Mortgage broker in Columbus, Ohio — from the Short North to Dublin, one call gets you a real answer.

The Columbus market in 2026

Central Ohio finished July 2026 with a $350,000 median sale price, up 2.3% year over year, on 3,083 closed sales — 6.3% more than the July before. The number that changes how you shop, though, is inventory: 2.4 months of supply, which Columbus REALTORS called the highest July inventory in more than a decade. That is still a seller-leaning market, but it is the first Columbus summer in years where buyers could ask for a seller credit and get one, which is exactly what makes a 2-1 buydown or closing-cost help realistic.

Sources: Columbus REALTORS Central Ohio housing report (July 2026); HUD FHA limits CY2026; SmartAsset county effective rates.

Two structural facts work in a Columbus buyer's favor. First, Franklin County's FHA limit is $591,100 for 2026 — the only major Ohio county above the $541,287 national floor, because HUD's median-price input for the county is $514,000. Second, the conventional conforming limit is $832,750, so almost nothing in Columbus needs a jumbo loan; even a Dublin or New Albany house at the top of the market usually fits a conforming or high-balance file.

Neighborhoods, suburbs, and the loan that tends to fit

Columbus is really a ring of distinct markets, and the right program follows the price point and the buyer.

• Short North, Clintonville, German Village. Close-in, walkable, older housing stock and a lot of first-time buyers. This is where FHA loans in Ohio earn their keep — 3.5% down, forgiving on credit, and a 1920s brick double with a rentable second unit still fits under the $756,700 two-unit limit.
• Westerville, Hilliard, Grove City. Family suburbs where a conventional loan at 3% down often beats FHA for buyers with 680+ credit: lower mortgage insurance that actually cancels once you reach 20% equity.
• Dublin and New Albany. The upper end of the metro. Larger files, often with self-employed or bonus income — the territory of bank statement loans for business owners and, occasionally, a jumbo when the price crosses $832,750.
• Investors across the east and south sides. Columbus rents (a $1,308 median in September 2026) plus Ohio's statewide ban on local rent control make it a spreadsheet-friendly market for DSCR loans in Ohio.

VA loaneligible veterans and service members

$0

USDA loaneligible rural addresses outside the metro only

$0

Conventional 3%first-time buyer program

$10,500

FHA 3.5%580+ credit score

$12,250

Closing costs are separate: Ohio buyers averaged $3,394 (about 1.07% of price) in closing costs before prepaids and escrows, per a 2025 Lodestar report cited by Bankrate.

Down payment assistance in Columbus and Franklin County

Assistance in Columbus stacks in layers, and the layers have different reliability. OHFA YourChoice! Down Payment Assistance is statewide and steady: 3% of the purchase price on a conventional first mortgage or 3.5% on FHA, VA or USDA, structured as a second loan that is forgiven after seven years if you stay put (all of it is repayable if you sell within seven years). It pairs with OHFA's First-Time Homebuyer loan, Ohio Heroes (a 0.25% rate discount for veterans, first responders, nurses, teachers and other listed occupations) or Grants for Grads (a degree earned within the last 18 months). OHFA wants a 640 credit score on conventional, VA and USDA loans and 650 on FHA, plus a free online homebuyer course.

The local layer is where you have to check the calendar. The City of Columbus ADDI program offers up to 6% of the price, capped at $14,999, as a five-year deferred forgivable loan for first-time buyers inside city limits at or below 120% of area median income. Franklin County's program through Homeport covers 5% up to $15,000, forgiven after six years, for buyers at or below 100% of AMI outside the city. Both sets of guidelines were last revised in 2024, and their 2026 funding has to be confirmed when you apply — Zach checks that the week you go under contract rather than promising money that may have run out. A third option, Communities First Ohio, is a statewide 3%, 4% or 5% grant with no lien and no repayment for borrowers under 115% of AMI, available through participating lenders on FHA, VA, USDA and Freddie Mac HFA Advantage loans.

OHFA YourChoice! 3.5% assistance $12,250 (64%)

Seller credit toward closing costs (negotiated) $4,000 (21%)

Your own funds $3,000 (16%)

Estimated cash side$19,250

Illustrative only. Assumes the 3.5% FHA down payment ($12,250) is fully covered by OHFA assistance, a $4,000 seller credit, and roughly $3,000 of your own money toward closing costs and prepaids. Actual figures depend on the contract, the lender's fees, and your escrow setup.

Who is buying in Columbus, and how their income gets underwritten

Columbus employment is broad, which is why so many different loan programs get used here. Ohio State University is the region's largest employer; JPMorgan Chase, Nationwide, Amazon Web Services and Honda each employ thousands, and five Fortune 500 companies — Nationwide, Cardinal Health, AEP, Huntington and Vertiv — are headquartered in the city. Honda's Marysville plant sits about 42 miles northwest. Intel's Ohio One fab in New Albany is real but slow: the company has invested more than $5 billion and, as of August 2026, targets the first fab for 2031, so treat it as a long-term factor rather than a reason to overpay this year.

• W-2 income at a hospital, bank or the university is the easy file: conventional or FHA, pre-approved in a day, closed in about 13 days on average.
• Commission, bonus and 1099 income — common in insurance and tech — needs a two-year history for conventional underwriting. When the tax return understates what you actually make, bank statement loans in Ohio qualify you on 12–24 months of deposits instead. Zach has lived on self-employed income himself.
• Investors buying doubles in Clintonville or single-family rentals in Grove City use DSCR loans: no tax returns, qualification on the appraiser's rent schedule, closing in an LLC if you want it.
• Veterans and Guard members get the strongest program in lending: VA loans in Ohio with zero down, no monthly mortgage insurance and no loan limit with full entitlement.

How closing a Columbus loan with a Cincinnati-based originator works

Honest answer: the same way it works for a Cincinnati buyer, minus the drive. Ohio permits e-signatures and electronic closings, appraisers are assigned locally, and the title company is the one your contract names in Franklin County.

1. 1
   Day 1

   Say hi

   Call, text or the two-minute form. Fifteen minutes and you know your price range — no credit pull.

2. 2
   Week 1

   Real pre-approval

   Documents reviewed up front, credit run once, letter issued. Assistance eligibility (OHFA, ADDI, Homeport) checked the same week.

3. 3
   Under contract

   Local appraisal, local title

   A Franklin County appraiser and your contract's title company. Zach runs the dates; you get texts, not voicemails.

4. 4
   About 13 days

   E-close and keys

   Zach's closings average about 13 days from application. Sign electronically or at the title office — your choice.

The 13-day figure is Zach's own average closing time from application; individual files vary with appraisal turn times and your documentation.

Property taxes in Franklin County run roughly 1.4% of value, near Ohio's 1.36% statewide effective rate, and Ohio homeowners insurance averages about $2,100–$2,200 a year in 2026 against $2,500–$2,600 nationally — both cheaper than the coastal markets Columbus keeps getting compared to. Figures on this page are current as of September 2026 and change with the market; Zach confirms the live numbers on your file.