The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today announced an increase to the 2026 conforming loan limits for mortgages acquired by government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The 2026 loan limits are $832,750 on one-unit properties and a cap of $1,249,125 in high-cost areas. The previous loan limits were $806,500 and $1,209,750, respectively.

The conforming loan limit determines the maximum size of a mortgage that the GSEs can buy or "guarantee." Non-conforming or "jumbo loans" typically have tighter underwriting standards and sometimes carry higher mortgage interest rates than conforming loans.

The 3.26 percent increase in the baseline conforming loan limit is lower than the increase of more than 5 percent in the past two years, indicating a weaker housing market this year that's driven by elevated mortgage rates.

C.A.R. and the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (NAR) both have long advocated for making higher conforming loan limits permanent. As a result of C.A.R.'s and NAR's efforts, cities with high median home prices have benefited from a loan limit above the national baseline.

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