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

The FHA loan limit is $718,750 in Fulton County, and it is still $718,750 across the county line in Cobb, Gwinnett, DeKalb and Clayton. By the time you reach Macon to the south or Savannah to the east, it has dropped 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

Georgia's limits come from HUD's Mortgagee Letter 2025-23 of December 11, 2025, and they apply to any FHA loan with a case number assigned on or after January 1, 2026. Only 34 of the state's 159 counties are above the national floor, and the other 125 are at 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, where Savannah is, and Richmond County, where Augusta is, are both among the 125 at the floor. These figures cap the loan amount itself. If you finance the upfront mortgage insurance premium, that premium goes on top and does not count against the cap.

The conventional (conforming) limit is a different figure. The Federal Housing Finance Agency's 2026 announcement sets it at $832,750, and it is the same in every Georgia county. So even in metro Atlanta, a loan above the FHA limit and below $832,750 is a conventional loan.

Cash to close on a Georgia FHA purchase

Your down payment on an FHA loan is at least 3.5 percent of what FHA calls the adjusted value, meaning the purchase price or the appraised value, whichever is lower. Georgia's closing costs come on top of that, and a few of them are handled differently here.

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.

Georgia also charges an intangible recording tax. It is collected when the document that pledges your home as collateral for the loan is recorded. The lender is legally responsible for the tax, and the Department of Revenue allows the lender to pass the cost on to you, so it usually shows up as its own line on your estimate. The Georgia page explains how it works.

The standard Georgia REALTORS purchase form puts the title search and the remaining closing charges on your side of the table 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 party with an interest in the sale 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. Some insurers charge a lower premium when a policy was issued on the same home recently, and whether that applies 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. The lender that made your original loan has to be the one refinancing you, and the tax on the original loan has to have been paid. Even then, any additional amount you borrow is taxed. An FHA streamline refinance is open to clients who already have an FHA-insured mortgage, and it can be done with your current lender or a new one. If you are choosing between a streamline with a new lender and one with the lender that made your loan, the tax can be a cost on one side only, so you'll want to see both estimates. The Georgia refinance page has more.

Pricing FHA for your Georgia county

When you're ready, you can price an FHA loan for your Georgia county and see the attorney's fee and the intangible tax in the closing estimate. From there, a pre-approval is the next step, and Which mortgage fits you lines the programs up so you can compare them.

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, for 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 controls it whatever the loan program.

Do I pay Georgia intangible tax on an FHA purchase?

The tax is charged when the document pledging your home as collateral is recorded. The lender is legally responsible for it and may pass the cost to you, and a seller contribution within FHA's cap can help cover it.

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

Yes, up to 6 percent of the sales price toward closing costs, prepaid items and discount points under FHA's handbook. Since the Georgia REALTORS form puts closing charges on your side by default, the contribution has to be written into the contract.

Does a Georgia FHA refinance avoid intangible tax?

Only in one situation: the lender that made your original loan is the one refinancing you, and the tax on that loan was paid. A different lender does not get that exemption, and any additional amount you borrow is taxed either way.