Buying a home in Louisiana

Louisiana's effective property-tax rate is about 0.557%of a home's value per year, lower than the U.S. average of 0.888%. On a $500,000 home that's roughly $2,785 a year.

Full Louisiana property-tax guide →

Louisiana is a title/escrow state (no attorney required), and Louisiana has no state real-estate transfer or deed tax. On a $400,000 home, estimated closing costs run about $7,021–$10,321 on top of your down payment.

Full Louisiana closing-costs guide →

Louisiana runs a housing finance agency with first-time-buyer help: down-payment assistance, below-market first mortgages, and mortgage tax credits.

See first-time buyer programs in Louisiana →

What you can afford depends on your income, debts, and down payment, not just the home price. Louisiana's property taxes above feed straight into the monthly payment lenders measure against your income.

Enter your numbers once and see your real affordability range, debt-to-income, and rent-vs-buy break-even for Louisiana:

Home Buying Steps walks you through the whole process, from checking if you're ready to getting pre-approved to closing day, one clear step at a time, tailored to Louisiana where the rules differ.

• 1. Are you ready? — budget, credit, rent vs. buy
• 2. Get your finances in order — pre-approval
• 5. Making an offer — earnest money & contingencies
• 10. Closing day — every cost, line by line