Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the quasi-government entities that insure or repurchase a high percentage of mortgages in the U.S., will continue to back mortgages as large as $417,000 – and as large as $625,500 in some high-value areas.

That’s the word from the new director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees the two mortgage giants.

This is good news for buyers who want to take out larger mortgages. Mortgages of more than Fannie and Freddie’s maximum amounts are usually considered “jumbo” loans, and borrowers typically have to meet much higher standards and face many more restrictions.

The agency had planned last year to reduce the largest Fannie and Freddie-backed loans to $400,000 (and $600,000 in the most expensive locales), but it now says that continuing to insure larger loans will help the country’s housing recovery.