Georgia · State guide
How to buy a house in Georgia
Still one of the more affordable big-growth states, with a strong first-time-buyer program offering up to $12,500 in help. A few local rules to know: it’s an attorney-closing state, and there are two separate transfer taxes. Here is the playbook for buying in Georgia.
Last updated June 2026
Why Georgia is different
Buying a house in Georgia, the short version
The federal process is the same everywhere — read the complete guide to buying a house for the eight universal steps — but Georgia has its own programs, taxes, and closing rules worth knowing before you start.
The picture: a statewide median around $370,000 (metro Atlanta runs higher, the rest of the state lower), moderate property taxes (about 0.8%), and a well-funded state program — Georgia Dream — that offers below-market loans plus up to $12,500 in down payment help. Georgia is also an attorney-closing state, meaning a licensed Georgia attorney runs your settlement.
Two quirks to plan for. First, Georgia has two separate transfer taxes at closing — a small deed transfer tax the seller usually pays, and an “intangibles” tax on your loan that the buyer pays. Second, property-tax relief is uneven: a new statewide cap (HB 581) helps in some counties but most big metros opted out, while senior school-tax exemptions in many metro counties can wipe out most of an older owner’s bill. Use the 50-state hub to compare other states.
The market
What homes cost in Georgia
Moderately affordable overall, cooling toward a balanced market — with metro Atlanta well above the rest of the state.
The statewide median sale price was about $369,687 in May 2026, up roughly 1.3% year over year (Redfin), with homes taking around 58 days to sell. Inventory is rising and buyers have more room to negotiate than during the pandemic rush. Prices vary widely across the state:
Median prices by metro
Macon ~$195,000 (among the most affordable) · Augusta ~$299,000 · Columbus low-$200Ks · Savannah ~$350,000 · Atlanta metro ~$440,000. Metro Atlanta — home to a deep roster of Fortune 500 employers — is the priciest large market and is cooling from its red-hot peak, while Augusta, Columbus, and Macon stay very affordable.
Down payment & rate help
Georgia Dream homebuyer programs
You don’t apply directly — you work through a Georgia Dream lender. The first mortgage and the down payment help stack together. Minimum 640 credit, and an 8-hour homebuyer course is required.
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Georgia Dream Standard
A 30-year fixed mortgage (FHA, VA, USDA, or conventional) at a below-market rate, plus $10,000 (or 5% of the price) in down payment and closing-cost help.
The assistance is a 0%-interest deferred second — no monthly payment, repaid only when you sell, refinance, or move out. For first-time buyers (or in targeted areas / for veterans), with income and price limits (sale price up to $425,000).
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PEN & CHOICE — $12,500
Bigger help for some buyers: $12,500 (or 6%) for PEN — public Protectors, Educators, and Nurses (plus other healthcare workers and active military) — and the same $12,500 for CHOICE, if a member of your family lives with a disability.
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Peach Plus & Peach Select
Peach Plus raises the income and price limits (sale price up to $525,000) and is open to repeat buyers too, not just first-timers. Peach Select is a below-market loan built specifically for veterans.
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City help on top
Local programs go further: the City of Atlanta (Invest Atlanta) offers forgivable help up to about $20,000 in designated areas, and Savannah’s DreamMaker program goes up to $30,000. Augusta and Columbus run programs too.
The Georgia Dream rules in brief
To qualify: a 640+ credit score, liquid assets no more than $20,000 or 20% of the price, at least $1,000 of your own money in the deal, and completion of a homebuyer education course (often online through E-Home America). The Standard sale-price limit is $425,000. And don’t forget the federal options — USDA loans are 0% down across much of rural and suburban Georgia, and FHA needs just 3.5% down.
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Property taxes
Property taxes in Georgia: moderate, with big exemptions
Georgia’s effective property tax rate is moderate — roughly 0.8%–0.9%, with a typical bill near $2,000 a year. Here’s how it works: your home is assessed at 40% of its fair market value, then the county and school district millage is applied to that. Every owner-occupant should file for the standard homestead exemption ($2,000 off the assessed value) with the county by April 1 — and there’s a new statewide cap, HB 581, that limits annual homestead value growth to inflation. The catch: most large metro counties and school systems (Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, DeKalb, Chatham, and the City of Atlanta) opted out, so the cap mainly helps in opted-in (mostly rural) counties — check where your county stands.
The senior break that can erase most of your bill
The single biggest property-tax perk in Georgia is the senior school-tax exemption. The school portion is usually the largest part of a tax bill, and many metro Atlanta counties — including Cobb, Cherokee, Forsyth, Fayette, and others — let homeowners 65 and older fully exempt their home from school taxes, often with generous income rules. That can cut a bill by thousands of dollars a year. If you’re buying near retirement age, check your target county’s senior exemptions — they vary a lot and can change which county is cheapest to own in.
Closing & costs
Closing on a home in Georgia
Georgia is an attorney state: by law, only a licensed Georgia attorney can conduct a real estate closing. The attorney searches and clears title, prepares the deed and loan documents, holds and disburses the funds, collects and remits the transfer taxes, and records the deed. Buyer closing costs typically run 2%–5% of the price (loan fees, appraisal, title insurance, recording, and prepaids).
Georgia has two separate transfer taxes, which often causes confusion. The deed transfer tax is small — $1 per $1,000 of price (about 0.1%, roughly $370 on a $370,000 home) — and the seller is the one legally on the hook (the standard contract assigns it to them). Separately, the intangible recording tax applies to your mortgage at $1.50 per $500 (about 0.3% of the loan, or roughly $900 on a $300,000 loan, capped at $25,000), and the buyer/borrower pays that one. A cash buyer skips the intangibles tax entirely. On financing, the 2026 conforming limit is $832,750 in every Georgia county; FHA is higher in metro Atlanta (around $600,000) than the $541,287 floor used in most other counties — confirm your county with HUD. A purchase usually closes in about 30–45 days.
Disclosure: Georgia is “buyer beware” — so inspect
Georgia is technically a caveat emptor (“buyer beware”) state, but in practice most sellers using a Realtor contract complete a Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement. A seller can’t actively conceal a known hidden defect, lie about one, or block your inspection — but they aren’t required to volunteer every issue.
So the inspection is your real protection. Always get a professional home inspection — and for rural homes on well and septic, add water testing and a septic inspection. The federal lead-paint rule applies to homes built before 1978.
Insurance & risks
Insuring a Georgia home
Home insurance in Georgia averages roughly $2,000–$2,600 a year — still below the national average, but rising fast (premiums are up around 40% since 2021, and Hurricane Helene in 2024 accelerated the trend). The main drivers are storms: Georgia sees 20-plus tornadoes a year (the north-Georgia corridor is most active), and hail in metro Atlanta is one of the most common and expensive claims. Many policies now carry a separate percentage-based wind/hail deductible rather than a flat one, so read that closely.
The coast and the storms
On the coast — Savannah (Chatham County) and the Brunswick/Golden Isles area (Glynn County) — premiums are the steepest in the state (often $3,000+), and policies usually carry a named-storm deductible of 1%–3% of the home’s value. Georgia has no state wind pool, so if you can’t get coverage in the regular market, the options are surplus-lines carriers or the Georgia Underwriting Association (GUA) as a last resort.
Flood isn’t covered by a standard policy. You’ll likely need separate NFIP flood insurance near the coast and along river corridors like the Chattahoochee — lenders require it in FEMA flood zones (allow ~30 days for a new policy to take effect).
Wherever you buy
The steps that work the same in Georgia
Georgia sets the local rules, but these parts of buying are the same everywhere.
Quick answers
Buying a house in Georgia: common questions
How much money do you need to buy a house in Georgia?
With a conventional loan you need 3% down, FHA 3.5%, and VA or USDA can be 0%. On a typical ~$370,000 home that’s roughly $11,000–$13,000 down plus closing costs — and Georgia Dream can cover $10,000–$12,500 of that. Just budget for the intangibles tax on your loan (about 0.3%). See how much you really need →
Does Georgia have down payment assistance?
Yes. The Georgia Dream program offers a below-market first mortgage plus $10,000 in help (Standard), or $12,500 for public protectors, educators, nurses, military (PEN), and families with a disabled member (CHOICE). Cities like Atlanta and Savannah add more on top. See assistance programs →
Does Georgia have a transfer tax?
Two, actually. The deed transfer tax is small — $1 per $1,000 of price (~0.1%), customarily paid by the seller. Separately, the intangible recording tax on your mortgage is about 0.3% of the loan, paid by the buyer. On a typical purchase that’s roughly $370 (seller) and ~$900 (buyer).
Are property taxes high in Georgia?
No — they’re moderate, around 0.8% with a typical bill near $2,000. Your home is assessed at 40% of value. Be sure to file the $2,000 homestead exemption, and note that seniors can fully exempt their home from school taxes in many metro counties — a big saving.
What credit score do you need in Georgia?
Around 580 for FHA and 620 for a conventional loan. The Georgia Dream program requires a minimum 640. A higher score mainly earns a lower rate. Check the score by loan type →
Is Georgia an attorney state for closings?
Yes. By law, only a licensed Georgia attorney can conduct the closing — handling title, documents, funds, taxes, and recording.
Do home sellers have to disclose problems in Georgia?
Georgia is technically “buyer beware,” but most sellers complete a Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement, and a seller can’t actively conceal a known hidden defect or block your inspection. Always get your own inspection regardless. How inspections fit the process →
What is HB 581, the floating homestead exemption?
It’s a 2025 statewide cap that limits how much your homestead’s taxable value can rise each year (to inflation). But most large metro counties and school systems opted out, so it mainly benefits homeowners in opted-in, largely rural counties. Check whether your county opted out.
What’s the conforming loan limit in Georgia?
$832,750 in all 159 counties for 2026. FHA limits are higher in metro Atlanta (around $600,000) than the $541,287 floor used in most other counties. Loans above the limit are jumbo mortgages.
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