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Tens of Thousands of Californians Could Benefit From Higher Government - Insured Mortgage Limits

Congress must finish the job on FHA modernization bill so more families can keep their homes

San Francisco - Tens of thousands of California families could benefit from affordable government-insured mortgages under a plan to be announced shortly that will temporarily increase home loan limits, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson said today. Highlighting the Bush Administration's plans to help Americans keep their homes, Jackson said the President's economic growth package, which became law last month with wide bipartisan support, could allow more than 30,000 California families to be eligible over the next several months for safe, affordable mortgages insured by HUD's Federal Housing Administration (FHA).

"The plan raises FHA's loan limits, enabling more families to qualify for a safe, affordable FHA mortgage. This is critical for California, where most families are currently priced out of FHA loans. Because the FHA loan limits didn't reflect the housing market in California and other high-cost states, a vacuum was created that was filled by exotic subprime loans. We estimate that nearly 33,000 Californians will benefit over the next 18 months," Jackson said in speech to the Commonwealth Club of California.

This week, FHA will publish temporary loan limits that will range from $271,050 to $729,750. This increase will help provide economic stability to communities in California and give hundreds of thousands of homeowners and homebuyers throughout the country a safer, more affordable mortgage alternative. Loan limits will be set at 125 percent of the median sales price for the area. Currently, FHA loan limits are capped at $362,790.

However, these higher loan limits are temporary and expire at the end of 2008. President Bush and Jackson continue to call on Congress to pass a permanent bipartisan solution to help more families quality for FHA-insured mortgages, which allow low-income, minority and first-time homeowners access to prime-rate financing so they afford to purchase a home. While FHA has seen an increase in business in California, FHA modernization legislation still remains critically necessary. Legislation, which has been pending in Congress for two years, offers flexible downpayment requirements, permanent loan limits higher than the current amount of $362,790, and fairly-priced insurance premiums.

"FHA modernization could help a quarter of a million families this year alone. It passed the House and Senate in overwhelmingly bipartisan fashion. But a final bill has yet to cross the President's desk. Congress must act now," Jackson stressed.

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