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Today's Market News:
Conforming Loan Limits for 2026
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has announced the conforming loan limit for mortgages for one-unit properties will be $832,750. This is a $26,250 increase (3.26%) from 2025.
For properties in high-cost areas, the new ceiling for one-family properties will be $1,249,125, which is 150% of $832,750. For properties in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the baseline loan limit and the ceiling loan limit will be $1,249,125 and $1,873,675, respectively.
New conforming limits for two-, three-, and four-family properties have not yet been announced.1
Redfin Dusts off Crystal Ball, Predicts 2026 Reset
Earlier this week, Redfin declared that The Great Housing Reset will take shape in 2026. Instead of a year of recession, they described next year as a period of gradually increasing home sales and prices. Here are some of their predictions:
Prediction 1: Mortgage Rates Will Dip to Low-6% Range. A weaker labor market will lead the Fed to cut interest rates in 2026 and bring monetary policy to a more neutral place, which should keep mortgage rates in the low-6% range.
Prediction 2: Wages Will Grow Faster Than Prices. Redfin expects the median home sale price to rise by only 1% year-over-year. This means that prices will grow slower than wages for a sustained period since the aftermath of the 2008-2009 financial crisis.
Prediction 3: Some buyers will opt for non-traditional living situations. This is because homebuying will still be out of reach for many 2026 buyers, including Gen Zers in their 20s and young families. This will continue to boost the popularity of multigenerational homes and ADUs.
Prediction 4: Existing Home Sales Will Rise 3%. Redfin believes that sales for 2026 will add up to an annualized rate of 4.2 million, as mortgage rates are expected to be lower than 2025's numbers.
Prediction 5: Affordability Crisis Will Unite Policymakers. Recent elections made it clear that lower housing costs are a priority for many, especially younger voters. Redfin predicts that a national housing emergency may be declared next year, together with bipartisan efforts to make homes more affordable.2
Need Time Off? How to Manage Your Social Media
Even if you're not planning a sabbatical any time soon, you may need to take time off work for several weeks or even longer. If this happens, you can prepare ahead of time with these social media strategies, so you won't have to start from scratch when you return.
Prepare as many posts as possible ahead of time. While you probably won't participate in events during your absence, you can still post about recent sales. Also, don't be afraid to recycle posts that first appeared a few months ago, as long as they're still relevant.
If you won't be available for your clients, try to arrange for another agent to take over for you. Ideally, this will be someone you know well, or a new agent who has time to manage your clients' needs. Be sure to explain to your clients why you're taking this step, and when you expect to be back at work.
Friends may be able to help you, even if they're not agents. They don't have to pretend to be you; instead, they can comment positively about your posts or share some on their own accounts.
If you've taken time off because of illness, or if you're caring for a sick relative, you may want to mention this to your followers. Be brief and straightforward. You may receive more support and encouragement than you might think, even from strangers who have gone through a similar situation.3
Government-Sponsored Loans Give Thanks
During the past couple of months, mortgage rates have been mostly static, with little incentive for buyers or sellers to get into the market. This helped generate interest in government-sponsored mortgages with lower down payments and cheaper closing costs.
Applications for a new purchase mortgage rose 8% last week and were 20% higher than the same week a year ago. The government-sponsored loan index, which includes FHA, VA, and USDA applications, increased 9% for the week and had its strongest week since 2023.
If you're working with potential buyers that need a more user-friendly mortgage, or are planning to buy next year, feel free to give them my contact information so I can assist them.4
Renters Can Climb to a Higher FICO Score
Recently, Zillow partnered with fintech company Esusu to create CreditClimb, a rent reporting service designed to help subscribers improve their credit scores. It's especially helpful for Gen Z tenants who may have only begun to build a credit history.
If a CreditClimb subscriber makes a late rental payment, this won't be reported to Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion.
Referring tenant prospects is easy. Simply send them this URL:
www.zillow.com/rental/creditclimb/enroll
and they can sign up in minutes.5
Sources: 1nationalmortgageprofessional.com, 2redfin.com, 3buffer.com, 4cnbc.com, 5zillow.mediaroom.com
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