Jumbo loans: where the line falls
A mortgage above the conforming limit for the property's county is a jumbo loan. In 2026 that line is $832,750 in the 3075 counties on the national baseline, and higher in the 160 counties that qualify for a higher figure — up to $1,299,500 in Hawaii.
Why the line matters
- Below the line, the loan can be sold to the government-sponsored enterprises, so standard conventional guidelines apply and lenders compete on the same terms.
- Above the line, each lender sets its own rules: typically a bigger down payment, more cash reserves, and a lower debt-to-income limit.
- The line applies to the loan amount, not the price. A $1,040,938 purchase in a baseline county is still conforming with 20% down, because $208,188 of the price is your own money.
- Crossing the line reprices the whole loan, not just the part above it. A $882,750 loan in a baseline county is $50,000 over the limit — and the entire $882,750 is then priced as jumbo unless the down payment rises.