The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced this week that it will raise the maximum conforming loan limits for mortgages acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2018 to $453,100 on one-unit properties and a cap of $679,650 in high-cost areas. The previous loan limits were $424,100 and $636,150, respectively. This is the second straight year and the second time that the FHFA has raised the conforming loan limits since 2006.

The conforming loan limit determines the maximum size of a mortgage that Government Sponsored Enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can buy or guarantee. Non-conforming or jumbo loans typically carry a higher mortgage interest rate than conforming loans, increasing monthly payments and negatively impacting affordability for families to purchase homes.

The FHFA decided to raise the conforming loan limits due to rising home values. In most of the country, the 2018 maximum loan limit for one-unit properties will be $453,100. In high-cost areas like Santa Clara and San Mateo counties and most counties in the Bay Area, the cap will be $679,650. Maximum loan limits for 2018 are up in all but 71 counties or county equivalents in the U.S., according to the FHFA. For a list of the 2018 maximum loan limits for all counties and county-equivalent areas in the U.S. click here.

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