Moving to Park City full time
If the Summit County property will become your principal residence, FHA may be an option when the borrower, property and transaction meet applicable requirements.
Summit County has one of Utah's highest FHA loan limits, giving eligible buyers more FHA financing capacity in Park City and surrounding communities. Explore 2026 loan limits, primary-residence rules, condominium considerations, down payment requirements and the steps to prepare for an FHA purchase.
FHA financing throughout Park City, Kamas, Coalville, Oakley, Francis, Henefer, Snyderville Basin and other Summit County communities.
Understanding High-Cost FHA Limits
FHA does not use one loan limit nationwide. In higher-cost housing areas, HUD can establish a larger local mortgage limit based on area home-price data. That is why Summit County's 2026 FHA limit is much higher than the national low-cost-area floor.
The one-unit FHA baseline used in lower-cost housing areas.
The 2026 one-unit FHA base mortgage limit for an eligible property in Summit County.
The maximum one-unit FHA high-cost-area ceiling for most of the United States.
FHA establishes a national floor and ceiling each year. Areas where the calculated local limit exceeds the national floor are considered high-cost areas.
In those areas, FHA uses applicable median home-price data to establish a local limit between the floor and national ceiling. Summit County's $1,163,800 one-unit limit therefore reflects the higher-cost housing area rather than a special FHA loan program.
How FHA Gets There
FHA limits are calculated by county or metropolitan statistical area using statutory formulas tied to median sale prices.
For 2026, the one-unit low-cost-area floor is $541,287.
For 2026, the one-unit high-cost ceiling is $1,249,125 in most areas of the country.
Its 2026 one-unit FHA base mortgage limit is $1,163,800.
The larger Summit County limit simply allows FHA financing to adjust for a higher-cost housing area. The borrower must still qualify, the property must meet applicable FHA requirements, and a standard FHA purchase generally must be for a principal residence. The county limit itself does not make a vacation home, second home or investment property eligible.
FHA forward mortgage limits shown are for calendar year 2026 and apply based on the property's location and number of residential units.
FHA Occupancy in Park City
Generally, no. Standard FHA purchase financing is designed primarily for a home you will occupy as your principal residence—not a Park City vacation property, short-term rental or investment property.
Summit County's $1,163,800 FHA loan limit gives eligible borrowers more financing capacity in a high-cost area. It does not change FHA's underlying principal-residence requirements.
A principal residence is generally the home where you maintain your permanent place of abode and typically live for the majority of the calendar year.
At least one borrower must generally establish occupancy within 60 days of signing the security instrument and intend to continue occupying the home for at least one year.
If the Summit County property will become your principal residence, FHA may be an option when the borrower, property and transaction meet applicable requirements.
A home primarily intended for weekend, holiday or recreational use generally does not fit FHA's standard principal-residence structure.
FHA mortgage insurance generally cannot be used to structure the purchase of a non-owner-occupied investment property.
The property where you maintain your permanent residence and typically occupy it for the majority of the year.
FHA defines this separately from a vacation home and permits it only under narrow circumstances with additional approval and requirements.
A property that is not occupied as an eligible principal or secondary residence generally cannot be financed with standard FHA purchase insurance.
FHA's secondary-residence exception is narrow. It requires written FHA approval and is intended for situations involving an undue commuting hardship and a lack of affordable rental housing near the borrower's workplace.
The property cannot be a vacation home or be used primarily for recreational purposes, and FHA limits this type of transaction to a maximum mortgage of 85% of the lesser of the appraised value or sales price.
The occupancy plan should be clear before choosing FHA financing.
At least one borrower generally needs to establish occupancy within 60 days.
Condominiums, HOA-governed properties and other property types can bring additional eligibility questions beyond occupancy.
FHA occupancy rules include limited exceptions that depend on the borrower's specific circumstances. Occupancy should be reviewed before relying on FHA financing for a Summit County purchase.
High Limit ≠ Unlimited Buying Power
Summit County's high FHA limit creates more financing capacity than most Utah counties, but staying under the limit is only one part of the equation. Your actual buying range still depends on qualification, cash to close and the complete monthly housing payment.
Assuming maximum 96.5% FHA base financing, a $700,000, $900,000 or even $1.1 million purchase can remain below the county loan limit. That does not mean each price produces a reasonable payment—or that every borrower will qualify.
As the purchase price rises, the mortgage is only one part of the housing expense. Property-specific costs can materially change what a home actually costs each month.
A borrower could be well below Summit County's FHA limit and still decide the resulting housing expense is too high. Conversely, a property may fit comfortably within the borrower's payment target but require additional FHA review because of condominium, occupancy or property considerations.
It tells you whether the proposed base mortgage fits within Summit County's FHA program ceiling. Your actual buying decision should also answer: Can I qualify? Is the payment comfortable? Do I have the appropriate cash to close? And is this specific property eligible for FHA financing?
Examples are for educational purposes and assume approximately 96.5% FHA base financing before financed upfront mortgage insurance. Actual down payment, loan amount, cash to close, monthly payment and qualification depend on the borrower, property and transaction.
Park City Condominium Financing
Potentially, yes—but qualifying for the mortgage is only part of the process. When the property is legally a condominium, FHA may also need to evaluate the condominium project or determine whether the individual unit has another eligible FHA approval path.
The borrower must qualify for FHA financing, but the condominium unit and project must also satisfy the applicable FHA condominium requirements.
Mortgage programs do not necessarily apply identical condominium standards. A project that works for conventional financing may still require a separate FHA eligibility review.
That is why the condominium status should be checked early—ideally before a buyer relies on FHA financing when writing an offer.
The condominium project already has an FHA approval that is currently valid. The individual borrower and unit must still meet the applicable loan requirements.
Certain units in projects without full FHA approval may qualify through FHA's Single-Unit Approval process when the unit and project satisfy the applicable criteria.
Some detached or townhouse-style condominium developments can qualify as Site Condominiums and therefore do not require regular FHA Project Approval or Single-Unit Approval.
Project-Level Review
Required condominium or association dues are included in the borrower's recurring housing expense. That means two similarly priced Summit County properties can produce materially different qualifying payments once HOA dues, taxes, insurance and FHA mortgage insurance are included.
Even if a Park City condominium is FHA eligible, standard FHA purchase financing generally still requires the borrower to use the property as a principal residence. A condo being FHA approved does not make it eligible as a vacation home, nightly-rental property or non-owner-occupied investment purchase.
Determine whether the property is actually a condominium rather than relying on the listing description alone.
Determine whether the project is FHA approved, may qualify for Single-Unit Approval or meets Site Condominium requirements.
Include HOA dues, property taxes, insurance and FHA mortgage insurance before deciding whether the property fits your budget.
Condominium eligibility depends on the individual unit, project, ownership structure and current FHA requirements. Project approval status can also change, so eligibility should be verified for the specific property being considered.
High-Cost FHA Cash Planning
FHA may allow a relatively small percentage down even in a high-cost county, but the dollar amount—and the total funds needed to complete the purchase—can still be substantial. That makes cash planning especially important on a Park City-area purchase.
3.5% of a $900,000 purchase price, assuming the transaction is eligible for maximum FHA base financing.
An eligible maximum-financing FHA purchase may require a minimum investment of approximately 3.5%.
Loan, appraisal, title, settlement and other transaction charges may add to the amount needed at closing.
Prepaid interest, property taxes, homeowners insurance and initial escrow funding may also be collected.
Condo, HOA and transaction-related requirements can create additional expenses that should be identified before closing.
Eligible earnest money already deposited may be credited through the closing statement toward the buyer's required funds.
FHA permits qualifying gift funds from acceptable sources when required documentation and source requirements are satisfied.
Qualifying assistance may potentially help with required funds when FHA and the assistance program requirements are both met.
Eligible seller contributions can help pay allowable closing costs, prepaid expenses and other permitted items.
Most FHA purchase loans currently carry a 1.75% upfront mortgage insurance premium based on the base loan amount. This premium can generally be financed into the FHA mortgage, so it should not be confused with the buyer's 3.5% minimum investment or automatically treated as additional cash due at closing.
Subject to FHA requirements, sellers and other interested parties may contribute up to 6% of the sales price toward eligible origination fees, closing costs, prepaid items, discount points and certain other permitted expenses. The contribution cannot simply become unrestricted cash back to the buyer.
On a $900,000 purchase, 3.5% alone is approximately $31,500.
Interest, FHA mortgage insurance, taxes, insurance and HOA dues should all be evaluated together.
Project eligibility and recurring association dues can matter even when the mortgage itself remains below the county FHA limit.
Example is for educational purposes and assumes approximately 96.5% FHA base financing. Actual required investment, closing costs, mortgage insurance, credits, prepaid expenses and cash to close depend on the borrower, property, contract and loan structure.
FHA Financing Throughout Summit County
Summit County's 2026 FHA limits apply throughout the county, but the financing questions can look very different depending on the property, location, HOA structure and how you plan to occupy the home.
Principal-residence use, condominium eligibility and HOA costs can be especially important parts of the FHA review.
The county FHA limit remains the same, while property type, association structure and monthly housing expense vary by property.
Eligible primary-residence properties in Kamas use the applicable Summit County FHA loan limits.
FHA eligibility depends on the borrower and property even though the same Summit County loan ceiling applies.
Property condition, monthly payment and principal-residence use remain part of the overall FHA analysis.
The local FHA limit is countywide, but taxes, insurance and other property-specific costs can affect qualification.
Eligible properties use Summit County's FHA limits while remaining subject to FHA occupancy, appraisal and underwriting requirements.
Properties elsewhere in Summit County use the same county FHA limits according to unit count.
Condominium properties can require project-level FHA eligibility review that a detached single-family home may not.
Standard FHA purchase financing generally requires principal- residence occupancy regardless of the county's high loan limit.
Similar purchase prices can generate different qualifying payments because property-specific expenses vary.
Staying below the $1,163,800 limit does not automatically make the borrower or property FHA eligible.
A Park City condo, Kamas single-family home and Coalville property can all fall under the same FHA county limit while presenting very different occupancy, appraisal, HOA, insurance and qualification questions. The specific property should be reviewed before assuming FHA will work.
Common Park City & Summit County FHA Questions
Summit County's high FHA limits create opportunities that do not exist in many lower-cost areas, but borrowers still need to understand occupancy, condominium eligibility, mortgage insurance and the complete monthly housing expense.
The 2026 FHA base mortgage limit for an eligible one-unit property in Summit County is $1,163,800. The limits are $1,489,900 for two units, $1,800,950 for three units and $2,238,150 for four units. These are program loan limits, not automatic borrower approval amounts.
No. The applicable FHA limit is based on the property's county and number of residential units. Park City, Kamas, Coalville, Oakley, Francis and other properties located in Summit County use the same applicable Summit County FHA limits.
Generally, no. Standard FHA purchase financing is designed primarily for a principal residence. At least one borrower generally must occupy the property within 60 days and intend to continue occupying it as a principal residence for at least one year. FHA should not be used simply to finance a vacation or non-owner-occupied investment property.
Potentially, yes. If the Summit County property will become your principal residence and you meet applicable borrower, property and underwriting requirements, FHA may be one financing option worth comparing with conventional, VA or other available programs.
Potentially. A condominium unit generally needs an acceptable FHA eligibility path. That may include being located in an FHA-approved project, qualifying through FHA's Single-Unit Approval process, or meeting FHA's Site Condominium requirements.
Yes. Required condominium or HOA dues are included in the recurring housing expense used in qualification. A property with substantial HOA dues can therefore produce a materially higher qualifying payment even when its purchase price is similar to another property.
An eligible borrower may potentially use maximum 96.5% FHA base financing even in a high-cost county. For example, 3.5% of a $900,000 purchase price is approximately $31,500. Closing costs, prepaid expenses and other transaction costs may increase total cash to close.
It can be. FHA's annual mortgage insurance rate varies by base loan amount, loan term and loan-to-value ratio. Under the current FHA premium table, a mortgage with a term longer than 15 years, base loan amount above $726,200 and LTV above 95% has a 0.75% annual mortgage insurance premium. FHA also generally charges a 1.75% upfront mortgage insurance premium on purchase loans.
No. The county loan limit is only the maximum FHA base mortgage allowed for the applicable property type. Your actual loan amount depends on income, monthly obligations, credit, interest rate, taxes, insurance, HOA dues, available funds and other underwriting factors.
No. FHA financing is frequently associated with first-time buyers, but being a first-time homebuyer is not generally a requirement. Eligible repeat buyers can also use FHA financing when they meet applicable occupancy, borrower, property and underwriting rules.
Send the property address or listing along with your estimated purchase price and intended occupancy. For Summit County properties, reviewing the condominium or HOA structure, complete monthly payment and occupancy plan early can identify potential FHA issues before you rely on the financing in an offer.
Review my Summit County FHA scenario →Summit County FHA Guidance
Buying in Park City or elsewhere in Summit County involves more than staying below the FHA loan limit. Your plan should account for the complete monthly payment, cash to close, occupancy requirements, property type, HOA dues and the financing options available to you.
Reviewed By
FHA Loan Utah provides practical FHA financing information for Utah homebuyers and real estate professionals, including local loan limits, qualification guidance, property considerations and homebuying strategy.
In Summit County, that often means looking beyond the high FHA loan limit and reviewing the property's occupancy, condominium or HOA structure, monthly housing expense and overall financing fit.
FHA Resources
FHA guidelines and annual loan limits can change. Use these resources to review current program information and compare your Summit County scenario with other Utah FHA options.
Victor Emmel | NMLS #133605 | Coast2Coast Mortgage, LLC | NMLS #376205 | Equal Housing Lender. Information is provided for educational purposes only and is not a commitment to lend. Loan approval is subject to borrower qualification, property eligibility, underwriting requirements and applicable program guidelines.