Sources & Data Citations

Last updated June 2026

Smart Mortgage Guide sources all factual claims, rate data, loan limits, and program requirements from primary government and industry sources. This page lists our primary data sources and describes how we use them.

Mortgage Rate Data

Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS)

All mortgage rate data on Smart Mortgage Guide is sourced from the Freddie Mac PMMS, published every Thursday. The PMMS surveys lenders nationwide on conventional 30-year and 15-year fixed-rate loans and has been published weekly since 1971. It is the most widely cited mortgage rate benchmark in the United States.

Source: freddiemac.com/pmms

Update frequency: Weekly (Thursdays). Our rate pages are updated within 24 hours of each PMMS release.

Loan Limits

Conforming loan limits (Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac): Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) — updated annually in November
FHA loan limits: HUD Mortgage Limits page — updated annually
VA loan limits: VA Home Loans benefit page — no statutory limit for veterans with full entitlement
USDA income limits: USDA Rural Development Eligibility site

Program Requirements

FHA guidelines: HUD Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1
VA loan requirements: VA Home Loans and VA Lender's Handbook
USDA program guidelines: USDA Rural Development Single Family Housing
Fannie Mae underwriting guidelines: Fannie Mae Selling Guide
Freddie Mac underwriting guidelines: Freddie Mac Single-Family Seller/Servicer Guide

Consumer Protection & Regulatory Data

CFPB mortgage resources: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — Owning a Home
RESPA requirements: CFPB Regulation X (RESPA)
TILA/TRID disclosures: CFPB Regulation Z (TILA)

Economic & Market Data

Federal Reserve monetary policy: federalreserve.gov
Freddie Mac housing market research: freddiemac.com/research
Fannie Mae housing forecasts: fanniemae.com/research-and-insights
NAR housing statistics: nar.realtor/research-and-statistics

State-Specific Sources

Each of our 50 state mortgage guides cites the relevant state Housing Finance Agency (HFA) as the primary source for local program information. State HFA data is reviewed quarterly and updated when program terms change. Links to all 50 state HFAs are included within their respective state guides.

Our Source Methodology

When we cite a statistic or rate:

Government sources (HUD, VA, USDA, FHFA, Federal Reserve) are considered primary sources and cited directly
Industry sources (Freddie Mac PMMS, Fannie Mae forecasts, NAR) are cited with the specific publication
We do not cite secondary sources (news articles about research) without also citing the original research
When we cannot verify a claim to a primary source, we do not publish it

Found a source error or broken link? Email admin@smart-mortgage-guide.online with the page URL and we will correct it promptly.