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You are here: Home / Blog / Why It Just Became Much Easier To Buy a Home

Why It Just Became Much Easier To Buy a Home

December 7, 2021 by John Sibley

Why It Just Became Much Easier To Buy a Home | Simplifying The Market

Since the pandemic began, Americans have reevaluated the meaning of the word home. That’s led some renters to realize the many benefits of homeownership, including the feelings of security and stability and the financial benefits that come with rising home equity. At the same time, many current homeowners have decided their house no longer meets their needs, so they moved into homes with more space inside and out, including a home office for remote work.

However, not every purchaser has been able to fulfill their desire for a new home. Here are two obstacles some homebuyers are facing:

  • The ability to save for a down payment
  • The ability to qualify for a mortgage at the current lending standards

This past week, both of those challenges have been mitigated to some degree for many purchasers. The FHFA (which handles mortgages by Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and the Federal Housing Administration) is raising its loan limit for prospective purchasers in 2022. The term used to describe the maximum loan amount they will entertain is the Conforming Loan Limit.

What Is the Difference Between a Conforming Loan and a Non-Conforming Loan?

Investopedia explains the difference in a recent post:

“Conforming loans are the only loans that meet the requirements to be acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Jumbo loans, which exceed the conforming limit, are the most common type of nonconforming loan.”

What Difference Does It Make to Me as a Home Buyer?

A Forbes article earlier this year explains the benefits of a conforming loan and why they exist:

“Since lenders can’t sell non-conforming loans to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac to free up their cash, they’re a bit riskier for the lender. This is especially true for jumbo loans, which aren’t backed by any government guarantees. If you default on a jumbo loan, it’s a huge blow to the lender.

Thus, lenders generally charge higher interest rates to compensate, and they can have even more requirements. For example, lenders who give out jumbo loans often require that you make a down payment of at least 20% and show that you have at least six months’ worth of cash in reserve, if not more.”

What Happened Last Week?

The FHFA has significantly increased its Conforming Loan Limits for 2022. Sandra L. Thompson, FHFA Acting Director, explains in the press release that:

“Compared to previous years, the 2022 Conforming Loan Limits represent a significant increase due to the historic house price appreciation over the last year. While 95 percent of U.S. countie​s will be subject to the new baseline limit of $647,200, approximately 100 counties will have conforming loan limits approaching $1 million.”

This means that more homes now qualify for a conforming loan with lower down payment requirements and easier lending standards – the two challenges holding many buyers back over the last year.

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) also increased its Conforming Loan Limits for 2022. That could also mean an easier path to homeownership for many prospective buyers. As the Forbes article explains:

“FHA loans can be very beneficial if you don’t have as much savings, or if your credit score could use some work.”

Bottom Line

Buying your first or your next home may have just gotten much easier (less stringent qualifying standards) and less expensive (possibly lower mortgage rate). Let’s connect to discuss how these changes may impact you.

Resources:
  1. To get more information on the new FHFA Conforming Loan Limits, click here.
  2. To get more information on the new FHA Conforming Loan Limits, click here.

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Filed Under: Blog, Buying Myths, Down Payments, First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Housing Market Updates, Interest Rates, Move-Up Buyers

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WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING

John Sibley came highly recommended by a neighbor and he sold our house not only once but twice! A pipe burst upstairs and flooded the house and the first sale was cancelled. We were out of town and John and his staff handled everything from informing us of the problem to working with the adjusters giving them access to the house. When we got back in town just three days later, the damage was already cleaned up and we were ready to begin the repairs!

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Marilyn, Slidell, LA
 

We were very happy with the service provided. As first time home buyers, we were initially anxious, however, John and the rest of the group helped us understand the home buying process and what to expect. They made sure we were well prepared by the closing and that our interests were top priority.

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Jimmy, New Orleans, LA
 

John was great to work with. He provided good sound advice relative to marketing our home. He kept me informed through every step of the process from the initial listing to the closing. It was a great experience and I recommend the Sibley Group to anyone interested in purchasing or selling real estate property.

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Richard, Madisonville, LA
 

John Sibley and Lana Sibley Leonard were very instrumental in marketing my home both personably and professionally. Their drive and incentive made it possible for my home to sell in a quick, timely manner.

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Christina, Slidell, LA
 

Everyone throughout the process was extremely helpful. Dianna spent a lot of time, including late hours helping us find the right house.

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Chris, Slidell, LA
 

John & company were always negotiating on my behalf and won the battle such as letting me have an Estate Sale w/o charging me rent for one week and then the new owner moved in. The Sibley Realty Group was always professional in every way.

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Anonymous, Slidell, LA
 

Sibley's group is the best we've used.

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Cathy & Will, Slidell, LA
 

John and the Sibley Realty Group had a great command of the market prices and an excellent marketing strategy to get new groups of people to look at our property. By using new technology to market to different buyers and target new groups of potential buyers the Sibley Realty Group met our goal of selling within 3 months. The entire office helped make the transition smooth and Lauren is very helpful making sure everyone is on the same page as you go through the closing process. It is good t(...)

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Kevin, New Orleans, LA
 

Sibley Group delivered as promised.

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Stan, New Orleans, LA
 

We are extremely grateful to have found Sibley Realty group. Initially I had called other realtors who were not so responsive since we did not live in the area. Jordan contacted me back right away and made us feel at ease with our first home purchase. We lived 7 hours away from where we were buying and Jordan was very accomendating to our schedule of only being able to make it down on the weekends. The whole office are a bunch of true professionals that we owe more gratitiude to then we can(...)

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Troy, Slidell, LA
 

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The Sibley Group has a team of Realtors to meet all of your real estate needs throughout the New Orleans Metropolitan area. We have agents that specialize on the Northshore and Southshore, including New Orleans, Slidell, Metairie, Covington, Mandeville, Pearl River, and Lacombe.


Trust a real estate team with a long-standing tradition of service, expertise, and professionalism in the local area.


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The Sibley Group
Keller Williams Realty 455-0100

3197 Richland Ave, Metairie, LA 70002

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From Our Blog

Don’t Let Rising Inflation Delay Your Homeownership Plans [INFOGRAPHIC]

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The One Thing Every Homeowner Needs To Know About a Recession

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