Released: November 27, 2011

Higher loan limits transform FHA into key source of financing

Source: Kenneth R. Harney, LA Times

After a year characterized by grumpy partisan gridlock, Congress came up with a Thanksgiving compromise that could change the mortgage choices of buyers and refinancers in more than 660 markets across the country: It raised maximum loan limits for the Federal Housing Administration while leaving loan ceilings untouched for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In effect, this may make FHA the go-to financing option for borrowers needing loans up to $729,750 with down payments as low as 3.5% in high-cost areas of California, the District of Columbia, New York, New Jersey and scattered counties in other states including Massachusetts, Florida and North Carolina. Fannie Mae- and Freddie Mac-eligible loans in those areas, meanwhile, stay capped at $625,500.

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