Most of the loans done in the United States end up with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or The Federal Housing Administration (FHA). All three agencies have Maximum Loan Limits, meaning that regardless of someone’s qualification there is a cap on the loan amount. Over the last few days all three announced increases to those limits. This year those increases were rather large due to the huge home appreciation rates the industry has seen.
There are two buckets for the caps that vary by area of the country. Most of the areas we serve in Michigan and Ohio are considered low costs areas. The low cost areas were increased as follows:
| Property Size | Baseline Loan Limits |
| One-Unit | $647,200 |
| Two-Units | $828,700 |
| Three-Units | $1,001,650 |
| Four-Units | $1,244.850 |
| Property Size | Low-Cost Area “Floor” |
| One-Unit | $420,680 |
| Two-Units | $538,650 |
| Three-Units | $651,050 |
| Four-Units | $809,150 |
This is all great news for home buyers and sellers. For buyers looking in that higher end market they are now able to reach some higher price points without needing “jumbo” financing. Typically with jumbo loans they have less attractive financing terms and more strict qualifying guidelines. These welcomed increases are bound to help keep that higher end market moving. If you have questions or need help with financing your next home don’t hesitate to reach out!
Yesterday, a buyer called me in a total panic. They locked in their mortgage interest rate 30 days ago while shopping for a home near the Westwood neighborhood. Everything moved along fine until the seller asked to push closing back by ten days to finish clearing out their garage.
The buyer asked me, “Jeremy, if our rate lock expires before we close, will our interest rate jump up? Will our monthly payment go through the roof?”
I told them straight up: “Take a deep breath! An expiring rate lock will not ruin your deal, and you will not lose your low rate!”
Are you under contract on a home with an expiring rate lock? Need a rate lock extension?