Above the Line

Above the Line method

How we research

The line, briefly

Every page on Above the Line starts from a question a reader is likely to ask and ends with the primary source that answers it. FHFA's conforming loan limit data and its explanations of how limits are set are the main references here, and they are rechecked when new limits are published.

Last reviewed against the primary sources listed below.

Where questions come from

We start with the wording real readers use, collected from free public search suggestions, and keep only questions that fit this site's subject.

Sources we rely on

Pages cite these primary sources, among others. Each guide lists the exact sources it used at the bottom of the page.

How a page is checked

  1. Each rule is checked against the current version of its source document.
  2. Simplified explanations are reread against the original text.
  3. The review date at the top of the page is updated only after that check.

Pages written this way

About the Above the Line checker

The Above the Line checker uses only what you type, works entirely in the browser and keeps nothing.

FHFA and agency sources