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Jumbo loan limits for Seattle will remain the same for 2024. This article will outline where the loan limits will be in the new year.
When applying for a mortgage loan in Seattle, Washington, there’s a good chance you’ll encounter the terms “jumbo” and “conforming.” These terms are used to describe the size of the home loan, in relation to existing limits and guidelines. Here’s what you need to know about Seattle jumbo loan limits in 2024.
A conforming loan is one that meets (or “conforms”) to the underwriting guidelines used by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. You’ve probably heard of these two organizations before. They are the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) that buy mortgage products from lenders, securitize them, and then sell them to investors. All of this happens in the “secondary” mortgage market, which involves Wall Street.
Related: Seattle conforming loan limits increased
Conforming caps are determined by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), the agency that oversees Fannie and Freddie, and they vary by county. When a Seattle home loan exceeds the conforming limit for King County, Washington, it is said to be a “jumbo” mortgage.
According to the FHFA, the 2024 conforming loan limit for a single-family home in King County, Washington is $977,500. This is the same limit as 2023, likely because home prices in Seattle dipped over the past 12 months.
A Seattle jumbo loan is any mortgage that exceeds the conforming loan limits established by the FHFA. It is therefore too big to be sold to Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae. In King County, a single-family home loan larger than $977,500 is considered jumbo in 2024.
View limits for all Washington counties
Technically speaking, there is no “jumbo loan limit” for Seattle, despite the common use of the phrase. There is a conforming loan limit for King County, which is currently set at $977,500 for 2024. Anything above that is considered a non-conforming jumbo loan because it exceeds the maximum size limits used by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.
In Seattle, jumbo mortgage loans can range in size from $977,500 (which is just above the conforming limit) up to millions of dollars. There is no industry-wide rule for the maximum size of a jumbo loan in Seattle, or elsewhere in Washington. Different lenders have different standards when originating mortgages.
Check out our mortgage loan limit tool for conventional, FHA, and VA loans.
By definition, a Seattle jumbo mortgage exceeds the size limits used by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. As a result, these oversized loans cannot be readily bought and sold through the secondary mortgage market. This makes them a bit harder to obtain when compared to a “regular” conforming home loan.
It’s common for mortgage lenders to have higher standards for jumbo borrowers. For instance, a home buyer seeking a jumbo loan in Seattle may have to put more money down. Lenders often require at least 20% down with jumbo mortgage products, though this number is not set in stone.
Credit score and debt-to-income (DTI) requirements can be more strict on the jumbo side as well. The reason for these higher standards is that lenders carry more risk, due to the size and non-conforming nature of the loan.
Do you need a mortgage loan to buy or refinance a home in Seattle, Washington? Do you have questions about conforming and jumbo mortgage products? We can help.
At Sammamish Mortgage, we offer a wide variety of mortgage programs and tools with flexible qualification criteria, including our Diamond Homebuyer Program, Cash Buyer Program, and Bridge Loans. We have been serving the entire state since 1992, as well as the broader Pacific Northwest region that includes Washington, Oregon, Colorado, and Idaho. Please contact us today with any financing-related questions you have.
Whether you’re buying a home or ready to refinance, our professionals can help.
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No Obligation and transparency 24/7. Instantly compare live rates and costs from our network of lenders across the country. Real-time accurate rates and closing costs for a variety of loan programs custom to your specific situation.