3 Important Changes to Fannie Mae Mortgage Loans
Fannie Mae is a government-sponsored organization that rose out of the ashes of the Great Depression with a mandate to help low- to moderate-income borrowers find a mortgage. While that basic mandate hasn't changed, Fannie Mae made some significant updates in 2017 to its rules and guidelines.
For the first time since 2006, Fannie Mae raised its standard loan limit. The standard loan limit went up from $417,000 to $424,100 at the beginning of 2017. Loans that exceed this limit are considered jumbo loans and typically come with a higher interest rate than standard loans.
Certain high-cost counties in the U.S. use a different loan limit instead of the standard one. In these areas, the loan limit maxes out at 150% of the standard limit, or $636,150. The noncontiguous parts of the U.S. (Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the Virgin Islands) use a different set of limits: the standard loan limit is $636,150 and the high cost loan limit is $954,225. To find out whether your area counts as standard or high cost, search for your county name on this Fannie Mae spreadsheet.
Source: Fool.com
