Estate Purchase Guide method
How we research
In brief
Every page on Estate Purchase Guide starts from a question a reader is likely to ask and ends with the primary source that answers it. FHFA conforming limits and Fannie Mae reserve guidance are the main references for jumbo purchase topics, together with CFPB buying guides, and they are rechecked first.
Last reviewed against the primary sources listed below.
Where questions come from
Search suggestions show how people phrase their questions. We collect those for free, group them and answer the ones inside this site's scope.
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.
- FHFA: Conforming loan limit values
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide B3-4.1-01: Minimum reserve requirements
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide B4-1.2-01: Appraisal report forms and exhibits
- CFPB: What is a Loan Estimate?
- CFPB: What is a Closing Disclosure?
- CFPB: Do I have the right to receive a copy of my home appraisal?
- CFPB: Regulation B section 1002.14, rules on providing appraisals and valuations
- CFPB: My appraisal is less than the sale price. What does that mean for me?
How a page is checked
- Each rule is checked against the current version of its source document.
- Simplified explanations are reread against the original text.
- A page shows a new review date only after it has been rechecked.
Pages written this way
- Is my home purchase a jumbo loan? How to tell
- Cash reserves for a jumbo purchase: what lenders look for
- Appraisals on high-value and distinctive homes
- Documents for a jumbo mortgage: income and asset checklist
- Jumbo purchase timeline: from preapproval to closing
- Offer strategy for high-value homes with jumbo financing
- Why some jumbo loans need two appraisals
- Using bonus or stock income for a jumbo loan
About the Estate Purchase Guide readiness check
The Estate Purchase Guide readiness check uses only what you type, works entirely in the browser and keeps nothing.
Sources for buyers
- FHFA: Conforming loan limit values
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide B3-4.1-01: Minimum reserve requirements
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide B4-1.2-01: Appraisal report forms and exhibits
- CFPB: What is a Loan Estimate?
- CFPB: What is a Closing Disclosure?
- CFPB: Do I have the right to receive a copy of my home appraisal?
- CFPB: Regulation B section 1002.14, rules on providing appraisals and valuations
- CFPB: My appraisal is less than the sale price. What does that mean for me?