There are two rules that a policy needs to conform to.

I priced an ultra conforming loan this morning that was near 6.25%+/- on a 30 year fixed and 5.5% on a 15-20 year term.

It’s helping me understand my options better.From what I understand, Fannie / Freddie do conforming loans only, whereas most SFH in bay area (in expensive neighborhoods) are in multi-million $ range so they are most probably non-conforming/jumbo loans.In Nov 2023, a SFH home in my neighborhood with a detached ADU sold in one week at 10% above asking price (3.5M -> 3.85M). 

I have an STR in Eastern TN which I'm fairly confident has appreciated to over $1 mill and I want to pull out more than the conforming loan limit allows.

Kevin -Additions or decks will have to conform to the zoning, but -1) There may be an exemption based on a nonconforming lot2) There may be an administrative variance based on the nonconforming lot3) Getting a variance isn't that hard in Dekalb county.

There are many non-conforming alt such as asset loans, a stated type income where they go off your gross income.  

Murray has really low property taxes and they are pretty lenient on non conforming duplex or mother in law renting.

With conforming loan limits the Duplex / House hacking option is tough in Charleston, SC market, but there are lots of good single family options that I believe still have a lot of running room left for growth in valuations over the next 10 years!

J Scott I'm not sure how it works in your locale J, but I've found that in my city they also allow you to use the conforming average of the setbacks of the houses to your immediate left and right.

If anything, it makes everything more complicated since you can't use conforming residential financing and have to run everyhting through the LLC.