The baseline conforming loan limit for a one-unit property in 2025 is $806,500. This applies to most counties in the U.S. for mortgages eligible to be purchased by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

A few key points:

- **Standard one-unit limit:** $806,500
- **Applies to:** Most U.S. counties
- **Set by:** The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA)
- **Used for:** Conventional conforming loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

In higher-cost counties, the conforming loan limit can be higher. For 2025, the high-cost area limit for a one-unit property can go up to **$1,209,750**, depending on the county.

If your loan amount is above the conforming limit for the property's county, it is typically considered a **jumbo loan**, which may have different credit, down payment, reserve, and documentation requirements.

The baseline conforming loan limit for a one-unit property in 2025 is **$806,500**. This is the standard limit set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) that applies to most counties across the United States.

Conforming loans are mortgages that meet the guidelines to be purchased by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Staying at or below this limit generally gives you access to more competitive pricing and easier underwriting compared to jumbo (non-conforming) loans.

**Key 2025 conforming loan limits by property type (baseline areas):**
- 1-unit: $806,500
- 2-unit: $1,032,650
- 3-unit: $1,248,150
- 4-unit: $1,551,250

**High-cost area limits**

In designated high-cost counties (parts of California, New York, Washington D.C., Hawaii, Alaska, and others), the ceiling for a one-unit property goes up to **$1,209,750** - that's 150% of the baseline. Many counties fall somewhere between the baseline and the ceiling, depending on local median home prices.

**A few things to know:**
- The limit increased from $766,550 in 2024, reflecting continued home price appreciation nationally.
- If your loan amount exceeds the local conforming limit, you'll be looking at a jumbo loan, which typically has stricter requirements (higher credit score, larger down payment, more reserves).
- Some borrowers with loan amounts just above the limit consider making a slightly larger down payment to fall under the conforming threshold and access better terms.
- FHA and VA have their own separate loan limits, though VA no longer caps loan amounts for borrowers with full entitlement.

To check the specific limit in your county, the FHFA publishes a full county-by-county list each November for the upcoming year. If you're shopping in a high-cost metro, it's worth confirming your local number before assuming you need a jumbo loan.

The official baseline conforming loan limit for a single-unit property in 2025 has not yet been announced. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) typically releases the new limits for the upcoming year in late November.

The conforming loan limit is the maximum loan amount that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will purchase or guarantee. Loans above this amount are considered jumbo loans, which often have different qualification requirements. The FHFA sets this limit annually based on changes in average U.S. home prices.

For context, here is how the limits are structured using the current 2024 figures:

* **Baseline Limit:** For 2024, the baseline limit for a one-unit property in most of the U.S. is $766,550. The 2025 limit will be adjusted from this number based on year-over-year home price data. If home prices have increased, the limit will likely rise; if they have decreased, it could go down, though this is rare.
* **High-Cost Area Limits:** In counties where the median home value is significantly higher than the baseline, a higher "ceiling" limit applies. For 2024, this ceiling is $1,149,825 for a one-unit property. Any area with a median home value between the baseline and the ceiling will have a specific limit set somewhere in that range.
* **Special Statutory Provisions:** Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have their own specific, higher baseline limits due to their unique housing markets.

Once the FHFA analyzes the housing price data through the third quarter of 2024, it will make its official announcement for the 2025 limits. You can expect this news to be widely available from mortgage lenders and financial news outlets in late November 2024.