Residential / Loan Programs / FHA
FHA loans in Georgia
FHA in Georgia: the easier way in, with an exit plan.
FHA gets you in with 3.5% down and a 580 credit score, and it's more forgiving on debt than conventional. The cost is mortgage insurance that usually stays for the life of the loan, so the smart way to use FHA is to plan the refinance out of it on the day you take it.
The numbers that matter
- Down paymentCredit 580 and above
- 3.5%
- Loan limit, 2026Most of Georgia
- $541,287
- Loan limit, 2026Metro Atlanta, including Gwinnett
- $718,750
- Monthly MIPUnder 5% down
- 0.55%
Program reference: August 2026.
Who it fits
Built for buyers conventional doesn't fit yet.
FHA exists for buyers whose credit or debt load doesn't fit conventional yet. The down payment is lower, the credit requirement is lower, and the underwriting is more forgiving on debt-to-income, especially where there are compensating factors like reserves or a documented rent history.
- Credit still rebuilding. 580 gets you 3.5% down. Conventional pricing gets expensive well above that.
- Higher debt. Student loans or a car payment that push conventional ratios too far.
- Gift money. The whole down payment can come from family or a lender's assistance program.
- A past credit event. Two years after a Chapter 7 discharge, three after a foreclosure.
Worth knowing
Life-of-loan MIP is the thing people find out about four years later. It isn't a reason to avoid FHA, and for a lot of buyers FHA is genuinely the right call. It's a reason to plan the exit at the same time you take the loan.Down payment
- Credit 580 and above
- 3.5%
- Credit 500–579
- 10%
- Below 500
- Not eligible
Ratios
- Manual DTI, no offsets
- 31 / 43
- Manual DTI, two offsets
- 40 / 50
Seller help
- Seller contributions
- Up to 6%
- Gift for down payment
- Allowed
Occupancy
- Property
- Primary residence
- Units
- 1 to 4
Limits by county
One limit covers most of Georgia.
FHA sets a loan limit by county. In Georgia only metro Atlanta and the Athens area are above the national floor, so most of the state, including every county around Georgia's military installations except Cobb, uses the same number.
| Area | Counties | 2026 limit, 1 unit |
|---|---|---|
| Metro Atlanta | Gwinnett, Cobb, Fulton, DeKalb and the rest of the Atlanta metro | $718,750 |
| Athens area | Clarke, Madison, Oconee, Oglethorpe | $616,400 |
| Lake Oconee | Greene | $638,250 |
| Savannah & Fort Stewart | Chatham, Bryan, Effingham, Liberty | $541,287 |
| Kings Bay & Brunswick | Camden, Glynn | $541,287 |
| Augusta & Fort Gordon | Richmond, Columbia | $541,287 |
| Columbus & Fort Benning | Muscogee | $541,287 |
| Warner Robins & Valdosta | Houston, Lowndes | $541,287 |
| Everywhere else in Georgia | National floor | $541,287 |
Look up any county with HUD's loan limit search.
Mortgage insurance
What FHA mortgage insurance costs, and for how long.
The tradeoff is the mortgage insurance. Put less than 10% down and the annual MIP stays on the loan for as long as you keep it. The usual exit is a refinance into conventional once you have the equity and the credit to support it.
There are two pieces. The upfront premium is 1.75% of the loan and is usually financed in, so it doesn't change your cash to close. The annual premium is paid monthly and is what decides how long FHA stays expensive.
The 10% line
Put 10% down and MIP drops off after 11 years on its own. Under 10%, it stays until you refinance or sell. If you're close to 10%, it's worth running both.Upfront
- Upfront MIP (UFMIP)
- 1.75%
- Usually
- Financed into the loan
Annual
- Above 95% LTV
- 0.55%
- 95% LTV or less
- 0.50%
How long it lasts
- Original LTV above 90%
- Life of the loan
- Original LTV 90% or less
- 11 years
Your numbers
What changes when you change the down payment.
Change the price, the down payment or the example rate. Taxes, insurance and closing costs aren't included.
An example rate, not a quote. Your rate depends on the loan, credit, property and the day you lock.
The loan
What you borrow
- Down payment
- Base loan
- Upfront MIP, financed
- Total loan
The payment
Monthly, before taxes & insurance
- Principal & interest
- Monthly MIP
- Total
- MIP lasts
- MIP paid in the first 5 years
. Want the down payment covered instead? See down payment assistance.
Monthly MIP is estimated on the base loan. HUD calculates it on the average balance each year, so the real figure drifts down slowly over time.
The exit
Plan the refinance on the day you close.
Most FHA borrowers who stay put end up refinancing into conventional once two things happen: the home has enough equity, and their credit has caught up. At that point the mortgage insurance either goes away or gets cheaper, and the monthly payment usually drops even if the rate doesn't.
There's no fixed date for that. It depends on what the home does and what your score does. What you can control is knowing the target from the start: the score that gets conventional pricing and the balance that gets you to 80% of the value.
If rates fall instead, an FHA streamline refinance can lower the rate with less paperwork. It keeps the FHA mortgage insurance, so it's a different decision from the conventional exit.
Questions
What people ask about FHA in Georgia.
What credit score do I need for an FHA loan in Georgia?
FHA allows 3.5% down with a 580 score and 10% down from 500 to 579. Most lenders set their own floor above that, often 620, which is where comparing lenders matters.
Is FHA only for first-time buyers?
No. Repeat buyers use FHA too. The rule is that the home has to be your primary residence, and you generally have one FHA loan at a time.
Can a gift cover my FHA down payment?
Yes. FHA allows the entire down payment to come from a gift from family, an employer, or a lender's down payment assistance program, with a gift letter and a paper trail for the funds.
How long after a bankruptcy or foreclosure can I get an FHA loan?
Generally two years after a Chapter 7 discharge, one year into a Chapter 13 repayment plan with the court's permission, and three years after a foreclosure. Documented extenuating circumstances can shorten some of those.
Should I pick FHA or conventional?
It depends on your score and your down payment. FHA tends to win with lower scores or higher debt; conventional tends to win with strong credit because its mortgage insurance can be removed. Price both on the same day with the same assumptions.
Served in the military? Start with zero-down options or the VA guide. Comparing everything? See every loan program.
Price FHA against what else you qualify for
Bring your score, your down payment and the area you're looking in. We'll compare FHA with conventional and any assistance you qualify for, using the same assumptions for each.