The Basics of Jumbo Mortgage and Conforming Limits Thursday, August 19, 2010

Your Two Options for Mortgage Loans

Here, we will take a look at the basic information that you need to know about mortgage loans. Basically, there are two types of mortgage loans that you can take advantage of if you would like to purchase a residential real estate property:

1. Conforming Loans
This is a type of mortgage loan specifically designed for Americans - which conform to the guidelines enforced by GSEs or Government Sponsored Enterprises. Generally, the rule of thumb to follow is that any type of loan which does not meet the GSE guidelines is called a non-conforming loan.

2. Jumbo Mortgage
Also called a jumbo loan, this is a type of mortgage loan which has a loan amount that exceeds the guideline limits set by GSEs. To give you an idea about what jumbo mortgage is all about, they are actually a higher risk for lenders and the interest rates are generally higher than a conforming loan.

Learning about the Ins and Outs of Jumbo Loans

Now that you already have an idea about the two types of loans, how do you know if you are actually taking advantage of a non-conforming loan which takes the form of a jumbo mortgage? The limits for non-conforming loans are actually set by the two GSEs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. These agencies set the limit on the maximum value of an individual mortgage which will be purchased from a lender.

Currently, the limit is set at $417,000 - so any loan amount below this limit qualifies as a conforming loan. Anything above this amount is already classified as a jumbo loan. Another thing that you need to keep in mind regarding jumbo loans is that the loan amount depends on the median cost rate of the houses in your area. This just goes to show how important it is for you to familiarize yourself with the local real state market in your area.

Despite the costs involved, there is absolutely no need for anybody to feel intimidated with jumbo mortgage loans. It is offered for one reason - so that anybody who needs a higher-than-normal amount for a mortgage loan can take advantage of one, without having to compromise the quality of the real estate property that they can purchase. This is precisely the reason why you need to take a long, deep assessment of your current financial status before taking on jumbo loans.

After learning about the higher-than-normal interest rates, do you think that you can afford to make a payment for the monthly mortgage premiums? If the answer is yes, then there is absolutely no reason why you should say no to the prospect of taking advantage of jumbo loans.

Familiarizing yourself with the concept of jumbo mortgage is the best thing that you can do if you want to decide whether or not you should go for it. By doing so, you can weigh in the pros and cons of choosing a jumbo mortgage - and learn about the consequences that it will have to your finances, if any.

Rob K. Blake, mortgage expert and author, educates mortgage shoppers on finding local providers by state like Nevada Mortgage Brokers and Lenders and provides reviews of national companies like America's Servicing Company.