St Petersburg mortgage loans sit on the $541,287 FHA floor, and Pinellas County runs its own down payment assistance on top of the statewide programmes.
Written by Renzo Johnson, Licensed Mortgage Loan Originator · Figures from HUD and Pinellas County · Last updated: August 2026
Pinellas is one of the 51 Florida counties on the standard FHA floor, so the borrowing ceiling here is straightforward. However, the county funds its own assistance, which is not true everywhere in the state.
What you can borrow in Pinellas County
- FHA on a single family home: $541,287, the standard floor
- FHA on a duplex: $693,050, useful if you will live in one unit and rent the other
- Conforming: $832,750, and above that a loan becomes jumbo
Because the FHA floor sits nearly $300,000 below the conforming limit, many St Petersburg buyers land in the band where a conventional loan wins on price. Therefore run both before you choose, using our FHA versus conventional guide.
Assistance for St Petersburg mortgage loans
Pinellas County administers its own programme, and the statewide awards stack on top of it. Since the two draw on different money, most buyers use both. Full terms sit on our Pinellas down payment assistance page.
- Hometown Heroes: up to $35,000 for full-time workers in 50+ eligible occupations
- Florida Assist: up to $10,000 as a 0% deferred second mortgage
- HFA Preferred: a conventional loan with reduced mortgage insurance
A peninsula inside a peninsula
St Petersburg sits on a peninsula between Tampa Bay and the Gulf, so a large share of the housing stock carries meaningful flood and windstorm exposure. That matters financially, not only practically: insurance sits inside PITIA and therefore inside the ratio that decides how much you can borrow.
Quote the insurance for the exact address before you commit to a price. Our Florida flood insurance page explains when a lender will require a policy and why the flood zone is not the same thing as the risk.
How to get started
First get pre-qualified. Then ask for an insurance quote on any address you are serious about, because in this market that number moves your budget more than a quarter point on the rate does. Finally, request a free St Petersburg mortgage quote and we will map the county award against the statewide programmes.
Sources: HUD and the FHFA 2026 loan limits, Pinellas County and the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. Local funding runs in cycles, so confirm current terms with the administering office.