Home prices have been steadily increasing in 2020—and as home prices increased, many buyers found they needed larger mortgages in order to purchase homes. But because there’s a limit on conforming loans, many buyers either had to explore alternative loan options (which often carry a higher interest rate) or look for homes in a lower price range (which, with inventory low in markets across the country, proved extremely difficult).

Luckily, access to larger conforming loans is on the horizon.

On November 24, the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced they would officially be increasing the conforming loan limits for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac-backed mortgages in 2021. Currently, the limit for conforming loans for single-family units for most areas of the United States is $510,400. That limit will increase to $548,250 in 2021—an increase of 7.4 percent.

In higher cost markets (like areas of California and New York), the limit for conforming loans will be higher at $822,375—which is 150 percent of the baseline conforming loan limit of $548,250.

The Takeaway:

What does that mean for you? Increasing the limit for conforming loans will allow buyers to increase their purchasing power and keep up with rising prices—so if you’ve been thinking about buying a home, 2021 is looking like a great time to make a move.