California Home Loans

We are a California broker and have financed homes across the state for decades. Three things shape a California mortgage more than they do anywhere else: county loan limits that vary enormously, property taxes that are not what the 1% rule suggests, and an escrow process run by escrow companies rather than attorneys.

Each one changes what you qualify for. None of them are obvious from a national mortgage site.

Your county limit may not be what you assume

California contains both extremes of the 2026 conforming loan limit.

The national baseline for a one-unit property is $832,750. In designated high-cost counties the limit rises to $1,249,125 — and California has more of those counties than any other state. Los Angeles, Orange, and most of the Bay Area sit at or near the ceiling. Riverside and San Bernardino sit at or near the baseline.

That gap has a practical consequence people run into constantly: a loan that is conforming in Los Angeles County can be a jumbo in Riverside County. A buyer comparing a $950,000 purchase in Irvine against one in Temecula is not comparing the same financing, even at the same price and the same income.

Before assuming you need a jumbo, check your specific county's limit. There is also a middle tier — high-balance conforming — that still follows Fannie and Freddie guidelines with modest price adjustments, and it is meaningfully better than true jumbo terms.

What your property taxes will actually be

This is where California buyers most often misjudge affordability, because the well-known number is only the starting point.

Proposition 13 sets the base property tax rate at 1% of assessed value, with assessed value generally limited to 2% annual increases and reassessed when the property sells. Voter-approved bonds and local assessments add to that, which is why most California homeowners land somewhere above 1.1%.

Then there is Mello-Roos. In communities formed as Community Facilities Districts under the Mello-Roos Community Facilities Act of 1982, an additional special tax funds the infrastructure that made the development possible — roads, schools, parks, utilities. It appears as a separate line on the property tax bill, commonly runs 20 to 40 years, and is not tied to your home's assessed value the way the base rate is.

This matters for two reasons.

It is concentrated in exactly the newer developments many buyers are shopping. Much of the recent construction across the Inland Empire — Eastvale, Menifee, parts of Corona and Jurupa Valley — sits in a CFD. Older neighborhoods in Riverside and San Bernardino generally do not.

Underwriters count it. Mello-Roos is part of the monthly housing payment used to qualify you. Two houses at the same price, one in a CFD and one not, produce different qualifying payments — and the buyer who budgeted on the base rate finds out at underwriting rather than at the open house.

The practical step: ask for the actual tax bill or the CFD disclosure before you write an offer, not after. Sellers are required to disclose it. Getting the real number early is the difference between a comfortable payment and a surprise.

Verify current CFD amounts and durations for a specific property with the county assessor or the seller's disclosure package. They vary by district and by parcel.

How escrow works here

California closings run through escrow companies, not closing attorneys. A neutral third party holds funds and documents, follows the instructions both sides signed, and disburses when every condition is met.

For a buyer, that means the escrow officer becomes a central figure in your transaction, and the coordination between lender and escrow determines whether you close on time. A file that is clean on the lending side can still be delayed by a slow escrow handoff.

We work alongside Escrow One, which lets us coordinate directly rather than through intermediaries when it makes sense for the transaction. You are never required to use any particular escrow company, and you should know that you have the choice.

The Inland Empire specifically

Riverside and San Bernardino counties are our home market, and the financing questions here are genuinely different from coastal California.

Prices sit below Los Angeles and Orange County, which puts far more of the market inside conforming limits and keeps FHA and VA in play at price points where they are unusable closer to the coast. Inventory skews newer, which brings the Mello-Roos question up more often than it does in older markets.

Many buyers here are moving inland from Los Angeles and Orange County in search of more house. That move usually improves the financing picture — a purchase that would have been jumbo becomes conforming, and programs that were out of reach come back onto the table.

Statewide

We are licensed throughout California, not only the Inland Empire, and we lend in six other states. If you are buying here, relocating here, or financing a California property from somewhere else, the conversation starts the same way — with your county, your price range, and what the actual payment looks like once taxes are counted properly.

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FAQ

What is the conforming loan limit in California for 2026? It depends on the county. The baseline is $832,750, and designated high-cost counties — including Los Angeles, Orange, and most Bay Area counties — go up to $1,249,125. Riverside and San Bernardino are at or near the baseline. Verify your specific county before assuming you need a jumbo.

How much does Mello-Roos add to a payment? It varies by district and parcel, and there is no single rate. It is assessed as a separate special tax rather than a percentage of value, commonly runs 20 to 40 years, and gets counted in your qualifying payment. Get the actual figure from the seller's disclosure or the county assessor before you make an offer.

Do all California homes have Mello-Roos? No. It applies to properties inside Community Facilities Districts, which are concentrated in newer developments. Much of the older housing stock in Riverside and San Bernardino has none.

Is 1% the right number for California property taxes? It is the Proposition 13 base rate, not the total. Voter-approved bonds and local assessments push most homeowners above it, and Mello-Roos can push it considerably higher in a CFD.

Do I have to use a particular escrow company? No. Buyers and sellers negotiate escrow selection, and you are entitled to choose. We work alongside Escrow One and can coordinate directly, but that is an option rather than a requirement.