The Federal Housing Financing Agency (FHFA) who oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, confirmed that conforming limits for 2013 will be unchanged from 2012. This means that a single family 1-unit residence in the greater Seattle area has a conforming loan limit of $506,000. Loan amounts above conforming limits are considered “jumbo” or non-conforming.
Four counties in Washington continue to have “high balance” loan limits above the “general” loan limits:
King County, Snohomish County and Pierce County:
1 Unit: $506,000
2 Unit: $647,750
3 Unit: $783,000
4 Unit: $973,100
San Juan County:
1 Unit: $483,000
2 Unit: $618,300
3 Unit: $747,400
4 Unit: $928,850
The remaining Washington counties have “general” loan limits:
Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Columbia, Cowlitz, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, Kitsap, Kittatas, Klickitat, Lewis, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Skagit, Skamania, Spokane, Stevens, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Whitman and Yakima Counties:
1 Unit: $417,000
2 Unit: $533,850
3 Unit: $645,300
4 Unit: $801,950
[…] With conforming mortgage rates trending higher largely due to the end of Fed’s support of keeping mortgage rates at QE artificially sweet low levels, we’re seeing less difference between conforming mortgage rates and non-conforming mortgage rates (aka Jumbo mortgages). In most Washington state counties, a jumbo mortgage is any loan over $417,000 (for a single family dwelling). In the greater Seattle area (King, Pierce and Snohomish counties) we have “conforming high balance” mortgages which will allow loan amounts from $417,001 to $506,000 before it’s considered a non-conforming (or jumbo) mortgage. Here’s a link to 2013 Washington State conforming loan limits. […]