Kaufman County Loan Limits 2026 (Kaufman, TX)
All 2026 limits for Kaufman County (Kaufman area, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington MSA) in one place: FHA, conforming, VA, and Texas VLB. Plus how the 1.74% effective property tax rate affects your monthly payment math.
Kaufman County 2026 loan limits are: FHA 1-unit $563,500 (high-cost designation), conforming 1-unit $832,750 (statewide Texas baseline), VA no limit for full-entitlement borrowers. Why it matters: the FHA limit caps maximum FHA loan amount in Kaufman County; loans above that need conventional, jumbo, or VA. The conforming limit divides conventional from jumbo. Texas-specific: the 1.74% effective property tax rate materially affects your monthly escrow math.
Kaufman County key facts (2026)
- $563,500: 2026 one-unit FHA loan limit (High Cost designation; HUD ML 2025-23)
- $832,750: 2026 one-unit conforming loan limit (statewide; FHFA Nov 25, 2025)
- No loan limit for full-entitlement VA borrowers; partial entitlement uses conforming
- $832,750: Texas VLB Home Loan cap (Texas GLO, January 2026)
- 1.74%: effective property tax rate (verify with county appraisal district)
- $140,000 school district homestead exemption (Prop 13, effective 2026)
- Kaufman is the county seat; Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington is the MSA
- 145,310: 2020 Census population
- Notable cities: Kaufman, Terrell, Forney, Kemp, Crandall
Kaufman County 2026 FHA loan limits (1 to 4 units)
Per HUD Mortgagee Letter 2025-23, effective January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026.
| Units | FHA Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Unit | $563,500 | Single-family / condo |
| 2-Unit | $721,400 | Duplex (owner-occupied one unit) |
| 3-Unit | $872,000 | Triplex (owner-occupied one unit) |
| 4-Unit | $1,083,650 | Fourplex (owner-occupied one unit) |
Kaufman County program limits compared
One-unit 2026 limits across the four main loan programs.
| Program | Kaufman County 2026 Limit (1 unit) |
|---|---|
| FHA | $563,500 |
| Conforming (Fannie/Freddie) | $832,750 |
| VA (full entitlement) | No limit |
| VA (partial entitlement) | $832,750 |
| Texas VLB Home Loan | $832,750 |
How property tax in Kaufman County affects your file
Kaufman County's effective property tax rate runs approximately 1.74% of home value per year. Proposition 13, approved by Texas voters in November 2025, raised the school-district homestead exemption to $140,000 (from $100,000) effective in 2026, which lowers the school-tax portion of your bill. Over-65 and disabled homeowners receive an additional $60,000 exemption (Proposition 11), for $200,000 total off school-district taxes.
What this means for your file: at approximately 1.74%, Kaufman County's effective property tax rate reflects Texas's reliance on property tax in place of a state income tax, and it lands in your monthly escrow on top of mortgage principal and interest. For DSCR investor files, a higher tax rate compresses the rent-to-PITIA ratio versus low-tax states.
I model the full PITIA on every Kaufman County file before we make an offer, so the monthly payment math is real, not a guess. I am Austin-based and licensed statewide in Texas, working Kaufman County routinely.
Cities and ZIPs I work in Kaufman County
I write files across Kaufman County. The cities below are the most common purchase markets:
Kaufman, Terrell, Forney, Kemp, Crandall.
Sources & methodology
- HUD Mortgagee Letter 2025-23: 2026 Nationwide Forward Mortgage Limits
- HUD FHA Loan Limits Lookup (county-by-county)
- FHFA: 2026 Conforming Loan Limit Values (Nov 25, 2025)
- Texas Comptroller: Property Tax (county-by-county rates)
- Texas Veterans Land Board: Home Loan Program
- Kellibrooke: Texas Conforming Loan Limits 2026
- Kellibrooke: Texas FHA Loan Limits 2026 (all 254 counties)
Common Kaufman County loan-limit questions
What is the 2026 FHA loan limit for Kaufman County?
For 2026, the one-unit FHA loan limit in Kaufman County is $563,500, per HUD Mortgagee Letter 2025-23. Kaufman County is designated a high-cost area. Two-unit, three-unit, and four-unit limits step up from there: $721,400 / $872,000 / $1,083,650.
What is the 2026 conforming loan limit in Kaufman County?
$832,750 for one-unit conventional loans. The conforming limit is statewide in Texas; no county uses a higher limit for 2026. Loans above $832,750 are conventional jumbo loans.
Are VA loans available in Kaufman County?
Yes. VA loans are available to eligible veterans in every Texas county including Kaufman County. Full-entitlement borrowers have no loan limit; partial entitlement uses the conforming limit ($832,750). All VA programs subject to VA eligibility and entitlement.
What is the property tax rate in Kaufman County?
Kaufman County's effective property tax rate runs approximately 1.74% of home value per year. The $140,000 school district homestead exemption (raised by Proposition 13, approved November 2025, effective 2026) reduces the school-tax portion. Always verify the current rate with the county appraisal district before relying on it.
How much is the homestead exemption in Kaufman County?
The statewide Texas school-district homestead exemption removes $140,000 of appraised value from the school-tax portion of your bill. Your dollar savings equal $140,000 times the local school-district tax rate, which varies by district within Kaufman County. Homeowners 65 or older or disabled qualify for additional exemptions on top of that.
When do you need a jumbo loan in Kaufman County?
A loan above the statewide 2026 conforming limit of $832,750 (one-unit) is a jumbo loan. In Kaufman County I compare your loan amount against the FHA and conforming limits shown in the table above to see whether your file fits a conforming, FHA, VA, or jumbo program. If your amount lands above the conforming limit, we look at jumbo or other options.
What first-time home buyer programs are available in Kaufman County?
Kaufman County buyers can use the statewide first-time buyer programs, including TSAHC (Home Sweet Texas and Homes for Texas Heroes), TDHCA My First Texas Home, and the Texas Mortgage Credit Certificate. Down payment assistance is available through these programs. I help you check eligibility and line up the right one for your file.
Buying or refinancing in Kaufman County?
Send me the property and your scenario. I will run the math across FHA, conventional, jumbo, and VA (with eligibility) so you see which program your file actually lines up with.