Mortgage Broker in Tequesta, FL

Short answer

Tequesta's median house sold for $1,075,000 in Q3 2026, so 20% down leaves an $860,000 loan, just $27,250 over the $832,750 conforming limit; about 22.5% down keeps it conforming. QMS Lending is an independent mortgage broker that compares Tequesta purchases and refinances across 100+ lenders, so you can see the conforming, jumbo and split-loan options side by side.

What homes cost in Tequesta right now

The Village of Tequesta recorded 12 single-family sales in Q3 2026 at a median of $1,075,000, up 1.9% from a year earlier, per Florida Realtors data published by MIAMI REALTORS (as of November 2026). 10 townhouses and condos sold at a median of $336,375, up 5.1%. For comparison, the Palm Beach County medians were $655,000 for houses and $307,500 for condos.

Houses are moving fast. The median house went under contract in 10 days, sellers got 98.1% of original list price and there were only 2.7 months of supply (15 active listings). New house listings more than doubled to 26, and 19 went pending. Half the house buyers, 6 of 12, paid cash.

Condos are slower: a 57-day median to contract, 91.5% of original list price and 7.0 months of supply with 46 active listings. 6 of the 10 condo buyers paid cash. In practice, a house buyer needs a fully underwritten pre-approval and an appraisal gap plan, while a condo buyer has more time and room to negotiate.

Tequesta is a village of 6,158 residents (2020 census, median age 51.4) at the northern tip of Palm Beach County, the northernmost municipality in the Miami metro area. It was planned in the 1950s around the Tequesta Country Club and incorporated in 1957. Most of it is on the mainland along the Loxahatchee River and the Intracoastal, with small sections on Jupiter Island around Coral Cove Park. It runs its own fire rescue, police and water utility.

Conforming, jumbo or split: the $832,750 line

Tequesta's median house sits right on the 2026 conforming limit of $832,750 (as of November 2026), so a few points of down payment change the whole loan.

• 20% down on $1,075,000: $215,000 down leaves $860,000, a jumbo loan by $27,250.
• About 22.5% down ($242,250): the loan drops to $832,750 and stays conforming, which usually means lighter reserve and credit rules.
• 10% down: a $967,500 total loan can be a jumbo, or a conforming first of $832,750 plus a $134,750 piggyback second.

Which one costs less depends on the day's pricing across lenders, so we price all three before you write the offer. Self-employed buyers can use bank statement loans up to jumbo amounts, and move-up buyers can tap a HELOC or a bridge loan on the current home. See 2026 conforming loan limits in Florida.

Tequesta condos and townhouses

At the condo median of $336,375, FHA with 3.5% down is about $11,773 down and a $324,602 base loan, far under the $667,000 Palm Beach County FHA limit, if the project is FHA-approved. A conventional loan with 5% down is about $16,819 down in a warrantable project.

Much of the village's condo stock is older and near the river and Intracoastal. Under F.S. 553.899, condo and co-op buildings three habitable stories or taller need a milestone inspection by December 31 of the year they turn 30, then every 10 years (25 years if the local official requires it near salt water). Under F.S. 718.112, those buildings also need a SIRS, with the first study due no later than December 31, 2026, and owners can no longer waive structural reserves. Two-story garden condos are outside both rules, which can make them easier to finance.

Ask for the condo questionnaire, budget and any special assessment notice early. If the building fails lender review, a non-warrantable condo loan may still work with more down. Investors can use a DSCR loan, a business-purpose loan, where the association allows rentals.

Tequesta property taxes

The village's operating rate is 6.4595 mills for both 2025 and the 2026 proposed budget, per the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser, with no village debt levy listed. Because Tequesta runs its own fire rescue, the county fire-rescue levy is not on the bill; the county library levy (0.5491) is.

Adding the county (4.5000 plus 0.0210 debt), the school board (3.2480 local plus 3.0390 state), Children's Services (0.4908), the Health Care District (0.6561), the water management district (0.2301 combined), FIND (0.0270) and the Jupiter Inlet District (0.0722) gives about 19.29 mills, roughly 1.93% of taxable value using 2026 proposed rates (as of November 2026). The appraiser's 2025 district total for Tequesta was 19.3388 mills.

On a $1,075,000 house that is about $20,700 a year before the homestead exemption; on a $336,375 condo, about $6,500. The Save Our Homes cap resets at sale, so estimate at your price, not the seller's bill. Voters decide a statewide property-tax amendment on November 3, 2026; budget on current law until the result is known.

Flood zones and insurance on the Loxahatchee

Tequesta was on Palm Beach County's list of municipalities affected by the new FEMA flood maps that took effect on December 20, 2024; countywide, more than 16,000 parcels saw the base flood elevation rise by a foot or more. Riverfront and Intracoastal lots are the ones most likely to sit in a high-risk A zone, while much of the inland village is lower risk.

If the parcel is in a Special Flood Hazard Area and you finance it, the lender will require flood insurance, escrowed with taxes and homeowners insurance. Tequesta is a CRS Class 6 community, which gives NFIP policyholders in high-risk zones a 20% discount (5% outside them). The village Building Department, at 345 Tequesta Drive, can tell you whether an elevation certificate is on file, which can lower the premium. Check the address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and read what a flood zone means for your loan.

Get the flood and wind quotes before you lock, because on a waterfront house they can change your debt-to-income ratio. Older homes will also need a 4-point inspection and a wind mitigation report.

Down payment help in Tequesta

We did not find a village-run buyer assistance program. Tequesta condos fit Palm Beach County's programs well: SHIP Purchase Assistance (up to $100,000, 0% deferred, forgiven after 30 years, price cap $568,557, income up to $114,660 for one person or $163,660 for four) and the Homebuyer Match Pilot (match up to $50,000 on at least $10,000 of your own cash, homes up to $700,000). SHIP's last round reached its application limit and the 2026 Match window (March 30 to April 20) is closed; call 561-233-3600 for the next round.

Florida Hometown Heroes adds up to 5% of the first mortgage ($10,000 to $35,000) for eligible first-time buyers in health care, schools, public safety and similar jobs, plus military and veterans. See Florida down payment assistance programs and Hometown Heroes 2026. Veterans can also look at VA loans with no down payment, subject to entitlement and credit approval.

Working with QMS Lending in Tequesta

QMS Lending is an independent mortgage broker in Miami, FL, founded in 2018 (NMLS #1781090). For Tequesta buyers that means one application priced across 100+ wholesale lenders instead of one bank's menu, which matters most on jumbo, condo and self-employed files. Disclosures, documents and closing coordination run by e-sign and phone, with a local title company handling the closing.

The team is bilingual (English and Spanish), led by Michael Fernandez, NMLS #1491775, President, and rated 4.9 stars across 200+ Google reviews. Our office is at 3105 NW 107th Ave Ste 400-O6, Doral, FL 33172. Rates vary daily; call 305-425-1990 for today's pricing. All loans are subject to credit approval and property eligibility. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Down payment help for Tequesta buyers

• Palm Beach County SHIP Purchase Assistance Up to $100,000 as a 0% deferred loan forgiven after 30 years; max price $568,557, which fits the Tequesta condo median; income up to 140% AMI ($114,660 for 1, $163,660 for 4). Last round reached its application limit. 561-233-3600. ↗
• Palm Beach County Homebuyer Match Pilot Dollar-for-dollar match up to $50,000 on a buyer contribution of at least $10,000; homes up to $700,000. The 2026 window (March 30 to April 20, 2026) is closed; watch for the next one. ↗
• Florida Hometown Heroes Up to 5% of the first mortgage ($10,000 to $35,000) as a 0%, 30-year deferred second, not forgivable; first-time, income-qualified buyers working full time for a Florida employer in health care, schools, public safety, courts or child care, plus military and veterans. ↗

Nearby cities

JupiterJuno BeachPalm Beach GardensNorth Palm Beach