FHA Loans in South Carolina: Three Loan Limits and an Attorney at the Closing

In August 2026 the median home in Bluffton sold for $531,225, and the median detached home on Hilton Head Island sold for $1,099,000, according to the Hilton Head Area REALTORS' market reports. Both are measured against the same FHA loan limit, the one Beaufort and Jasper counties share. One fits under it with 3.5 percent down, and the other is far above it.

South Carolina has three FHA loan limits for 2026: $541,287 in 41 counties, $638,250 in Beaufort and Jasper counties, and $690,000 in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties. The county the home is in decides which one applies, and in the Lowcountry that can decide whether an FHA loan works at your price.

I'm Jeff Moran, NMLS #483943, and I originate mortgages through C2 Financial Corporation from Bluffton. I have been in the mortgage business since 1996, and FHA files are an ordinary part of my week rather than a fallback. The FHA explainer covers the program wherever you buy; this page is about buying with it in South Carolina, and the South Carolina page has the state's closing rules in full.

FHA loan limits in South Carolina by county

HUD published the 2026 limits in Mortgagee Letter 2025-23. They apply to FHA loans whose case numbers were assigned on or after January 1, 2026. A case number is how FHA registers your loan, and your lender asks FHA for it.

County	One unit	Two units	Three units	Four units
Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester	$690,000	$883,300	$1,067,750	$1,326,950
Beaufort, Jasper	$638,250	$817,050	$987,650	$1,227,400
The other 41 counties	$541,287	$693,050	$837,700	$1,041,125

The 41 counties at the floor, which is the lowest limit FHA sets anywhere, include Greenville, Richland, Lexington, Horry and Spartanburg.

Charleston County, where the median home costs more than the limit

The Charleston Trident Association of REALTORS reports that through August 2026 the median detached home in Charleston County sold for $728,800, which is above the county's $690,000 limit. Berkeley and Dorchester have the same limit, and their medians for the same period were $421,200 and $400,000, so a median-priced home in either of those counties has plenty of room under it.

HUD's Handbook 4000.1 sets an FHA loan at the lesser of the county limit or 96.5 percent of the home's value, and the upfront mortgage insurance premium is financed on top without counting against the limit. The 96.5 percent is the most you can borrow with a credit score of 580 or higher, which means 3.5 percent down. On the Charleston County median that loan would be over the limit, so the loan comes down to the limit and you cover the amount it was over on top of the 3.5 percent:

Charleston County median                  $728,800
Loan at 96.5%                             $703,292
Charleston County FHA limit               $690,000

Minimum down payment, 3.5% of the price    $25,508
Amount the 96.5% loan is over the limit    $13,292
                                          ----------
Down payment, at least                     $38,800
                                        about  5.3%

The Charleston area page covers the neighborhoods.

Bluffton, Hilton Head and Beaufort County

At 3.5 percent down, the Bluffton median works out to a base loan of about $512,600, comfortably under the $638,250 limit that Beaufort and Jasper counties share. The August median in Hardeeville was $445,000, and the median Hilton Head condo or villa sold for $529,000, so both of those are under the limit as well.

On a Hilton Head or Bluffton condo, the condominium project has to be on FHA's approved list when the case number is assigned, or the unit has to go through FHA's single-unit approval. A site condominium needs neither. That is FHA's name for a condo community made up entirely of detached homes with no shared garages or other attached buildings, or one of detached or townhouse-style homes where each unit is the home and the land under it and none of them are manufactured homes. FHA can also stop issuing new case numbers in a project where more than half the units already carry FHA loans.

FHA does not insure vacation homes, because its single-family programs are for a home you will occupy as your principal residence, so a second home in the Lowcountry takes a different loan. My Hardeeville FHA page covers new construction.

The closing attorney and your FHA closing costs

South Carolina requires a licensed attorney to conduct a residential closing, including the title search and paying out the money at closing. You choose the attorney, and no lender can require a particular firm. The settlement or closing fee on your Loan Estimate is that attorney's fee, and it is a cost you can shop.

That matters on an FHA purchase because closing costs cannot count toward your 3.5 percent minimum required investment, which is the handbook's name for the cash you put in. The attorney's fee is a closing cost, so a lower fee lowers the cash you bring to closing while the 3.5 percent stays what it is. A seller can help with the closing costs too: sellers, agents and builders may contribute up to 6 percent of the sales price toward closing costs, prepaid items, points and the upfront premium, and never toward the minimum required investment. On a $450,000 home that ceiling is $27,000.

By custom you pay for the owner's title policy in a South Carolina purchase. That is custom rather than statute, so the contract can move it to the seller.

Your credit score and the size of the FHA loan

With a credit score of 580 or higher you are eligible for the 96.5 percent loan, and a score between 500 and 579 limits the loan to 90 percent of value. FHA is built for clients whose credit or savings are not yet where conventional pricing rewards them, and if your score is strong you may do better on a conventional loan. Which loan fits lays FHA, conventional and VA side by side, and I price both FHA and conventional on the same purchase so you can compare them.

Where to start

When you're ready, you can see rates and the payment for a home in your county, with South Carolina closing costs included, and choose the rate option that works best for you. Getting pre-approved in South Carolina covers the documents we will need, and you are welcome to call me at 843-765-0000 just to talk it through.

Nothing on this page is a loan approval, a denial, or a commitment to lend, and your approval depends on the property, the appraisal and full underwriting. HUD revises the limits and premiums from time to time, so please confirm the current figures with me before you rely on them.

Common questions

What is the FHA loan limit in South Carolina in 2026?

It depends on the county. Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties have the highest limit in the state, Beaufort and Jasper counties have the next, and the other 41 counties are at the national floor.

Do I need a lawyer for an FHA loan in South Carolina?

Yes. South Carolina requires a licensed attorney to conduct a residential closing, purchases and refinances alike. You choose the attorney, and the settlement fee on your Loan Estimate is theirs.

Can I use an FHA loan in Charleston County if the home costs more than the limit?

Yes, with a larger down payment. The loan cannot exceed the county limit, so you bring the 3.5 percent minimum plus whatever the 96.5 percent loan would have been over the limit.

Can I buy a condo in Hilton Head or Bluffton with an FHA loan?

Only if the condominium project is on FHA's approved list when the case number is assigned, the unit gets single-unit approval, or the community is what FHA calls a site condominium. That is a condo community made up entirely of detached homes with no shared garages or other attached buildings, or one of detached or townhouse-style homes where each unit is the home and its land, with none of them manufactured homes.

Does FHA allow a vacation home in South Carolina?

No. FHA's single-family programs are for principal residences. At least one person on the loan has to move in within 60 days of closing and plan to stay at least a year.