The Lodi Home Loan Letter

Hi neighbor! Here's this week's quick read on home loans and the local housing market.

At a glance: Lodi area

Loan limits

The 2026 loan limits for San Joaquin County

The conforming loan limit for a one-unit home in San Joaquin County is $832,750 in 2026, up $26,250 from 2025. That is the largest loan Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can buy here. A bigger loan is called a jumbo loan and has its own rules.

The FHA loan limit for a one-unit home in San Joaquin County is $678,500 for 2026. FHA loans are insured by the Federal Housing Administration, part of HUD. Two-unit to four-unit homes have higher limits under both programs.

Local lending

Fewer purchase loans in 2025, and more of them were FHA

Lenders made 5,991 home purchase loans for owner-occupied homes in San Joaquin County in 2025, down 3.8% from 6,227 in 2024. FHA loans were 25.5% of them, up from 23.3%. VA loans were 4.7%.

Of the applications that reached a decision, 9.4% were denied in 2025 (642 of 6,808). The reason lenders listed most often was debt-to-income ratio, in 46% of denials. If you plan to buy next year, it helps to know your own numbers early. I am happy to walk through them with you.

Lodi homeowners

About 7 in 10 Lodi owners have a mortgage

Of 13,173 owner-occupied homes in Lodi, 9,005 (68%) have a mortgage or similar loan. For those owners, the median monthly housing cost (mortgage, taxes, insurance and utilities) is $2,297. For owners without a mortgage it is $695.

About 3 in 10 Lodi owners with a mortgage spend 30% or more of household income on housing costs. Home values across the Stockton-Lodi metro are down 1.8% from a year ago.

Homeowner tip

Two tax dates and a $7,000 break

Property tax bills go out by Nov. 1: pay the first half by Dec. 10 and the second half by April 10 to avoid a penalty.

Also look for the Homeowners' Exemption, which takes $7,000 off the taxable value of the home you live in. If it's missing, file form BOE-266 with the San Joaquin County Assessor by Feb. 15.

San Joaquin County Assessor

Sources

Conforming loan limit: FHFA, Conforming Loan Limit Values for 2026 (news release Nov. 25, 2025, and the 2026 county list), San Joaquin County, one-unit, loans acquired in calendar year 2026. Link

FHA loan limit: HUD, FHA Mortgage Limits, Stockton-Lodi, CA metro (San Joaquin County), one-unit forward mortgage limit for FHA case numbers assigned in calendar year 2026 (Mortgagee Letter 2025-23). Link

Local lending: FFIEC and CFPB, HMDA data for 2025 and 2024, San Joaquin County; home purchase, first lien, owner-occupied, one-unit to four-unit site-built homes; retrieved Oct. 2, 2026. Denial share uses loans made, approved but not accepted, and denied. Link

Lodi homeowners: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates for Lodi city (tables B25003, B25081, B25088, B25091), in 2024 dollars; estimates have margins of error. Link

Home values: FHFA House Price Index, all-transactions, not seasonally adjusted, Stockton-Lodi, CA metro, Q2 2026 vs Q2 2025, retrieved Sept. 29, 2026. Link

Tax tip: California Board of Equalization, Publication 29 and the Homeowners' Exemption page, checked Sept. 29, 2026. Link

The Lodi Home Loan Letter: San Joaquin County is written by Territory Press and sent by Jordan Sample, NMLS #000000, Sample Home Loans Inc, NMLS #000001. Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act. License #0000000.

Check licenses at NMLS Consumer Access (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org).

Equal Housing Lender. This newsletter is general market information. It is not a commitment to lend, a loan offer or a quote of rates or terms. All loans are subject to credit approval, and not everyone will qualify.

Mailing address: PO Box 100, Lodi, CA 95240.

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