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VirginiaMortgage pre-approval in Virginia.
Northern Virginia, Richmond, and Hampton Roads are three different housing markets with three different price levels, and Virginia's independent cities mean the county line is not always where you expect. We lend statewide from our Southampton, Pennsylvania office.
Dominion violet · settlement agent closing · Lender License
- Closing handled by
- settlement agent
- Attorney required
- No
- State housing agency
- Virginia Housing
- Stellar agency approval
- Not currently
- 2026 conforming limit
- $832,750 ($1,249,125 in 7 high-cost jurisdictions)
- Our license
- Lender License
- Your officer
- Steve Umansky, NMLS #61764
Virginia closings: settlement agents and independent cities
Virginia closings are conducted by a licensed settlement agent, which can be a title company or an attorney. Virginia's independent cities (Richmond, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Alexandria, and thirty-odd others) are separate from the counties that surround them, with their own property tax rates and recording offices, so a Richmond address and a Henrico County address are different jurisdictions even when they share a ZIP code.
Property taxes are billed by the county or city and paid semi-annually in most localities. Rates vary widely between Northern Virginia and the rest of the state.
Virginia recordation and grantor's taxes
Virginia charges a state recordation tax on the deed and the mortgage, with a local add-on in most jurisdictions; the buyer customarily pays these. The seller customarily pays the grantor's tax and, in Northern Virginia, the regional congestion relief fee. As everywhere, custom is not law and the contract controls; we walk through the estimate line by line so the cash-to-close number is not a surprise.
Loan limits in Virginia
For 2026 the FHFA baseline conforming limit for a one-unit property is $832,750. Loans above the applicable county limit are jumbo, with tighter reserve and credit requirements. Washington, DC metropolitan-area jurisdictions carry the high-cost ceiling of $1,249,125.
FHA limits are set separately by HUD for each county or city. We check both against the jurisdiction where the property sits before quoting anything.
First-time buyer programs in Virginia
We are not currently a participating lender for Virginia Housing's bond and down payment assistance products. What we do offer Virginia buyers: VA loans with little or no money down for eligible service members and veterans, which is a large part of the market from Norfolk and Virginia Beach to Quantico and the Pentagon; conventional loans with low down payment options for qualifying first-time buyers; FHA loans with a low down payment; USDA financing with little or no money down in eligible areas outside the metros; and jumbo, renovation, and investor programs. If a Virginia Housing product is the right fit, we will say so and point you to it.
Northern Virginia sits in the FHFA high-cost area, so its conforming limit is the ceiling rather than the national baseline. Richmond and Hampton Roads use the baseline. A loan that is jumbo in Chesterfield County can be conforming in Fairfax County. We check the jurisdiction before we quote.
Where we work in Virginia
Northern Virginia (Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, Arlington, Alexandria, Stafford) is the largest market by dollar volume. Richmond and the surrounding counties (Henrico, Chesterfield) and Hampton Roads (Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk) round out where most of our Virginia files are.
Programs, limits, and closing customs change. Confirm current figures for your county or city before relying on anything here.
Questions Virginia buyers ask
Do I need an attorney to buy a house in Virginia?
No. Virginia closings are conducted by a licensed settlement agent, which may be a title company or an attorney. Either is acceptable.
Does Stellar Mortgage offer Virginia Housing first-time buyer programs?
Not at this time. We offer VA, conventional, FHA, USDA, jumbo, renovation, and investor financing in Virginia. If a Virginia Housing product is the better fit for your situation, we will tell you.
Which parts of Virginia are high-cost for conforming loans?
The Northern Virginia counties and cities in the Washington, DC metropolitan area carry the FHFA high-cost ceiling for 2026. Richmond, Hampton Roads, and the rest of the state use the baseline. We confirm the limit for the specific jurisdiction on every file.
Is a Virginia independent city treated like a county for a mortgage?
Yes. Loan limits, property taxes, and recording all follow the jurisdiction where the property sits, and an independent city is its own jurisdiction. A Richmond city address and a Henrico County address are handled separately even though they are next to each other.
Written and reviewed by the officer who handles Virginia.
Reviewed by Steve Umansky, Sr. Branch Manager, NMLS #61764, licensed in Virginia, at Stellar Mortgage Corporation, NMLS #2190975. Verify any license at NMLS Consumer Access.
Figures reflect published program parameters and are subject to change. Loan limits, transfer tax rates, and agency limits are set by third parties and revised periodically. Nothing here is a commitment to lend.
Find your area.
Loan limits and closing costs are checked against the county or city where the property sits. We lend throughout Virginia; these are the areas with a dedicated page so far.
Get pre-approved in Virginia
Three quick steps, no Social Security number. Steve calls you back, usually the same business day.
Equal Housing Lender · NMLS #2190975 4.94★ · 1,361 verified reviews on Experience.com
“You were always professional, responsive, patient, and helpful, and you made what could have been a stressful process feel smooth and easy.”Yelda A., North Wales, PA · verified review on Experience.com
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