HECM lending limit by year
The HECM lending limit is the most home value HUD will count for a reverse mortgage, the same in every state and county.
For 2026 the HECM lending limit is $1,249,125. HUD uses the term maximum claim amount. Even if your house is worth more, a HECM won't count beyond $1,249,125. A single number applies nationwide, updated annually to equal 150% of the national conforming loan limit. The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced the 2026 limit as $832,750.
HECM lending limit by year
| Year | Lending limit | Change | HUD Mortgagee Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $1,249,125 | +$39,375 | 2025-22 |
| 2025 | $1,209,750 | +$59,925 | 2024-22 |
| 2024 | $1,149,825 | +$60,525 | 2023-22 |
| 2023 | $1,089,300 | +$118,500 | 2022-21 |
| 2022 | $970,800 | +$148,425 | 2021-29 |
| 2021 | $822,375 | +$56,775 | 2020-42 |
| 2020 | $765,600 | 2019-20 |
Get the data: hecm-lending-limit-by-year.csv. HUD Mortgagee Letters are the source. You may reuse the data freely, just include a link to reverse-mortgage-estimate.com.
Between 2020 and 2026 the limit went up by $483,525. Raising the limit helps only homes priced above the old ceiling. For most homes, how much you can get depends on your age, current interest rates and the home's value.
Changes to reverse mortgage MIP and their timing
| FHA case number assigned | Upfront mortgage insurance | Yearly mortgage insurance |
|---|---|---|
| From October 2, 2017 | The cost is 2% of the home value for each loan, with the limit as the maximum. | 0.5% of the balance |
| Before October 2, 2017 (Mortgagee Letter 2014-21) | 0.5% if you took 60% or less of the principal limit in year one; otherwise, it's 2.5%. | 1.25% of the balance |
Mortgagee Letter 2017-12 introduced the 2017 adjustment and reduced the principal limit factors at the same time. The Congressional Research Service explains the old two-tier premium.
The factor that sets your reverse mortgage principal limit
Your borrowing amount is the principal limit: the home value capped at the lending limit, multiplied by HUD's principal limit factor. That factor is based on the age of the youngest borrower and the expected rate. With today’s expected rate of 7.125%, the factor is 30.7% at 62, 36.5% at 70, 44.1% at 80 and 58.2% at 90.
A home valued at the full limit will give a 70-year-old a principal limit of around $455,931 from a reverse mortgage, before costs. Homes with values far over the limit might draw larger amounts from a jumbo reverse mortgage. The upfront insurance of 2% is among the closing costs, and your age tops the list of reverse mortgage requirements. Get your personal amount from the reverse mortgage estimate.
Home worth more than the limit? Call (833) 962-5300. A reverse mortgage specialist answers; we are not a lender.