U.S. housing finance regulator leaves loan limits mostly unchanged

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. housing finance regulator said on Monday it would leave unchanged next year the maximum loan size that government-controlled Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can guarantee. The Federal Housing Finance Agency said in a statement it will allow the two mortgage finance giants to purchase loans of up to $417,000 for single-unit properties in all but 46 U.S. counties next year. Loan limits will rise in the 46 counties due to rising home values in those markets, the FHFA said. To see the FHFA statement on conforming loan limits, please click on the following link: http://www.fhfa.gov/Media/PublicAffairs/Pages/FHFA-Announces-2015-Conforming-Loan-Limits-Unchanged-in-Most-of-the-U-S.aspx (Reporting by Jason Lange and Tim Ahmann; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)