FHA Loans in Arkansas: One Limit Statewide, and Title Pricing You Compare Yourself

An Arkansas title bill comes in two halves: the insurance premium itself, and the title agent's own charges for search, examination, document preparation, escrow and closing. State law bars the Insurance Commissioner from requiring title-insurance premiums to be filed or reviewed.

Arkansas has one FHA loan limit for all 75 counties in 2026, $541,287 for a one-unit home, and one cost worth comparing from one Arkansas closing to the next is title pricing, because the state does not require title-insurance premiums to be filed or reviewed.

I'm Jeff Moran, NMLS #483943, licensed to originate mortgages in Arkansas through C2 Financial Corporation. The national FHA explainer covers the program itself. This page covers Arkansas.

Title and settlement: where an Arkansas FHA file differs

The Arkansas Insurance Department's own rule says state law bars the Insurance Commissioner from requiring title-insurance rates to be filed or reviewed. The Arkansas page walks through the rule. It also separates the insurance premium from the title agent's own charges, such as the search, the examination, document preparation, escrow and closing, the notary and courier fees.

A low down payment loan leaves little cash cushion. 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, and closing costs are additional cash. You'll want itemized quotes from more than one title provider so you can compare the totals.

FHA's handbook also 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. No Arkansas statute, regulator publication or statewide form assigns the owner's title premium to the buyer or the seller, so the purchase contract decides who pays and how much, and you'll want that written into the offer. Who pays for title insurance in each state shows how other states handle it.

FHA loan limits in Arkansas for 2026

HUD's Mortgagee Letter 2025-23, dated December 11, 2025, sets limits for FHA case numbers assigned on or after January 1, 2026. HUD's county file puts every one of Arkansas's 75 counties at the national floor, including Pulaski County and Little Rock, and Benton and Washington counties in the northwest.

Home type	FHA limit in every Arkansas county
One unit	$541,287
Two units	$693,050
Three units	$837,700
Four units	$1,041,125

The limit applies to the loan amount, and the upfront mortgage insurance premium can be financed into the loan without counting against it. The Federal Housing Finance Agency's 2026 announcement sets the conforming baseline at $832,750, which applies in all 75 counties too, so a purchase that needs a loan between the two figures is a conventional file instead.

FHA credit scores and loan-to-value in Arkansas

The handbook lets a client borrow up to 96.5 percent of the adjusted value on a purchase when the credit score the lender uses (the middle score of the three bureaus, or the lowest of two) is 580 or above. A score from 500 through 579 is limited to 90 percent. Mortgage insurance has an upfront part and a monthly part. Which mortgage fits you compares FHA with conventional and VA.

Transfer tax: a purchase pays it, an FHA refinance does not

Arkansas's Real Property Transfer Tax applies to a deed that conveys real estate that has been sold. A document given only to secure a debt is exempt, so a new FHA mortgage in a refinance does not trigger it. Recording fees are separate, and who pays the transfer tax on a purchase is a contract term, since the official tax materials do not set a universal buyer-or-seller rule.

That keeps the state's part of an FHA streamline refinance simple. An FHA streamline of an existing FHA-insured mortgage needs no appraisal, and the state side adds recording fees but no mortgage tax. The Arkansas refinance page has the rest.

Closing and remote signing

Arkansas is not a mandatory attorney-closing state. Title agents and agencies are licensed, and a non-attorney may conduct the closing and fill in simple lawyer-approved forms. Remote online notarization is authorized by Act 1047 of 2021, with the notary physically in Arkansas.

Run your numbers

Run your numbers to see FHA priced next to conventional for your scenario, with Arkansas closing costs in the estimate. A pre-approval comes next when you are ready to make an offer.

Nothing here is a loan approval, a denial, or a commitment to lend. Limits are republished every year, and a specific file is confirmed at application.

Common questions

What is the FHA loan limit in Arkansas?

HUD's 2026 limit for a one-unit home is the national floor in every Arkansas county, and the floors for two, three and four units are also the same statewide. The limit applies to the loan amount and covers FHA case numbers assigned on or after January 1, 2026.

Does Arkansas review title insurance rates on an FHA loan?

No. Arkansas prohibits the Insurance Commissioner from requiring title-insurance rates to be filed or reviewed, and that applies whatever the loan type. An FHA client benefits from getting itemized title and settlement quotes from more than one provider.

Who pays for owner's title insurance in Arkansas?

The purchase contract decides. No Arkansas statute, regulator publication or statewide form assigns the owner's premium to buyer or seller, and FHA allows interested parties to contribute toward closing costs up to the Handbook's percentage cap.

Do I pay Arkansas transfer tax on an FHA refinance?

Not on an ordinary refinance. A document given only to secure a debt is exempt from the Real Property Transfer Tax, and recording fees still apply.

Does Arkansas require an attorney for an FHA closing?

Not for an ordinary closing. Licensed title agents and agencies conduct closings, though anything that is individualized legal work belongs to a lawyer.

Can a client with a 580 credit score get an FHA loan in Arkansas?

A credit score of 580 or higher, using the middle of three scores or the lower of two, qualifies for the maximum financing under the FHA handbook. A score from 500 through 579 is limited to 90 percent of the value.