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Home / Arizona Licensed Statewide · Firefighter-Owned

Arizona Mortgage Broker.
From The Valley
To The Old Pueblo.

Hero Mortgage Group is a firefighter-owned brokerage licensed across Arizona. We close loans in Phoenix metro, Tucson, Flagstaff, Yuma, Prescott, and every county in between. Arizona runs one of the more generous statewide DPA programs in the country (HOME+PLUS) and a meaningful Maricopa/Pima stackable program (Home In Five Advantage). We work both, and we know where they layer with VA, FHA, and conventional loans for the lowest combined cost.

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5%
HOME+PLUS DPA Statewide
$832K
2026 Baseline Loan Limit
2.5%
Arizona Flat Income Tax
15DAYS
Average Arizona Close
Why Hero In Arizona

A Growth State
That Rewards Speed.

Arizona has been one of the fastest-growing housing markets in America for a decade. Phoenix metro alone has added 500,000+ residents since 2020, driven by California migration, low cost of living, and a flat 2.5% state income tax that's the lowest of any state with one. Inventory moves quickly. Builder activity is intense in the West Valley and Pinal County. Pricing is competitive in every sub-market.

Hero's 15-day close window, fully-underwritten pre-approvals, and stackable HOME+PLUS + Home In Five DPA give Arizona buyers offers that compete with cash. We work Maricopa and Pima counties weekly and have direct experience with the major Arizona homebuilders' financing-incentive structures.

Programs · Arizona

HOME+PLUS, Home In Five,
VA, & The Full Menu.

HOME+PLUS.

The flagship Arizona Housing Finance Authority program. Available statewide. Provides DPA of up to 5% of the first mortgage as either a grant or a forgivable second mortgage. Layers on top of FHA, VA, USDA, or conventional. Income limits scale by county; typically $130K-$160K. No first-time-buyer requirement on most products.

HOME+PLUS is exceptionally flexible — works in any Arizona ZIP, doesn't require first-time-buyer status, and offers both grant and second-mortgage DPA structures depending on which produces the lower total monthly. We model both options on every Arizona file.

Home In Five Advantage.

A regional program in Maricopa County only — not Pima — and it does not stack with HOME+PLUS. It is a separate, complete package. Assistance runs 3% to 6% on FHA and VA and 3% to 5% on conventional, in four structures: a 3-year forgivable second, a 7-year forgivable second, a 30-year forgivable second with no forgiveness until final maturity, or a 10-year amortizing second at 6% interest with monthly payments. Selling or refinancing before term repays the unforgiven balance. Minimum 640 score, credit-qualifying income capped at $153,440, no purchase price limit, homebuyer education required of all buyers. The additional 1% overlay for teachers, first responders and military was removed from the program in 2025.

VA Loans In Arizona.

Arizona has roughly 525,000 veterans — a top-12 state by population. Major military presence includes Luke AFB (Glendale), Davis-Monthan AFB (Tucson), Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, and Fort Huachuca (Sierra Vista). The 2026 baseline VA loan limit is $832,750 statewide. Arizona has no FHFA-designated high-cost counties — the entire state is at baseline. Full-entitlement veterans can buy at any price with $0 down.

FHA In Arizona.

2026 FHA single-family limits sit at the baseline $524,225 in most Arizona counties. Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal counties hit slightly higher tiers due to median home prices. We confirm county-specific 2026 numbers at pre-approval.

Conventional, Jumbo & Non-QM.

Above the conforming limit, Phoenix's higher-end markets (Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, parts of Arcadia) routinely run jumbo. We place jumbo files through portfolio lenders with Arizona second-home and short-term-rental appetite, particularly for the Scottsdale and Sedona resort markets. Self-employed Arizona business owners (significant population in Phoenix metro) place into our Non-QM bank-statement and DSCR programs routinely.

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Arizona · Statewide Coverage

Valley, Old Pueblo,
High Country, & Border.

Arizona FAQ

Questions From Arizona
Buyers, Answered.

Can I stack HOME+PLUS and Home In Five Advantage?

No — they do not stack. HOME+PLUS and Home in Five are each a complete first-mortgage-plus-DPA package with their own master servicer, so you choose one, not both. HOME+PLUS runs statewide at up to 4%. Home in Five runs in Maricopa County only, at 3% to 6% depending on the option. We price both against your income and zip on the first call and tell you which one wins.

Are Arizona homebuilder financing incentives worth using?

Sometimes — but they're not always the best deal. Builder-preferred lenders offer rate buydowns (often 2-1 or 3-2-1 temporary buydowns) or closing-cost credits, but the trade-offs include: bundled-price structures that hide the true cost, higher base loan rates, and reduced flexibility on appraisal contingencies. We compete head-to-head with builder lenders every week. Sometimes we beat their offer; sometimes the builder incentive genuinely wins. We'll tell you which case yours is, honestly.

How does Arizona's flat 2.5% income tax affect my mortgage qualification?

It doesn't change your qualifying income directly — DTI uses gross income — but the practical impact is that your actual take-home pay is higher than in graduated-tax states. A $100,000 earner in Arizona keeps about $2,500/year more than the same earner in Colorado (4.4% flat) or Oregon (top 9.9% marginal). That makes the qualifying max feel more comfortable month-to-month — useful when right-sizing your purchase price.

I'm stationed at Luke AFB or Davis-Monthan. How do my VA benefits work in Arizona?

The same way they work anywhere — but Arizona's appraisers, title companies, and underwriters have heavy VA experience due to the strong military presence. Standard VA $0-down on primary residences up to the $832,750 baseline; full entitlement above that with no down payment for unrestricted full-entitlement borrowers. Disability-rated veterans skip the funding fee entirely. We routinely place files for active-duty service members at all four major Arizona installations.

Can I buy a second home in Sedona or Scottsdale as a snowbird?

Yes. Second-home conventional loans require 10-15% down and use second-home occupancy attestations. Rates run 0.125-0.375% higher than primary residence. If you plan to short-term-rent the property, we'd structure the file as an investment loan (DSCR) instead, since technically second-home occupancy doesn't allow short-term rental income credit. Sedona STR regulations are strict — we confirm permitability before submission.

What's the FHA loan limit in Phoenix for 2026?

Maricopa County (Phoenix metro) sits in an intermediate FHA tier with a 2026 single-family limit of approximately $546,000 (above the FHA baseline of $524,225). Pinal County (Queen Creek, Maricopa, Casa Grande) is similar. Most of the rest of Arizona is at the baseline. Multi-unit limits scale proportionally. We confirm county-specific 2026 numbers at pre-approval.

How fast can you close an Arizona mortgage in this competitive market?

Our average Arizona close is 15 days from contract acceptance. Variables: appraisal turn time (5-8 days in Phoenix and Tucson metros; 10-14 days in rural counties), HOA estoppel (master-planned communities sometimes slow — we order on Day 1), and title (fast — most Arizona titles clear in 3-5 days). For new-construction purchases, the timeline depends on the builder's completion schedule but our loan side runs in 15 days regardless.

For Every Arizona Buyer

Arizona Speed.
Hero Standard.

No documents required to start. Eligibility for HOME+PLUS, Home In Five Advantage, and Arizona-specific programs verified on the first call.

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