Housing and Urban Development Department
FHA INFO 2025-57: 2026 Nationwide Forward Mortgage Loan Limits
December 11, 2025
Summary
FHA published ML 2025-23, setting CY 2026 forward mortgage limits (one-unit floor $541,287, ceiling $1,249,125) and ML 2025-22, raising the HECM maximum claim amount to $1,249,125 for all areas. Both apply to case numbers assigned January 1 through December 31, 2026. Nearly all counties see forward limit increases, but 10 jurisdictions will decrease due to MSA redefinitions.
AI-generated summary · Oct 28, 2026. Verify with your compliance counsel before acting.
How this was generated
We record the exact prompt, model, and output for every AI response so it can be audited for accuracy.
December 11, 2025 - Today, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) published Mortgagee Letter (ML) 2025-23, 2026 Nationwide Forward Mortgage Loan Limits, which provides the maximum mortgage limits for FHA-insured Title II forward mortgages for calendar year (CY) 2026.
The FHA national mortgage limits by the number of units are as follows:
| CY 2026 FHA Forward Mortgage Loan Limits for Low- and High-Cost Area | ||
| Property Size | Low Cost Area “Floor” | High Cost Area “Ceiling”1 |
| One-Unit | $541,287 | $1,249,125 |
| Two-Units | $693,050 | $1,599,375 |
| Three-Units | $837,700 | $1,933,200 |
| Four-Units | $1,041,125 | $2,402,625 |
As stated in the FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1 (Handbook 4000.1), section II.A.2.a.ii, Nationwide Mortgage Limits, FHA calculates forward mortgage limits based on the median house prices in accordance with the National Housing Act and its Single Family forward mortgage limits are set by Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and county. Loan limits in these areas are set and published annually using the county with the highest median price within the MSA.
- FHA forward mortgage limits for individual MSAs and counties are available on the FHA Mortgage Limits web page.
- Downloadable text files with complete listings of all county loan limits are available on the CHUMS data files web page.
- FHA’s list of areas at the “ceiling” and areas with limits between the “floor” and “ceiling” - along with lists that can be sorted by state, county, or Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) or by calendar year - is available on the Maximum Mortgage Limits web page.
In CY 2026, nearly all U.S. counties will have an increase in forward loan limits; however, due to changes made to the makeup of certain Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) by the Office of Management and Budget, 10 jurisdictions will see a loan limit decrease from the CY 2025 levels. To enable mortgagees to more easily identify areas with loan limit decreases, FHA has published a separate list of these jurisdictions which are available on the Maximum Mortgage Limits web page.
These new loan limits are effective for case numbers assigned on or after January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026; however, updates to the process to request local increases are effective immediately.
1 Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands are subject to a higher “ceiling.” See Mortgagee Letter 2025-23 for details.
2026 Nationwide Home Equity Conversion Mortgage Limits
Today, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) published Mortgagee Letter (ML) 2025-22, 2026 Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) Limits, which provides the calendar year (CY) 2026 maximum claim amount for FHA-insured traditional HECM, HECM for purchase, and HECM-to-HECM refinances.
The CY 2026 maximum claim amount for FHA-insured HECMs for all areas - including Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands - will be $1,249,125, which is 150 percent of Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation’s (Freddie Mac) national conforming limit of $832,750.
This limit is applicable for case numbers assigned on or after January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026.
For additional details, refer to ML 2025-22.
Additional Information
The updated CY 2026 Title II forward mortgage loan limits and HECM maximum claim amount will be included in a future update to Handbook 4000.1.
Mortgagees and other interested parties are encouraged to thoroughly review Mortgagee Letters 2025-22 and 2025-23 and contact the FHA Resource Center referenced below with questions.
Read today’s press release for more information.
Source: https://www.hud.gov/hud-partners/single-family-fha-info#fha-info-2025-57
Common questions
- What does "FHA INFO 2025-57: 2026 Nationwide Forward Mortgage Loan Limits" cover?
- FHA published ML 2025-23, setting CY 2026 forward mortgage limits (one-unit floor $541,287, ceiling $1,249,125) and ML 2025-22, raising the HECM maximum…
- Which agency issued this update?
- This update was issued by Housing and Urban Development Department.
- When was it published?
- It was published on December 11, 2025.