Central OC · Service Area
Your Mortgage Lender in Costa Mesa
Costa Mesa is where many Orange County first-time buyers actually land: more attainable than Newport next door, with strong appreciation and a genuine neighborhood feel. Cris helps Costa Mesa buyers with conventional 3% down, FHA, VA, and multi-unit house-hacking strategies.
★★★★★ 210+ five-star reviews · Free consultation · No credit pull to start
Buying or refinancing in Costa Mesa
The Eastside/Westside mix means options at multiple price points, plus a meaningful stock of duplexes and triplexes — Costa Mesa is one of the best cities in OC to house-hack: live in one unit, rent the rest, and let tenants pay most of your mortgage. Veterans can do this with $0 down on a VA loan up to 4 units.
First conversations with Costa Mesa buyers are usually about payment comfort, not maximum approval. Expect an honest model of what different price points actually cost monthly before you fall in love with anything.
Who you would be working with
Cris Pacheco is a mortgage loan officer serving Costa Mesa and all of Orange County with EZ Fundings Home Loans, Inc., a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran and USC Marshall School of Business alum, licensed under NMLS #1961452 (company NMLS #1156892). Verify his license independently at NMLS Consumer Access. Se habla español.
Costa Mesa loan limits and price breakpoints for 2026
Orange County is a federally designated high-cost area, so it sits at the national ceiling for both conforming and FHA lending. Which tier your loan amount falls into changes your pricing and your guidelines more than almost any other single factor.
Conforming
Up to $832,750
Best available pricing. Standard Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac terms.
High-balance conforming
$832,751 to $1,249,125
Still agency-backed, but priced slightly above the baseline tier. Available because Orange County is a high-cost area.
Jumbo
Above $1,249,125
Portfolio and private-investor money. Guidelines, reserve requirements and pricing vary widely between investors, which is why shopping the file matters most here.
The highest price you can buy before your loan becomes a jumbo
What determines your tier is the loan amount, not the purchase price. More money down means a higher price while still keeping agency financing. These are the exact breakpoints at the 2026 Orange County ceiling of $1,249,125.
| Down payment | Max price, best-priced tier | Max price before jumbo |
|---|---|---|
| FHA, 3.5% down | $862,953 | $1,294,430 |
| Conventional, 5% down | $876,579 | $1,314,868 |
| Conventional, 10% down | $925,278 | $1,387,917 |
| Conventional, 20% down | $1,040,938 | $1,561,406 |
| Conventional, 25% down | $1,110,333 | $1,665,500 |
Breakpoints are calculated from the 2026 Orange County limits: baseline conforming $832,750, high-balance conforming and FHA ceiling $1,249,125. A Veteran with full entitlement has no VA loan limit, so these breakpoints do not apply to VA financing. Figures are for one-unit properties and exclude closing costs and financed FHA upfront mortgage insurance. For an exact number on your scenario, ask.
Loan programs that fit Costa Mesa
Costa Mesa mortgage questions
+How much do I need down to buy in Costa Mesa?
As little as 3% conventional or 3.5% FHA — and $0 for Veterans using a VA loan. Closing costs can often be offset with seller credits. One call gets you your real number.
Ready to make a move in Costa Mesa?
Free consultation, English or Spanish. Get a real answer about your exact scenario, no credit pull to start, and usually a same-day reply.
★★★★★ 210+ five-star reviews · Texts answered same day · Ready to apply? Start your application