Mortgage Lender in Marietta
Marietta is really three markets. East Cobb runs $600,000 and up with the highest-rated schools. West Cobb offers a more affordable entry around $500,000 with schools still rated excellent. And the area around the Square carries a premium for walkability and historic charm. Which one you are buying in changes what financing makes sense.
What buying in Marietta actually looks like
I'm Mike Garrett with Strategic Mortgage Advisors, and Marietta is my home market. It is also the market people most often misread, because they treat it as one place.
It is not one market, it is three. East Cobb, West Cobb, and the area around the Square are genuinely different from each other, and the loan that fits depends on which one you are buying in.
East Cobb
East Cobb generally starts around $600,000 and runs up from there, with the top-rated schools in the county. The schools are the reason for the premium.
What that means for financing is less than people assume. The conforming loan limit is $832,750, so a $600,000 or even a $750,000 purchase is comfortably conventional territory. Jumbo does not start until you are above roughly $925,000 with 10% down, which is the top of the East Cobb market rather than the middle of it.
Appraisals here are typically solid, which is worth saying because it is not true everywhere.
West Cobb
West Cobb offers a more affordable entry point, with homes typically around $500,000. The schools are still rated excellent, just a notch below some of the top East Cobb schools.
West Cobb sees more first-time buyers than East Cobb, and affordability is why. That makes it the part of Marietta where down payment assistance, FHA, and first-time buyer programs come up most.
Jumbo does appear here too, particularly around Marietta Country Club, so the affordability story is about the entry point rather than a ceiling.
The Square
The area around the Square carries higher prices than the square footage alone would suggest, because you are paying for walkability and historic charm.
Two very different buyers want the same thing here. Younger families drawn to a walkable lifestyle, and empty nesters downsizing for exactly the same reason.
That second group is worth writing for specifically, because almost nobody does. An empty nester selling a larger home is often asset-rich and income-light, which is precisely the situation where qualifying on assets rather than income matters. Freddie Mac made that considerably easier in August 2026: the calculation now divides eligible assets by 180 months rather than 240, and the borrower age restriction is gone entirely.
If you are 62 or older, your tax bill changes
This is the local detail almost nobody mentions, and it affects your monthly payment.
Cobb County offers a school tax exemption for residents 62 and older. The school portion is a large share of a Georgia property tax bill, so the difference is not trivial. It lowers your escrow, which lowers your monthly payment, which can change what you qualify for.
If you are downsizing into the Square at 62 or older, run the numbers with the exemption applied rather than off the current owner’s tax bill. That is a mistake people make, and it works against them.
Eligibility rules and application deadlines are set by the county and can change, so check the current terms with the Cobb County Board of Tax Assessors at assessor.cobbcounty.gov, or ask us and we will walk through what it does to your payment.
USDA is not available anywhere in Cobb County
People ask, and the answer is a flat no. Not East Cobb, not West Cobb, not the Square, not the far western edge. The entire county sits inside the ineligible zone. If someone has told you a Marietta address might qualify for a USDA loan, they are wrong.
USDA eligibility begins once you leave the county. Parts of Paulding, Haralson, Carroll, Polk, and Bartow counties do qualify for zero-down financing, and the boundary does not follow city lines. Part of Dallas qualifies and part does not. Same for Villa Rica and Douglasville.
If your search is stretching west of Cobb and a zero-down option would change what you can afford, send us the specific address and we will check it against the current map. Inside Cobb, the zero-down options are VA if you are eligible, and that is it.
Where to start
I'm Mike Garrett with Strategic Mortgage Advisors, and my office is on Dallas Highway in Marietta. Whether you are buying your first house in West Cobb, moving up in East Cobb, or downsizing toward the Square, the numbers are the place to start.
Tell me the price range and which part of town you are looking in, and I will tell you what is realistic, what it costs, and which programs actually apply.
Areas we work in
- East Cobb
- West Cobb
- Marietta Square
- Marietta Country Club
Who we finance here
The move-up buyer in East Cobb
Buying for the schools, usually $600,000 and up, and usually on ordinary conventional financing rather than jumbo. Appraisals here are typically solid.
The first-time buyer in West Cobb
Drawn by the entry point around $500,000 with schools still rated excellent. This is where down payment assistance, FHA, and first-time buyer programs come up most. Note that USDA is not an option anywhere in Cobb County, so the zero-down route here is VA or nothing.
The downsizer near the Square
Often asset-rich and income-light after selling a larger home. Qualifying on assets rather than income frequently works better here, and the Cobb school tax exemption at 62 changes the payment.
The self-employed buyer, anywhere in Marietta
Bank statement and 1099 programs work the same on either side of town. Where you buy does not change what documentation you need.
Common questions about buying in Marietta
Is East Cobb or West Cobb better for a first-time buyer?
West Cobb, usually, and it comes down to price. Entry points run around $500,000 in West Cobb versus $600,000 and up in East Cobb, with schools still rated excellent. That difference is often what makes the payment work.
Do I need a jumbo loan to buy in East Cobb?
Usually not. The conforming loan limit is $832,750, so a typical East Cobb purchase is ordinary conventional financing. Jumbo comes into play at the top of the market and around Marietta Country Club in West Cobb, and even then it does not mean 20% down. Our jumbo program goes to 90% loan-to-value with no mortgage insurance.
Can I use down payment assistance in Marietta?
Yes. Assistance is available on FHA loans with no first-time buyer requirement, and two of the three programs have no income limit. It comes up most often in West Cobb where the entry price makes it go furthest.
Are there zero-down options in Marietta?
VA, if you are eligible. That is the only zero-down option inside Cobb County. USDA is not available anywhere in Cobb, including West Cobb and the far western edge of the county. USDA eligibility starts once you cross into Paulding, Haralson, Carroll, Polk, or Bartow, and even there it depends on the exact address rather than the town.
I am downsizing and my income dropped. Can I still qualify?
Often, yes, by qualifying on your assets rather than your income. Both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac allow it, and Freddie widened the program considerably in August 2026. It comes up regularly with buyers moving toward the Square.
How is the commute to Atlanta?
It depends on where downtown you are headed and how many days a week you go in. The I-75 express lanes change the math considerably, and two days a week is a different decision from five. It is the first question most buyers ask, and it is worth thinking through before you narrow neighborhoods.
What are the restaurants like?
East Cobb currently has more non-chain restaurants than West Cobb. The Square has a lot of good independent places, which is part of what people are paying the walkability premium for.
This is not a commitment to lend. Rates, programs, and terms are subject to change without notice. All loans are subject to credit approval and property qualification.