U.S. to lower the size of mortgage it will guarantee

The current conforming loan limit, which determines the maximum size of a mortgage that the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac can buy or guarantee – is set to expire Friday, Sept. 30.

Making sense of the story

• Beginning Oct. 1, the conforming loan limit will decline to $625,500, from the current $729,750 limit, though the majority of counties will fall far below the $625,500 maximum.
  
• Non-conforming or jumbo loans typically carry a higher mortgage interest rate than a conforming loan and require a higher down payment, increasing the monthly payment and negatively impacting housing affordability for California home buyers.
  
• Under the new GSE loan limits, Monterey County would see the greatest drop in the loan limit at $246,750, followed by San Diego ($151,250), Sonoma ($141,550), Solano ($140,500), and Napa ($137,500) counties.
  
  
• Under the new FHA loan limits, Monterey County would see the greatest drop in the loan limit at $246,750, followed by Merced ($201,450), Riverside ($164,650), San Bernardino ($164,650), Solano ($157,300), and San Diego ($151,250) counties.
  
• The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) estimates that more than 30,000 California home buyers statewide will be impacted by the change to the conforming loan limits.
  
• In anticipation of the conforming loan limit decline, some banks already have stopped accepting conventional and government applications for loan amounts that exceed the new permanent loan amounts.