The new phone books are here, the new phone books are here! Oh, wait a minute. The new conventional conforming loan limits are here! The new conventional conforming loan limits are here! True, lenders that are entirely focused on non-Agency products like non-QM (without many of the loan level price adjustments or gfees) may not care too much, but for most, Freddie Mac’s and Fannie Mae’s changes are followed closely. For 2026 we’re up from 2025’s $806,500 to $832,750. This beats the $819,000 by about $13k that many lenders and investors moved to in late September/early October. They can all rejigger their systems. (More conforming news below.) All this focus on conventional conforming programs reminds me that LO comp is still a huge issue, and the source of litigation; it shouldn’t be put on the backburner. I continue to hear promises that made to potential recruits that are in violation of LO comp rules. Who is going to research and penalize infractions? The CFPB? Lenders shouldn’t have to pay the same for a conventional conforming loan as a bond program, and most agree that change is needed: LO comp rules being ignored can hurt companies. (Today’s podcast can be found here and this week’s are sponsored by The Big Point of Sale, which delivers a fast, flexible, and low-cost mortgage POS that gets lenders up and running in hours (not months) while empowering loan officers and consumers to collaborate seamlessly from any device. Hear an interview with Panorama’s Hector Amendola on home sales trends, borrower sentiment, rate psychology, and how originators are winning business in the current environment.)