Area and Kodiak.

I'm Jeff Moran, NMLS #483943, licensed to originate mortgages in Alaska through C2 Financial Corporation. The national explainer on FHA loans covers how the program works.

The four Alaska areas above the floor

HUD's Mortgagee Letter 2025-23, dated December 11, 2025, sets 2026 limits for FHA case numbers assigned on or after January 1, 2026. HUD's county file lists these Alaska areas above the floor:

Area	One unit	Two units	Three units	Four units
Juneau City and Borough	$596,850	$764,050	$923,600	$1,147,800
Sitka City and Borough	$586,500	$750,800	$907,550	$1,127,900
Aleutians West Census Area	$585,350	$749,350	$905,800	$1,125,700
Kodiak Island Borough	$541,650	$693,400	$838,150	$1,041,650

The other 26 are at $541,287 for one unit, $693,050 for two, $837,700 for three and $1,041,125 for four. That includes the Municipality of Anchorage and the Fairbanks North Star Borough.

HUD's FHA handbook gives Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the Virgin Islands a higher ceiling than the rest of the country because building costs are higher there. For 2026 the highest Alaska area is Juneau at $596,850, well below the $1,249,125 conforming limit that FHFA lists for Alaska. If you need a larger loan than the FHA limit allows, conventional or jumbo is the route.

Closing costs on an FHA loan in Alaska

FHA asks you to put in at least 3.5 percent of the adjusted value, which is the lower of the purchase price and the appraised value. Closing costs come on top of that.

The state's Division of Insurance says closing fees, including title insurance, are negotiated between seller and buyer. Alaska's title-insurance rules also bar a title company from rebating or reducing the charges for issuing a policy, including escrow, settlement and closing charges, unless the rules specifically allow it. So a title agent cannot offer a private discount, and you'll want to compare different companies' filed rates and their separately listed settlement charges instead.

FHA's handbook lets sellers, builders and other interested parties contribute up to 6 percent of the sales price toward your closing costs, prepaid items and discount points. Since the split of title charges is negotiated in Alaska anyway, you'll want that contribution written into the offer too.

Alaska's taxes and recording on a purchase

The state's recorder charges the same page-based recording fees on every document, and its tax, recording and insurance publications list no general state transfer tax and no tax based on the size of a mortgage. A purchase deed and a mortgage both pay those recording fees. The Alaska page explains the caveat about local boroughs and municipalities, which your closing agent confirms for the specific property.

Alaska records documents by recording district rather than by county, and Alaska is among the states where an attorney is not required at closing. If you cannot sign in person, a notary can notarize remotely over video once the Office of the Lieutenant Governor has approved that notary for it, so you'll want to confirm yours has.

Refinancing an FHA loan in Alaska

A client with an FHA-insured mortgage can use a streamline refinance, which skips the appraisal in both of its versions. One version reviews your credit and your ability to repay and the other does not. With no state mortgage tax listed, the state side of that comparison is recording fees. The Alaska refinance page has more.

Run your numbers

Run your numbers and you can see FHA priced next to conventional for your scenario, with closing costs set for Alaska. A pre-approval turns that into a letter, and Which mortgage fits you lays the programs side by side.

Nothing here is a loan approval, a denial, or a commitment to lend. Limits are republished every year, so the figures for a specific file are confirmed when the FHA case number is assigned.

Common questions

What is the FHA loan limit in Anchorage?

The Municipality of Anchorage is at the national floor in HUD's 2026 file, the same as Fairbanks and most of Alaska. Its limits for one to four units are the national floor figures for those home types, the same ones listed above for the other 26 areas.

Which Alaska areas have a higher FHA limit?

Four in 2026: Juneau City and Borough, Sitka City and Borough, the Aleutians West Census Area and Kodiak Island Borough. Juneau has the highest limit of the four and Kodiak the smallest increase above the floor.

Does Alaska have a higher FHA limit because it is Alaska?

The Handbook gives Alaska a higher ceiling for the construction costs there. The ceiling is not what sets a particular borough's limit, which comes from HUD's county file. In 2026 that file shows only four Alaska areas above the national floor.

Can I negotiate closing costs on an FHA loan in Alaska?

Not the charges for issuing the policy, since Alaska's title-insurance rules bar a title agent from rebating or reducing them unless the rules specifically allow it. What you can negotiate is who pays, because the Division of Insurance says closing fees are negotiated between buyer and seller, and FHA lets interested parties contribute toward closing costs up to the Handbook's limit.

Do I need an attorney to close an FHA loan in Alaska?

Alaska does not require one for an ordinary residential purchase or refinance. Title and escrow companies commonly conduct residential closings there.

Does Alaska charge a mortgage tax on an FHA loan?

The state's publications list no tax based on the size of a mortgage. Recording fees still apply, and the closing agent confirms any local charge for the specific borough or municipality.