Puget Sound Tech Corridor Home Loans
The Puget Sound tech corridor is really two markets sharing one high-cost loan limit. On the Eastside, Redmond and the Microsoft orbit run past $1.3 million with tech buyers whose income is heavy on stock compensation. In the south county, Kent, Auburn, and Marysville are the value belt where buyers priced out of Seattle and Bellevue actually land, in the $450,000–$600,000 range. Both sit in the Seattle high-cost zone, so the conforming limit here is well above the national baseline, which changes who needs a jumbo loan. I finance across King and Snohomish counties and shop 240+ lenders.
The corridor at a glance
Why the tech corridor is its own market
Two things define this region: the elevated loan limit and the split between the affluent Eastside and the value-belt suburbs. King County is a federally designated high-cost area, so the 2026 conforming limit is $1,063,750, dramatically higher than the $832,750 national baseline. That single fact reshapes every financing conversation here, because a loan that would be jumbo almost anywhere else in the country is still conforming in King County. Confirming which side of that line you’re on is the first thing I do.
Redmond and the Eastside — the tech / jumbo market
Redmond is the corridor’s high end, with a median around $1.3 to $1.36 million and demand driven directly by Microsoft’s campus, the Overlake Urban Center, and the Link light-rail extension. Return-to-office mandates from Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta have pulled demand back into the Eastside even as some outer suburbs cooled, and the best inner neighborhoods (the 98052 zip around the Microsoft campus) stay genuinely competitive, tight inventory, homes moving in under two weeks. This is a market of tech professionals whose compensation is heavy on RSUs and stock, and the key to qualifying them is documenting that income the way underwriters want to see it. Much of Redmond sits above even the elevated conforming limit, which makes jumbo financing and asset-based or bank-statement programs central. Redmond is also served by the Lake Washington School District, one of the state’s top-ranked systems, a major price driver.
Kent, Auburn, Marysville — the value belt
This is where the corridor’s volume actually happens. Kent and Auburn, in south King County, are the mid-priced suburbs ($450–600K) that absorb buyers priced out of Seattle and Bellevue, and they’ve shifted to a more balanced market where buyers finally have time to inspect and negotiate rather than writing offers within hours. Marysville, up in Snohomish County, is one of the more affordable alternatives, and the Lynnwood light-rail extension is a real catalyst for the northern end of the corridor. These are FHA, conventional, and down payment assistance markets, and notably, nearly 77% of active Washington listings qualify for down payment assistance through the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, which matters most exactly here in the value belt.
Woodinville — the corridor’s wine-country luxury market
Just northeast of Redmond, Woodinville is the corridor’s distinct luxury and wine-country market, over 100 wineries alongside estate homes, hobby vineyards, and tech-executive buyers. Because it’s a different animal from the rest of the corridor (luxury and jumbo-driven), it has its own dedicated page: see Woodinville jumbo and wine-country financing.
Loan programs for the tech corridor
Jumbo
Central on the Eastside, but remember the bar is high: with King County’s $1,063,750 conforming limit, many Redmond purchases are still conforming, and only the upper tier is truly jumbo. Asset-based and bank-statement options fit stock-heavy tech income. Learn more.
Conventional
3% down for qualified buyers, conforming all the way to the high-cost limit here. Learn more.
FHA
3.5% down, flexible credit, pairs with WSHFC assistance, the workhorse in Kent, Auburn, and Marysville. Learn more.
Down payment assistance
Nearly 77% of active Washington listings qualify for down payment assistance through the WSHFC, which matters most in the Kent/Auburn/Marysville value belt; ask about current programs and eligibility.
Today’s Purchase Mortgage Rates
Live pricing from the same daily rate feed shown on our Today’s Rates page. These update automatically each day.
Conventional 30-Year Fixed
Conventional – Primary Residence
FHA 30-Year Fixed
FHA – Primary Residence
VA 30-Year Fixed
VA – Primary Residence
Rate Assumptions
Purchase, 30-yr fixed, $300K Loan, $400K Value, Credit 759
APR & Disclosures
The Annual Percentage Rate (APR) shown reflects the cost of credit over the loan term, including applicable fees, and is based on the assumptions above. Your actual rate and APR depend on your credit profile, loan amount, property, occupancy, and other factors. For information purposes only and does not constitute a loan approval or commitment to lend. Rates are subject to change without notice.
Today’s Jumbo Rate
Jumbo 30-Year Fixed
Today's jumbo purchase rate
Rate
6.25%
APR
6.273%
Rate updated: Jul 13, 2026 12:08 PM
Assumptions: Purchase, 30-yr fixed, $1.5M loan, $2M price, 760 FICO, Zip 92867
For information purposes only and not a commitment to lend. APR reflects estimated costs; rates subject to change without notice.
View all rates →Puget Sound Tech Corridor Mortgage FAQ
What’s the conforming loan limit in the Seattle tech corridor?
King County is a high-cost area, so the 2026 conforming limit is $1,063,750, far above the $832,750 national baseline. That means many Redmond and Eastside purchases are still conforming, not jumbo. I pull the exact figure from the official limits for your county (Snohomish, for Marysville, is also elevated).
Do I need a jumbo loan in Redmond?
Less often than you’d think, because the high-cost conforming limit is so high ($1,063,750). Only the upper tier of Redmond’s market is truly jumbo. I confirm which side of the line your loan is on before we choose a program.
How do you qualify tech buyers with stock compensation?
Documenting RSUs and stock income the way underwriters require is the whole game. I set that up before you write an offer, and for stock-heavy or self-employed profiles, asset-based and bank-statement jumbo programs can be a better fit than traditional income docs.
Where’s the best value in the corridor?
The south-county belt, Kent, Auburn, and Marysville, in the $450–600K range, is where buyers priced out of Seattle and Bellevue land. The market there is balanced enough now to inspect and negotiate, and most listings qualify for Washington down payment assistance.
What about Woodinville?
Woodinville is the corridor’s luxury wine-country market and has its own dedicated page covering jumbo and estate financing. It’s a different market from the rest of the corridor, so we treat it separately.
Do you finance the whole corridor?
Yes — Redmond, Kent, Auburn, Marysville, and the surrounding King and Snohomish county communities, plus Woodinville via its dedicated page.
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