The 2026 FHA limit for Fort Worth
HUD sets FHA loan limits by metro area, not by city. Fort Worth sits in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro, so the number is the same whether the house is in Tarrant County or out west in Parker County.
For FHA case numbers assigned in 2026, the limits are:
- 1 unit: $563,500
- 2 units: $721,400
- 3 units: $872,000
- 4 units: $1,083,650
I pulled those from HUD’s FHA mortgage limits lookup (opens in new tab) on November 1, 2026. Johnson, Wise, and Denton County come back with the same numbers. That matters more than you’d think, because Fort Worth’s city limits reach into all five of those counties, per the city’s comprehensive plan (opens in new tab).
The limit is the most you can borrow, not the most the house can cost. If you put more down, you can buy a house priced above it. And on a 2 to 4 unit property, you have to live in one of the units. More on how FHA works in general on my FHA loans page.
What nobody knows yet: the 2027 limit
HUD resets these every calendar year. The 2026 numbers came out on December 11, 2025, in Mortgagee Letter 2025-23 (opens in new tab), and they apply by the date your FHA case number is assigned, not your closing date.
The 2027 numbers aren’t out. When I checked on November 1, 2026, HUD’s lookup only went through 2026. Nobody can tell you today whether Fort Worth’s limit goes up. For what it’s worth, it didn’t move from 2025 to 2026. It was $563,500 both years.
If you’re right at the line and buying around the new year, the case number date is the thing to watch. I’ll tell you which year’s limit your file falls under.
Down payment help you can look at
There’s more help around Fort Worth than most people know about. Each program has its own rules, and they change, so treat this as a list to check, not a promise. The full list is on my down payment assistance page.
TDHCA. The state housing agency’s home loan programs (opens in new tab) work anywhere in Texas, including Fort Worth. My First Texas Home is for first-time buyers and is built on FHA, VA, or USDA loans. My Choice Texas Home doesn’t require you to be a first-time buyer. Both offer down payment help, and you have to take an approved homebuyer class to get it. Income and price limits apply. On My First Texas Home, the help is a second lien that’s either forgiven after 3 years or deferred for 30, and TDHCA says it’s there while funding lasts.
TSAHC. The Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation has Home Sweet Texas (opens in new tab) and Homes for Texas Heroes (opens in new tab), which is for certain professions like teachers, first responders, and veterans. You don’t have to be a first-time buyer. There are income limits, and you go through a participating lender.
Here’s the hard part. Not every program fits every house, and some don’t stack. Figure out which program fits before you fall in love with a house, not after.
Older Fort Worth houses and the FHA appraisal
Fort Worth has a lot of older neighborhoods, and older houses are where FHA gets picky.
If the house was built before 1978, the appraiser checks for defective paint, meaning chipping, peeling, or flaking. HUD’s rule (opens in new tab) says it has to be fixed before closing. Washing and painting over it doesn’t count. Small spots can be scraped and repainted. The appraiser also notes things like signs of termites and foundation movement under HUD’s property standards (opens in new tab).
None of that kills a deal by itself. Often the seller just fixes it before closing. If the house needs more than a touch-up, an FHA 203(k) loan can roll the repairs into the mortgage. That’s on my renovation loans page.
Property taxes are in the payment
FHA requires an escrow account. Your property taxes, homeowners insurance, and mortgage insurance get collected with the payment every month. So the tax bill on the house changes what you qualify for.
In Fort Worth, which tax bill you get depends on the address. Most of the city is in Tarrant County and on the Tarrant Appraisal District (opens in new tab). Some of the west side is in Parker County and on Parker CAD (opens in new tab). The school district varies too. Fort Worth ISD covers less than half of the city’s land, and 14 other districts cover the rest. Look up the address on the right appraisal district. The record shows every taxing unit on the house.
After you move in, file your homestead exemption. It’s one of the few things that lowers the bill. If a new-build community has a MUD or PID, that’s on top of regular taxes. Here’s how those work.
The good news
An FHA loan in Fort Worth still covers a lot of house in 2026. And a lot of people I talk to have never heard of the state programs. Some of them are closer to buying than they think.
Start by getting approved before you shop. Tell me the area you’re looking in. I’ll tell you if FHA or conventional fits better, which help programs you might qualify for, and what the payment looks like with real taxes in it. Then your agent can go win you the house.