Westside LA Real Estate Advice:

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are restricted by law to purchasing single-family mortgages with origination balances below a specific amount, known as the “conforming loan limit.” Loans above this limit are known as jumbo loans.

The national conforming loan limit for mortgages that finance single-family one-unit properties increased from $33,000 in the early 1970s to $417,000 for 2006-2008, with limits 50 percent higher for four statutorily-designated high cost areas: Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Since early 2008, a series of legislative acts have temporarily increased the one-unit limit to up to $729,750 in certain high-cost areas in the contiguous United States. Permanent limits, which apply to the Enterprises’ acquisitions of certain mortgages originated prior to July 1, 2007, are set under the terms of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA).

For every county in the country, maximum loan limits for mortgages originated in 2010 are equal to the maximum limits that were in effect for 2009-originated loans (as determined under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009).

California:

Source: http://www.fhfa.gov/GetFile.aspx?FileID=134