The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced an increase in 2019 to the maximum conforming loan limits. The new loan limits are up about $30,000 from 2018 to $484,350 for non high-cost areas and up about $45,000 to $726,525 for high cost areas.
Here is a little background on conforming loan limits and how they adjust.
After the housing crisis of 2008, The Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA) requires the baseline conforming loan limit for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to be adjusted each year to reflect changes in the average U.S. home price. According to FHFA’s, house prices increased 6.9 percent, on average, between the third quarters of 2017 and 2018. Therefore, the baseline maximum conforming loan limit in 2019 will increase by the same percentage.
High-cost area limits and how they are calculated (I.E. Orange County, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area)
Under HERA, for areas in which the local median home value exceeds 115 percent of the baseline conforming loan limit, the maximum loan limit will be higher. The maximum loan limit in those areas is determined by a multiple of the area median home value but is capped by a “ceiling” on that limit of 150% of the baseline loan limit. Median home values have generally increased in high-cost California areas in 2018, driving up the maximum loan limits in many areas. The new ceiling loan limit for one-unit properties in most high-cost areas will be $726,525 — or 150 percent of $484,350.
2019 Conforming Loan Limits for All 58 California Counties
| County | 1-Unit | 2-Unit | 3-Unit | 4-Unit |
| ALAMEDA | $726,525 | $930,300 | $1,124,475 | $1,397,400 |
| ALPINE | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| AMADOR | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| BUTTE | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| CALAVERAS | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| COLUSA | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| CONTRA COSTA | $726,525 | $930,300 | $1,124,475 | $1,397,400 |
| DEL NORTE | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| EL DORADO | $552,000 | $706,650 | $854,200 | $1,061,550 |
| FRESNO | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| GLENN | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| HUMBOLDT | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| IMPERIAL | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| INYO | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| KERN | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| KINGS | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| LAKE | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| LASSEN | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| LOS ANGELES | $726,525 | $930,300 | $1,124,475 | $1,397,400 |
| MADERA | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| MARIN | $726,525 | $930,300 | $1,124,475 | $1,397,400 |
| MARIPOSA | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| MENDOCINO | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| MERCED | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| MODOC | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| MONO | $529,000 | $677,200 | $818,600 | $1,017,300 |
| MONTEREY | $652,050 | $834,750 | $1,009,000 | $1,253,950 |
| NAPA | $726,525 | $930,300 | $1,124,475 | $1,397,400 |
| NEVADA | $486,450 | $622,750 | $752,750 | $935,500 |
| ORANGE | $726,525 | $930,300 | $1,124,475 | $1,397,400 |
| PLACER | $552,000 | $706,650 | $854,200 | $1,061,550 |
| PLUMAS | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| RIVERSIDE | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| SACRAMENTO | $552,000 | $706,650 | $854,200 | $1,061,550 |
| SAN BENITO | $726,525 | $930,300 | $1,124,475 | $1,397,400 |
| SAN BERNARDINO | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| SAN DIEGO | $690,000 | $883,300 | $1,067,750 | $1,326,950 |
| SAN FRANCISCO | $726,525 | $930,300 | $1,124,475 | $1,397,400 |
| SAN JOAQUIN | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| SAN LUIS OBISPO | $667,000 | $853,900 | $1,032,150 | $1,282,700 |
| SAN MATEO | $726,525 | $930,300 | $1,124,475 | $1,397,400 |
| SANTA BARBARA | $625,500 | $800,775 | $967,950 | $1,202,925 |
| SANTA CLARA | $726,525 | $930,300 | $1,124,475 | $1,397,400 |
| SANTA CRUZ | $726,525 | $930,300 | $1,124,475 | $1,397,400 |
| SHASTA | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| SIERRA | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| SISKIYOU | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| SOLANO | $494,500 | $633,050 | $765,200 | $950,950 |
| SONOMA | $704,950 | $902,450 | $1,090,850 | $1,355,700 |
| STANISLAUS | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| SUTTER | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| TEHAMA | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| TRINITY | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| TULARE | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| TUOLUMNE | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
| VENTURA | $713,000 | $912,750 | $1,103,350 | $1,371,150 |
| YOLO | $552,000 | $706,650 | $854,200 | $1,061,550 |
| YUBA | $484,350 | $620,200 | $749,650 | $931,600 |
