What is a Jumbo Loan? Requirements, Limits, and Rates (2024)

FAQs

What is a Jumbo Loan? Requirements, Limits, and Rates? ›

Jumbo loans are designed for higher-priced properties. They come with more stringent qualifying requirements, which could sometimes mean higher monthly payments and higher interest rates. Because of this, they're best reserved for buyers with good credit, consistent income, and lower levels of debt.

What Are the Requirements to Get a Jumbo Loan? To be approved, you'll typically need a high credit score—700 or above—a low debt-to-income (DTI) ratio, and evidence of sufficient income and assets to keep up with the payments.

In general, the loan limits are $766,550, although they go as high as $1,149,825 in some high-cost counties in continental United States and Puerto Rico, and higher still in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Mortgage loans are allowed to exceed these loan limits.

What is a jumbo loan? A jumbo loan is a mortgage used to finance properties that are too expensive for a conventional conforming loan. The maximum amount for a conforming loan in 2024 is $766,550 in most counties, as determined by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).

Higher credit scores are needed to qualify for a jumbo versus a conforming loan. You will need, at the very least, a minimum score of 700 (most likely) to qualify for one. “The average is around 740, although I have seen some as low as 660,” says Robert Cohan, president of Carlyle Financial based in San Francisco.

Cons of Jumbo Loans

Higher closing costs and interest rates compared to conventional loans. Increased costs associated with jumbo loans make them less attractive to those looking to minimize upfront expenses. A cap on mortgage interest deduction for jumbo loans may limit the tax benefits borrowers can receive.

Conventional loans typically allow a DTI ratio up to 50%, while lower DTIs may result in more favorable terms and interest rates. On the other hand, jumbo loans typically allow a maximum DTI of 45%, although borrowers with 36% or lower may get better terms and rates.

You can potentially avoid a jumbo loan by saving for a larger down payment. By saving more, you reduce the amount you need to borrow. You can also avoid applying for a jumbo loan by looking at less expensive properties you can finance with a conforming loan.

As a general rule of thumb, you can expect to make a down payment of at least 10% on your jumbo loan. Some lenders may require a minimum down payment of 25%, or even 30%. While a 20% down payment is a good benchmark, it's always best to talk to your lender about all options.

Are Jumbo loans harder to qualify for? ›

Jumbo loans typically have higher qualification standards than conforming loans since lenders take on extra risk with jumbo loans. Because of this, lenders are looking at several key factors to determine your risk level. Generally, this means higher credit, income and cash reserve requirements.

Jumbo estimated monthly payment and APR example: A $940,000 loan amount with a 30-year term at an interest rate of 5.625% with borrower equity of 25% and no discount points purchased would result in an estimated monthly principal and interest payment of $5,411 over the full term of the loan with an annual percentage ...

If you live in an area with a high cost of living, or if you're looking for a more expensive home, you may need a jumbo loan to finance your purchase. Jumbo mortgages come with different requirements to normal home loans, like higher minimum credit scores and down payments.

The main advantage of a Jumbo mortgage is that they often come with lower interest rates than Conventional loans because lenders are less exposed to risk since they don't have to meet certain requirements set by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

A loan is considered jumbo if the amount of the mortgage exceeds loan-servicing limits set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — currently $766,550 for a single-family home in all states (except Hawaii and Alaska and a few federally designated high-cost markets, where the limit is $1,149,825).

This means that in most parts of the country, if you need to take out a mortgage for more than $766,550 in 2024, you'll need to apply for a jumbo loan. Loan limits are also higher when you buy a 2 – 4-unit home.

As a general rule of thumb, you can expect to make a down payment of at least 10% on your jumbo loan. Some lenders may require a minimum down payment of 25%, or even 30%. While a 20% down payment is a good benchmark, it's always best to talk to your lender about all options.

Key takeaways. A jumbo loan is a type of conventional loan, considered nonconforming because it exceeds the loan limit set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). Jumbo loans come with more stringent lending guidelines due to their risky nature.

Borrowers of Jumbo loans need to have more financial reserves (e.g., checking, savings, etc.) at their disposal than do borrowers of other types of loans. This reserves requirement is essentially how much money is in the borrower's bank account after closing their loan.