Loans · FHFA conforming loan limitsConforming loan limits for 2026: how big a loan Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac buy
The conforming loan limit is the largest loan Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will acquire, set each year by FHFA under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act. For 2026 the baseline limit for a one-unit property is $832,750 – up $26,250 from 2025, matching the 3.26% rise in FHFA's house price index – and it applies in 3,075 of the 3,239 counties and county equivalents. In high-cost areas, where 115% of the local median home value exceeds the baseline, the limit is higher, up to a ceiling of 150% of the baseline: $1,249,125 for one unit. Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands have a baseline of $1,249,125 and a ceiling of $1,873,675. Two- to four-unit properties have higher limits: at the baseline $1,066,250 for two units, $1,288,800 for three and $1,601,750 for four; at the ceiling $1,599,375, $1,933,200 and $2,402,625. A loan above the county's limit is not a conforming loan – usually called a jumbo – and is priced and underwritten differently. FHFA publishes the next year's limits each November.
2026 limits (FHFA)
1 unit
Baseline $832,750 · ceiling $1,249,125.
2 units
Baseline $1,066,250 · ceiling $1,599,375.
3 units
Baseline $1,288,800 · ceiling $1,933,200.
4 units
Baseline $1,601,750 · ceiling $2,402,625.
AK, HI, Guam, USVI
One-unit baseline $1,249,125 · ceiling $1,873,675.
How the limits work
- The baseline follows FHFA's house price index – +3.26% for 2026.
- High-cost counties: a multiple of the local median value, capped at 150% of the baseline.
- The county where the property sits sets the limit – check FHFA's county list.
- Above the limit: a jumbo loan with its own pricing and rules.
What the TC can do
- On a price near the limit, ask the lender early whether the loan is conforming or jumbo – it changes the down payment and timeline.
- For a 2–4 unit purchase, remember the higher multi-unit limits.
- Watch for FHFA's November announcement on deals closing in January.
Questions buyers ask
What is the conforming loan limit for 2026?
$832,750 for a one-unit property in most of the U.S., up to $1,249,125 in high-cost areas (FHFA, November 25, 2025).
What is the 2026 conforming loan limit for a duplex?
$1,066,250 at the baseline and up to $1,599,375 in the highest-cost areas.
What happens if my loan is above the conforming limit?
It is not eligible for purchase by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac as a conforming loan; it is usually a jumbo loan with different pricing and requirements.
Related guides
Record the loan program on each deal in ClosingCode and the deal card links that program's rules right where you work.
Start free trialSources: FHFA news release "FHFA Announces Conforming Loan Limit Values for 2026" (November 25, 2025) and FHFA's 2026 county list (fhfa.gov/CLL), read October 26, 2026.
General information, not financial advice. Check the county's limit in FHFA's list; FHA, VA and USDA have their own rules. ClosingCode is software; it is not a lender. This guide is not a substitute for the advice or services of an attorney.