OFHEO Rolls Out Temporary ‘Jumbo Conforming’ Loan Limits

The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight on Thursday released the maximum conforming loan limits that will be in effect through year-end, as a result of the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008. The new jumbo limits are a function of median home prices as estimated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and will apply to FHA lending as well. The Act boosts the GSE conforming limit to as much as $729,750 through the end of this year, and also raises FHA lending limits to the same level for high-cost areas. Two, three and four-unit homes have higher limits as well, OFHEO said. Seventy-one MSAs nationwide saw their conforming lending limits boosted, including 224 counties and cities. In addition, according to the OFHEO data, there are 21 counties outside of metropolitan or micropolitan areas that show increases, plus Guam and even four municipalities in the Marianas Islands. The newly-increased limits range from $417,500 in Greeley, Colorado to the highest of $793,750 in Honolulu, Hawaii. California saw 28 MSAs and related areas added to the eligible list, with Orange and Los Angeles counties now eligible for a conforming loan up to $729,750. Lending limits in California’s hard-hit Riverside and San Bernardino counties were boosted to $500,000, according the OFHEO. The District of Columbia saw its lending limits raised significantly to $729,750, as well, while Colorado posted 12 MSAs and related areas now eligible for the higher lending limits. As interesting as what was on the list was what wasn’t: only the Flagstaff area of Arizona saw a boost in the conforming lending limit to $450,000, while Las Vegas, Nevada — one of the hottest areas during the recent housing boom — was deemed ineligible entirely for an increase in lending limits. For more information, visit http://www.ofheo.gov.