Charleston SC Jumbo Loans | Getting Mortgage Financing for Luxury Homes
Luxury Home Loans Charleston SC | Jumbo Mortgage Lenders Charleston SC & Kiawah Island
As of Nov 2017 The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced the maximum conforming loan limits for mortgages to be acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2018. In most of the U.S., the 2018 maximum conforming loan limit for one-unit properties will be $453,100, an increase from $424,100 in 2017. Since the average home sales price in Charleston SC is $50,000 more than the median price of the rest of the United States this is an important factor in your purchase decision.
Current Rates
Here in the Charleston, SC area it is no mystery that we have some very expensive residential luxury real estate, and unless borrowers have the cash to pay for it, often times they need a jumbo loan. There are countless beach and water front homes on Kiawah, Seabrook, Daniel, Sullivan’s Islands, Folly Beach and Mt Pleasant as well as historic homes downtown Charleston SC that exceed $Million. Click see the latest updates on interest rates and lowest current mortgage rates.
A jumbo mortgage loan is one where the amount borrowed is above conventional conforming loan limits. This standard is set by the two government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and sets the limit on the maximum value of any individual mortgage they will purchase from a lender.
Fannie Mae (FNMA) and Freddie Mac (FHLMC) are GSEs (government sponsored entities) that purchase the bulk of U.S. residential mortgages from banks and other lenders along with the FHA, allowing them to free up liquidity to lend more mortgages. When FNMA and FHLMC limits don’t cover the full loan amount, the loan is referred to as a “jumbo mortgage” in which private investors are in the market place to provide these necessary funds. The average interest rates on jumbo mortgages are typically higher than for conforming mortgages due to the inherent risk the investors are taking on riskier backed assets.
HIGH COST AREAS
For areas in which 115 percent of the local median home value exceeds the baseline conforming loan limit the maximum loan limit will be higher than the baseline loan limit. HERA establishes the maximum loan limit in those areas as a multiple of the area median home value, while setting a “ceiling” on that limit of 150 percent of the baseline loan limit. Median home values generally increased in high-cost areas (i.e Pacific North West, most of CA, Washington DC, & NYC) in 2017, driving up the maximum loan limits in many areas. The new ceiling loan limit for one-unit properties in most high-cost areas will be $679,650 — or 150 percent of $453,100.
On October 1, 2011 the jumbo conforming limit of $729,750 in “high cost” areas was reduced to $625,500. 
Jumbo mortgage loans are a higher risk for lenders. This is because if a jumbo mortgage loan defaults, it may be harder to sell a luxury residence quickly for full price because less of the population can afford pricier homes. Luxury prices are more vulnerable to market highs and lows in some cases. That is one reason lenders prefer to have a higher down payment from jumbo loan seekers. Jumbo home prices can be more subjective and not as easily sold to a mainstream borrower, therefore many lenders may require two appraisals on a jumbo mortgage loan.
The interest rate charged on jumbo mortgage loans is generally higher than a loan that is conforming, due to the higher risk to the lender. It can be more expensive to refinance a jumbo loan due to the closing
costs, because taxes, insurance and other related costs are so much greater. Some lenders will offer the service of an extension and consolidation agreement, so that a jumbo refinancer will not have to pay for mortgage tax again on the same principal balance. In other cases, title insurance companies will offer up to a 50% discount, often required by law for those refinancing within 1 year to 10 years. The largest discount is for refinancing within one year.
Some consumers seeking a jumbo mortgage choose to seek advice from a competent professional familiar with jumbo mortgage loans.
OPTION 2 – Some investment brokers and/or large investment firms will lend money to their clients for jumbo luxury loans but secure it against liquid assets they manage for them. Often times these loan are lower in cost since their is collateral backing the loan to the borrower.
