President of Milestone
Banks offer their own products. Milestone offers the market. Your loan officer shops your scenario across 65+ investors to find the rate and program that fits your situation. You get options, not a take-it-or-leave-it quote.
Milestone serves homebuyers all across Pennsylvania, from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to Allentown, Erie, and Harrisburg. Your loan officer works with you remotely and has full access to the same 65+ investor network available at any Milestone branch. Whether you're buying a rowhome in Philadelphia or a home near Carlisle Barracks, you get the same process and the same network.
Clear-to-close in as few as 15 days. Every cost is upfront from day one. You see exactly what you're paying before you commit.
Your loan officer matches you to the right loan based on your goals, not a script. Whether you're a first-time buyer in Pittsburgh or refinancing in Lancaster, your loan officer walks you through every step from application to closing.
Traditional mortgages with competitive rates for borrowers with good credit. Down payments as low as 3%.
Government-backed loans perfect for first-time buyers with flexible credit requirements.
Exclusive benefits for veterans, active military, and eligible spouses. Thank you for your service!
Zero down payment loans for eligible rural and suburban homebuyers. Great for first-time buyers!
Lower your rate, reduce your payment, or tap into your home's equity with our refinance options.
Financing for luxury properties and high-value homes that exceed conventional loan limits.
Conventional Loans: The 2026 conforming loan limit in Pennsylvania is $832,750 in 66 of the state’s 67 counties, rising to $1,209,750 in Pike County in the Pocono Mountains, which falls under the New York metro high-cost designation. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh counties are not elevated for conventional financing.
FHA Loans: FHA loan limits sit at the national floor of $541,287 across most of Pennsylvania, including Allegheny County (Pittsburgh), rising to $630,200 in Bucks County, a Philadelphia suburb. That’s a different county than the one that gets the conventional high-cost bump, so it’s worth checking both limits separately depending on where you’re buying.
VA Loans: Pennsylvania is home to Carlisle Barracks, site of the U.S. Army War College, along with Fort Indiantown Gap, Tobyhanna Army Depot, and Naval Support Activity Mechanicsburg. VA loans are a strong fit for the state’s military and veteran community.
USDA Loans: USDA eligibility covers a large share of rural Pennsylvania, including the Northern Tier, Central Pennsylvania, and parts of Western Pennsylvania outside the Pittsburgh metro core. Philadelphia and the immediate Pittsburgh area are not eligible.
Jumbo Loans: Because Pennsylvania’s conforming limit already climbs to $1,209,750 in Pike County, the jumbo threshold shifts depending on where you’re buying, so it’s worth confirming the limit for your specific county before assuming you need a jumbo loan.
Milestone serves homebuyers in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie, Reading, Scranton, Bethlehem, Lancaster, Harrisburg, and communities throughout the state. Your loan officer matches you to the right program no matter where in Pennsylvania you’re buying.
Pennsylvania doesn’t require an attorney at closing the way some states do, though many buyers around Philadelphia choose to hire one given the added complexity of the city’s realty transfer tax rules. Speaking of which, Philadelphia’s combined realty transfer tax runs 4.578%, well above the 1% baseline that applies across the rest of the state. Milestone operates within full compliance of Pennsylvania’s regulatory framework and keeps current on programs like the Keystone Advantage Assistance Loan and HOMEstead Downpayment and Closing Cost Assistance Loan, both administered through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency.
Milestone serves homebuyers in 30+ states.
Can’t make it during business hours? Leave a message anytime and we’ll get back to you the next business day.
Milestone has 70+ loan officers ready to help you find the right mortgage. Tell us about your goals and we’ll match you with a loan officer who knows your market and fits your situation.
Fill out a short form on our website. We'll ask the basics: purchase or refinance, loan amount, and your timeline. Takes about 5 minutes.
Your loan officer reviews your scenario and shops it across 65+ investors. You'll receive personalized loan options and suggestions, not a generic rate sheet.
Once you've chosen the right option, your loan officer locks the rate and walks you through your documents. Upload everything through Milestone's secure portal.
Milestone coordinates with your real estate agent, title company, and appraiser. Clear-to-close in as few as 16 days.
Yes, and the rate depends heavily on where you’re buying. The statewide realty transfer tax is 1% of the sale price, owed jointly by buyer and seller, though payment is usually negotiated between the parties in the contract. Local municipalities and school districts can add their own share on top of that, and Philadelphia is the extreme example: the city’s local rate rose to 3.578% effective July 1, 2025, which combines with the 1% state tax for a total of 4.578%, the largest local transfer tax variation of any state Milestone currently serves.
Pennsylvania is unusual here: the state itself offers no homestead exemption at all for bankruptcy or creditor purposes $0. Residents who file bankruptcy in Pennsylvania instead use the federal homestead exemption, which protects $27,900 of home equity for an individual or $55,800 for a married couple who jointly own the home. Separately, Pennsylvania does offer a Homestead/Farmstead Exclusion under Act 1 that reduces the taxable assessed value of an owner-occupied home for school property tax purposes, but the benefit is set locally by each school district and doesn’t reduce to one statewide figure.
Yes, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency offers two. The Keystone Advantage Assistance Loan provides up to 4% of the purchase price or appraised value, capped at $6,000, at 0% interest and amortized over 10 years. The HOMEstead Downpayment and Closing Cost Assistance Loan offers up to $10,000, also at 0% interest, forgiven at 20% a year over five years, though it excludes homes built before 1978 and isn’t available in every city or county.
No. Pennsylvania is an equitable-distribution state, not a community property state, so property acquired during a marriage isn’t automatically considered jointly owned the way it would be in a community property state. This mostly matters in divorce or estate situations rather than in everyday underwriting.
Your Milestone loan officer will compare options from 65+ investors to find the right fit for your situation in Pennsylvania. Fill out a quick form and a loan officer will reach out to walk you through your options. Not in Pennsylvania? Milestone serves homebuyers in 30+ states.
