Loan limits, program rules and down payment help change during the year. We post the changes that affect buyers and homeowners in Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. Each entry links to the official source so you can check it yourself.
Sources last checked: November 10, 2026. We check them every Tuesday and Friday.
November 4, 2026 · Conventional loans
Freddie Mac eases refinancing to buy out a co-owner
If you own a home with someone else and want to keep it, you may be able to refinance to buy out their share. On loans sold to Freddie Mac, this is now called an equity buyout refinance and is treated as a "no cash-out" refinance, with the same eligibility rules and affordable loan programs as other no cash-out refinances. You and the co-owner must have owned the home together for at least 12 months, but you no longer need to have lived in it together. The loan money must first go to buying out the co-owner's share. See your refinance options.
November 4, 2026 · Credit scores
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac allow VantageScore 4.0 on manually underwritten loans
Some loans are approved by an underwriter reviewing the file by hand instead of through an automated system. This is called manual underwriting. On November 4, 2026, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac updated their guides to let lenders use VantageScore 4.0 on these loans as well as Classic FICO. Ask your loan officer which credit score model applies to your loan.
Source: Fannie Mae Announcement SEL-2026-10, November 4, 2026; Freddie Mac Bulletin 2026-15, November 4, 2026
October 21, 2026 · Coming soon
2027 conforming loan limits: not announced yet
The conforming loan limit caps how large a loan Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac will buy. FHFA has not set the 2027 limits yet. It released the 2026 limits on November 25, 2025, so expect the 2027 numbers in late November. Some lenders have started offering higher limits early. Those are their own business choices, not the official limit. We will post the new numbers here when FHFA releases them.
Source: FHFA conforming loan limit data
October 21, 2026 · Florida
Florida Hometown Heroes: 2026 program terms
Hometown Heroes helps first-time, income-qualified buyers in Florida with down payment and closing costs. Under the 2026 program you can receive up to 5% of your first mortgage amount, with a $10,000 minimum and a $35,000 maximum. The home must be your primary residence. Florida Housing does not post how much funding remains, so ask us to confirm before you build an offer around it. Read our Hometown Heroes guide.
October 8, 2026 · FHA
FHA will accept two newer credit score models in 2027
For FHA case numbers assigned on or after January 1, 2027, FHA loans can use FICO 10T and VantageScore 4.0 scores alongside Classic FICO. HUD says these models look at your credit behavior over time and can use rent and utility payment history. FHA's minimum credit score thresholds stay the same, and FHA still requires a credit report from all three bureaus. See how FHA loans work.
September 9, 2026 · Credit scores
VantageScore 4.0 now open to all Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac lenders
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac opened VantageScore 4.0 to all of their approved lenders on September 9, 2026. On an eligible loan, a lender can choose it or Classic FICO, and must use the same model for all borrowers on that loan. On September 30, both companies said the credit fees they charge lenders will match across the two models. Ask your loan officer which model the lender will use on your loan.
Source: FHFA credit scores page; Freddie Mac Bulletin 2026-H, September 9, 2026; Freddie Mac Bulletin 2026-K, September 30, 2026; Fannie Mae Lender Letter LL-2026-06, September 9, 2026
April 22, 2026 · Credit scores
More credit score options for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans
FHFA announced changes that let lenders use more than one credit scoring model, including VantageScore 4.0, on loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Different models can produce different scores for the same person. Before you shop, ask your loan officer which model your lender uses.
January 1, 2026 · FHA
2026 FHA loan limits
For FHA case numbers assigned on or after January 1, 2026, the one-unit FHA limit ranges from $541,287 in lower-cost counties to $1,249,125 in the highest-cost areas. HUD sets the exact limit county by county, and we can look up yours. Learn how FHA loans work.
January 1, 2026 · Conventional loans
2026 conforming loan limits
In most of the country, a loan on a one-unit home can go up to $832,750 in 2026 and still count as conforming. That is $26,250 more than in 2025. In high-cost areas the one-unit ceiling is $1,249,125. A loan above your county's limit is a jumbo loan, with its own rules. Compare jumbo loans.
Where our updates come from
We check these official sources twice a week: FHFA (conforming loan limits), HUD (FHA rules), VA Home Loans, CFPB, Florida Housing and the Federal Register. Want the background first? Start in our Learning Center.
Wondering how a change affects you?
Call the FLO Mortgage team in Flagler Beach at (386) 882-9980 and we will walk you through it. Loans are subject to credit approval and program guidelines.
Disclosure: This page is general information only and is not a commitment to lend or financial advice. Program rules and limits can change; confirm current terms with your loan officer. All loans are subject to credit approval and program guidelines. FLO Mortgage, LLC, company NMLS #1835856. Licensed mortgage lender in Florida (MLD2621), Georgia and Tennessee. Joy McCoy Flores, Broker Owner and licensed loan officer, individual NMLS #1096400. Equal Housing Opportunity. 212 Moody Blvd, Flagler Beach, FL 32136. (386) 882-9980.