Island County, WA.

What these limits mean for buyers in Island County

The 2026 conforming 1-unit limit for Island County is $832,750. Loans at or below this amount can be sold by the originating lender to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, which keeps pricing tight and underwriting consistent. Island County uses the standard national conforming baseline.

For FHA financing, the 2026 1-unit limit is $671,600. The HUD CHUMS table pegs the median sales price for Island County at $584,000. Island County is in HUD's FHA high-cost tier — its limit sits between the national floor of $541,287 and the ceiling of $1,249,125, calculated as 115% of the area median.

Practical takeaway. The median sales price in Island County ($584,000) is below both limits — FHA, conventional, and VA financing all cover median-priced purchases here. Choice between programs comes down to credit, down payment, and overlay differences.

How the limits are set

Conforming limits come from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which adjusts them each year based on changes in the FHFA Housing Price Index. FHA limits come from HUD: the national floor is $541,287 (65% of conforming baseline), the ceiling is $1,249,125 (150% of conforming baseline), and counties between are calculated as 115% of the area median sales price.

Multi-unit and house-hacking math

Island County 2-, 3-, and 4-unit conforming limits are $1,066,250, $1,288,800, and $1,601,750 respectively. If you're house-hacking — owner-occupying one unit of a 2-4 unit property — these are the limits that matter, and the rental income on the other units can be used to qualify. FHA and VA both finance owner-occupied 2-4 unit properties at their own multi-unit limits.

Limits effective 2026 per HUD CHUMS publication. Sourced GSE and FHA files. Generated 2026-04-26.