FHA Loans in Georgia: 29 Metro Atlanta Counties Get a Higher Limit

Cross from Fulton County into Cobb, Gwinnett, DeKalb or Clayton and the FHA loan limit stays at $718,750. Keep driving south to Macon or east to Savannah and it drops to $541,287.

In 2026 Georgia has four FHA loan limits for a one-unit home: $718,750 in 29 metro Atlanta counties, $638,250 in Greene County, $616,400 in four Athens-area counties, and $541,287 in the other 125.

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

FHA loan limits in Georgia 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. Of Georgia's 159 counties, 125 are at the national floor and 34 are above it:

Area	Georgia counties	One unit	Two units	Three units	Four units
Metro Atlanta	Barrow, Bartow, Butts, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Haralson, Heard, Henry, Jasper, Lumpkin, Meriwether, Morgan, Newton, Paulding, Pickens, Pike, Rockdale, Spalding, Walton	$718,750	$920,150	$1,112,250	$1,382,250
Greene County	Greene	$638,250	$817,050	$987,650	$1,227,400
Athens area	Clarke, Madison, Oconee, Oglethorpe	$616,400	$789,100	$953,850	$1,185,400
Every other county	The remaining 125	$541,287	$693,050	$837,700	$1,041,125

Chatham County (Savannah) and Richmond County (Augusta) are among the 125 at the floor. The limit applies to the loan amount, and the upfront mortgage insurance premium can be financed without counting against it. The Federal Housing Finance Agency's 2026 announcement sets the conforming limit at $832,750, the same in every Georgia county. Even in metro Atlanta, a loan above the FHA limit and below that figure is a conventional file.

Cash to close on a Georgia FHA purchase

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 Georgia's closing costs come on top of that. Three of them work differently here than in many states.

An attorney closes the loan. The State Bar's opinions treat a residential closing as the practice of law, so a Georgia lawyer controls it from start to finish and the attorney's fee is a line on your estimate. Where each state draws that line shows which states work this way.

The intangible recording tax is a Georgia tax charged when the document that pledges your home as collateral for the loan is recorded. The lender is legally responsible for it, and the Department of Revenue allows the lender to pass the cost on to you, so it often shows up as a line on the estimate. The Georgia page explains how it works.

The standard Georgia REALTORS purchase form puts the title search and remaining closing charges on the buyer unless the agreement says otherwise. That is a default in the form and nothing in Georgia law requires it. FHA's handbook lets a seller, builder or other interested party contribute up to 6 percent of the sales price toward your closing costs, prepaid items and discount points. A seller contribution written into the offer is one way to cover them.

Transfer tax is a separate charge on the deed, and the purchase contract decides who pays it.

Title insurance in Georgia

Georgia title rates are filed with and reviewed by the state, but each insurer files its own, so rates vary from one title company to another. A lower premium when a policy was issued on the home recently depends on each insurer's filed rules, so you'll want to ask each company about it.

An FHA refinance in Georgia and the same-lender exemption

Georgia's relief from the intangible tax on a refinance is narrow. It applies to a refinance by the same lender for the same client, where the earlier tax was paid, and any additional amount borrowed is still taxed. An FHA streamline refinance, open to clients who already have an FHA-insured mortgage, needs no appraisal. If you are choosing between a streamline with a new lender and staying with your current one, the tax can be a cost on one side only, so you'll want to see both estimates. The Georgia refinance page has more.

Condos and FHA approval

FHA insures a loan on a condominium unit when the project is on FHA's list of approved condominium projects, when that one unit has been approved on its own under what FHA calls Single-Unit Approval, or when the home meets FHA's definition of a site condominium. If you are looking at a condominium, you'll want to confirm the project's status before you make an offer.

Run your numbers

Run your numbers to see FHA priced next to conventional for your county, with Georgia's attorney and intangible tax costs in the closing estimate. A pre-approval comes next, and Which mortgage fits you compares the programs.

Nothing here is a loan approval, a denial, or a commitment to lend. A specific file is confirmed at application.

Common questions

What is the FHA loan limit in Atlanta?

HUD's 2026 limit for a one-unit home is the same in all 29 metro Atlanta counties, including Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett and Clayton. It is above the national floor and below the conforming limit, and it applies to FHA case numbers assigned on or after January 1, 2026.

Is the FHA limit different in Savannah or Augusta?

No. Chatham County and Richmond County are at the national floor, which is the limit in 125 of Georgia's 159 counties.

Do I need an attorney for an FHA loan in Georgia?

Yes. Georgia treats a residential closing as the practice of law, so a Georgia lawyer has to control it whatever the loan program.

Do I pay Georgia intangible tax on an FHA purchase?

Georgia charges the tax when the document pledging your home as collateral is recorded. The lender is legally responsible, and it may pass the cost to you, so it appears on the estimate as its own line, which a seller contribution can help cover within FHA's cap.

Can the seller pay my closing costs on a Georgia FHA loan?

Under FHA's handbook, sellers and other interested parties may contribute up to 6 percent of the sales price toward closing costs, prepaid items and discount points. The Georgia REALTORS form puts closing charges on the buyer by default, so the contribution has to be written into the contract.

Does a Georgia FHA refinance avoid intangible tax?

Only in the narrow case where the same lender refinances for the same client and the earlier tax was paid. A different lender does not qualify for that exemption, and any additional advance remains taxable.

Can I use an FHA loan to buy a condo in Georgia?

Yes, if the project is on FHA's approved list, the individual unit receives Single-Unit Approval, or the home meets FHA's definition of a site condominium. Your lender confirms the project's status before you commit.