Buying a home on the New Hampshire Seacoast

How do Seacoast towns compare on property taxes?

Tax rates vary a lot from town to town on the Seacoast. In 2025, the towns below ranged from $8.37 per $1,000 of assessed valueAssessed value The value a New Hampshire town assigns to a property for tax purposes. Your property tax is based on it, not on the purchase price. See the full glossary× in Rye to $19.68 in Dover. A lower rate doesn't always mean a lower bill, because home values differ too, so compare the tax on the price you'd actually pay.

Rates are the full 2025 rates from the NH Department of Revenue Administration. The 2026 rates are set each fall. Each town's page has local facts and its rate filled into the payment calculator, and the property tax calculator compares any two towns.

Why are loan limits higher on the Seacoast?

Rockingham and Strafford counties are part of the Boston-area metro for federal loan limits, so their limits are higher than in Hillsborough County. For 2026, the one-unit limit in both counties is $962,550 for conforming loans and $962,550 for FHA loans. In Hillsborough County it's $832,750 for conforming loans and $589,950 for FHA.

That matters for higher-priced Seacoast homes. A loan that would be a jumbo loan in Nashua can still be a conforming loan in Rockingham County. The 2026 loan limit guide has the limits for 2 to 4 unit homes too.

Do I need flood insurance on the Seacoast?

Only if the home is in a high-risk flood zone on FEMA's map (zones starting with A or V) and the loan is federally backed or regulated, which covers most mortgages. Parts of Hampton, Seabrook, Rye, North Hampton and Portsmouth sit in those zones, and so do some homes along Great Bay and the tidal rivers in Durham, Newmarket, Stratham and Greenland.

Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center before you make an offer, and get an insurance quote early, since it's part of your monthly payment. The flood zone guide walks through the zones, elevation certificates and what the lender checks.

What should I know about beach condos and second homes?

Condo financing depends on the building as much as on you. Projects with a lot of short-term rentals, a hotel-style rental desk, commercial space or pending litigation may not meet Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac rules, so they need a non-warrantable condoWarrantable condo A condo in a project that meets Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac rules for owner occupancy, budget, insurance and other items. Non-warrantable condos need other loan options. See the full glossary× loan. Ask for the condo questionnaire early. The condo mortgage guide covers what lenders review.

How you'll use the home matters too. A second home you use yourself is financed differently than a rental, and the second home guide explains the difference. If you plan to rent it out, see DSCR loans.

Moving here for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard or Pease?

The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard sits on an island in the Piscataqua River in Kittery, Maine, and many of its workers live in New Hampshire. One point surprises newcomers: New Hampshire doesn't tax wages, but Maine generally taxes wages earned in Maine, including at the Shipyard, even when you live in New Hampshire. A tax professional or Maine Revenue Services can tell you how that applies to your household.

Pease, on the Portsmouth and Newington line, is home to the New Hampshire Air National Guard's 157th Air Refueling Wing. If you're a veteran or service member, a VA loan may fit, and an assumable VA loan on a listing is worth asking about.

If you're relocating, Tom can look at your job offer or orders and your pay to start a pre-approval before you arrive, so a house-hunting trip can be about finding the house.

How do people get around the Seacoast?

Interstate 95 and Route 1 run north and south along the coast toward Maine and Massachusetts. Route 101 heads west from Hampton toward Exeter and Manchester, and the Spaulding Turnpike (Route 16) links Portsmouth with Dover and points north. Amtrak's Downeaster stops in Exeter, Durham and Dover on its way between Boston's North Station and Maine.

If you're moving from Massachusetts and will keep working there, read the Massachusetts to NH guide for the tax side.

Where should a Seacoast buyer start?

1. Set a monthly budget with the town's tax rate and an insurance estimate, including flood insurance if the address is in a flood zone.
2. Get pre-approved for the loan type that fits the property: conforming, FHA, VA, jumbo or a condo program.
3. Check the property early: the flood map, the condo questionnaire, and the well and septic on homes outside town water and sewer.

Tom compares options across Elite Mortgage Group's lenders for Seacoast homes, from Portsmouth condos to homes in Stratham and Exeter.