Conforming Loan Limits Drop In High-Cost Areas
For homeowners in high-cost areas nationwide, conforming and FHA loan limits have dropped by as much as 14 percent.
Effective October 1, 2011, the temporary mortgage loan limits that allowed for non-jumbo loan sizes of up to $729,750 are no longer.
$729,750 is above the “normal” loan limit of $417,000.
The elevated limits were put in place in 2008 as the economy and financial sector entered its crisis. At the time, there was little private money to serve buyers and would-be refinancers whose loan sizes exceeded Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s maximum $417,000 loan limits.
For most people whose loan sizes exceeded that threshold, mortgage financing was unavailable. There were no lenders to back the loan size.
This was of particular importance in places such as New York City, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. where home prices routinely top $1 million. For people in these areas, unless they had a down payment that could lower their respective loan sizes to $417,000 or lower, mortgages were mostly unavailable.
Congress recognized this and, as a result, gave Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac temporary authorization to purchase and securitize home loans of up to $729,750 in value, depending on where the subject property was located.
The program helped housing, leading Congress to pass more permanent, location-specific loan limits. Later that same year, Congress passed the Housing and Recovery Act of 2009 which, in part, made high-cost loan limit pricing permanent, albeit at $625,500.
The $729,750 temporary limits expired Friday, September 30, 2011. Today, the maximum allowable conforming loan size is $625,500.
If you live in a high-cost area, therefore, take note. Mortgage rates may be low, but the amount of loan for which you qualify may be less than you expect, and you may find yourself ineligible.
The complete list of high-cost areas is available online.
Have Mortgage Rates Hit The Bottom?
Low mortgage rates are terrific — if you can get them.
One week after posting its lowest mortgage rate in 50 years, Freddie Mac reports that the 30-year fixed rate mortgage rose by an average of 7 basis points nationwide this week to 4.22%. To get the rate, you’ll pay an average of 0.7 “points”.
This week’s rise in the 30-year fixed rate mortgage pulled rates off their all-time lows so either you locked last week’s rock-bottom rates, or you missed it.
Mortgage rates are rising.
As a refinancing homeowner or home buyer in Blairsville or Blue Ridge Georgia, rising mortgage rates are something to watch. This is because, as mortgage rates rise, so do the long-term interest costs of giving a mortgage, increasing your home ownership costs.
For example, if you failed to lock a rate last week when rates were bottomed, and then decided to lock-in only after rates had climbed 0.25 percent, at the new, higher rate, over the life of your loan, you would have responsibility for an extra $5,300 in interest costs for every $100,000 you borrowed.
Rising mortgage rates can be expensive.
For home buyers, rising mortgage rates pose a second problem — they erode your purchasing power. A home that fits your budget at today’s rates may not fit your budget at next week’s rates. And because mortgage rates change quickly, you can sometimes feel like you’re racing the clock.
The hard part about mortgage rates, though, is that we can never know what they’ll do next. On some days they rise, on some days they fall, and on some days they stay the same. Instead of trying to “time the bottom”, therefore, a good strategy can be to lock the first, low rate that fits your budget. Then, if rates are lower in the future, you can look to refinance at that time.
Mortgage rates remain at historical lows. It’s a good time to lock a rate.
Related articles
- Mortgage Rates Make New 2011 Lows (thefrontporchview.com)
Temporary Conforming Loan Limits To Change Soon
If you live in a high-cost area, keep an eye on your calendar. Effective October 1, 2011, temporary conforming loan limits will be lowered nationwide. Perhaps by as much as 14 percent.
These limits range up to $729,750 currently.
“Temporary loan limits” were enacted as part of the government’s 2008 economic stimulus package. At the time, the financial sector was entering its crisis and private mortgage lending had all but disappeared. Financing was scarce for both homeowners and home buyers for whom loan sizes exceeded Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s national $417,000 limit — even for those with excellent credit and income.
The issue was exacerbated in places like New York City where local home prices routinely topped $1 million. Buyers unable or unwilling to bring a substantial down payment to closing (i.e. $600,000 or more) found themselves without financing.
The February 2008 package addressed this issue, using a math formula to change loan limits in Blue Ridge, Blairsville and even nationwide. The government assigned to each U.S. metropolitan area a temporary, new loan size limit equal to 25% greater than its respective median home sale price, not to fall below $417,000, and not to exceed $729,750.
Then, later that same year, the Housing and Recovery Act made “high-cost areas” permanent, but with a reduced 15% increase to median home prices, and loan sizes not to exceed $625,500.
These new limits take effect October 1, 2011 — one day after the temporary limits expire.
If you live in a high-cost area, therefore, take note. Mortgage rates may be low, but the amount of loan for which you qualify may be less than you expect, and you may find yourself ineligible.
Whether you’re planning a refinance or a purchase, keep an eye on the calendar.
The complete list of high-cost areas is available online.
Are Foreclosures And Short Sales Distorting “Home Price Trackers?”
In an echo of February’s Case-Shiller Index report, the government’s own home price-tracker — the Home Price Index — showed home values slipping between January and February 2011.
The Federal Home Finance Agency data had home values down 1.6 percent nationwide in February, on average, marking the fourth straight month in which prices fell.
Furthermore, all 9 regions posted losses from the month prior:
- Mountain Region : -3.7% from January
- East South Central : -0.6% from January
- South Atlantic : -0.9% from January
- New England : -2.0% from January
Before you draw conclusions, however, note that the data at which we’re looking has several major flaws to it.
First, it’s old. We’re now in the first week of May and the FHFA’s most recent release only covers through February, a time period ending roughly 60 days ago. That’s a long delay and today’s purchase market in Hiawassee and Blairsville looks much different from the one of February.
Just ask a real estate agent and they’ll tell you — purchase activity is rising.
Second, the FHFA Home Price Index reports on home value changes between consecutive Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac-securitized transactions only. This might be creating an overweight of “distressed properties” in the index which, in turn, drags down valuations.
Distressed homes account for 40% of all home resales and typically sell at 20 percent discounts.
And, lastly, although the Home Price Index is a national report, real estate as a market is decidedly not national. To the contrary, it’s extremely local. As an individual, you don’t buy, sell or own homes in all 50 states. You buy them in a specific state, and a specific neighborhood ; in places like the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The national data is useless to you in that respect.
We can’t discount the Home Price Index data entirely, but should remember that it paints a clearer picture of where housing has been versus where housing is going. As a home buyer or homeowner, it’s the future of home values that matters more.
Introducing WaysHome By Fannie Mae
Interactive Options to Avoid Foreclosure.
Today, January 6, Fannie Mae launched WaysHomeTM, a new interactive video to educate homeowners about their options to avoid foreclosure, motivate them to make the right decisions, and encourage them to seek help. WaysHome is part of Fannie Mae’s Know Your OptionsTM consumer initiative to help today’s struggling homeowners and is available on KnowYourOptions.com.
Explore WaysHome™, an interactive video simulation to help you learn about the options to avoid foreclosure.
You’ll play the part of a homeowner—in real-life, everyday situations—who is struggling to make their payments and avoid foreclosure. Make decisions about what you should do, and experience the positive outcomes or negative consequences of the choices you make. Helpful tips and advice are also included along the way.
