See our Rates Call us
District Lending Logo
Buy
Home Purchase
Why District
Read about all the benefits
Process overview
Simplified and easy to understand
Apply now
Start your application
Get a quote
See your rate with no commitment
Perks
Free refinance for 3 years
Refinance with no closing costs
No closing costs
Zero costs options, what it means
Realtor credits
Get .5% towards your closing costs
18 Day closing
2X more likely to get your offer accepted
Price match guarantee
We beat competitors’ rates by .125% or more
Rate defense
Never miss out on rates dropping
Refinance
Rates
About
Reviews
Hear from our customers
Contact
Answers within 2 business hours
Meet the crew
Our experts, mission, and values
Careers
Join us in making a difference
Learn
Blog
Our knowledge at your convenience
Mortgage secrets
Short videos with tips&tricks
Video library
A short description can be here
Calculator
Calculate your mortgage payment

Jumbo Loan Limits

white and brown wooden house near green trees under blue sky during daytime
Photo by Zac Gudakov on Unsplash
Josh Rapaport
February 1, 2023

A loan is the total amount of money individuals or companies borrow from banks and other financial institutions. Loans help finance planned or unplanned events. The borrower incurs a debt, which should be paid with interest within a specified period.

The lender provides the recipient with terms and conditions before disbursing the funds. In other cases, the recipient may offer an asset as collateral for the loan. A mortgage is the most common loan type for most American households.

What is a Mortgage Loan?

A mortgage loan is an agreement between the borrower and the lender to finance a home purchase using money from the lender. The property purchased acts as collateral for the lender if the borrower fails to pay the money plus interest.

Mortgage loans are for people who want a home but cannot pay the total cost out of pocket. In some cases, mortgage loans also help investors free up some funds for other purposes and take advantage of tax deductions.

Similar to other loans, mortgage loans also have limits. Some highly priced homes might cost more than the mortgage limits. Therefore, buyers may need a larger deposit or take multiple loans to purchase the property.

A conventional mortgage may not be convenient if you plan to purchase a luxury home in an expensive area. Therefore, financial institutions are offering jumbo loans to help homebuyers purchase properties that surpass the maximum loan limits. Jumbo loans are more convenient but may require a higher credit score to qualify for one. You may also need high cash reserves and a low debt-to-income ratio.

What is a Jumbo Loan?

A jumbo loan is any mortgage loan greater than the conventional conforming loan limit. In most states, a jumbo loan limit in 2023 is any mortgage higher than $726,200. However, the limits are higher in expensive states such as California, New York City, Hawaii, and the District of Columbia. Jumbo loans are considered non-conforming since they exceed the limits Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac set.

Therefore, buyers wishing to purchase a luxury home can opt for jumbo loans. Jumbo loans are more flexible, and one can use this loan to buy a primary residence, vacation home, or investment property. Jumbo loans can be more expensive and require borrowers to put in a larger down payment than normal mortgages.

When does a Loan Become Jumbo

As mentioned earlier, a jumbo loan is any high loan amount that falls above Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac’s limits. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are government-sponsored institutions that set mortgage standards and buy qualified loans from lenders.

Loans purchasable by the two government institutions are referred to as conforming loans. They consider these loans to be safe investments compared to jumbo loans, and borrowers can easily meet the demands.

The United States is witnessing an increase in house prices. Therefore, the FHFA is increasing the conforming loan limits for 2023. However, your preferred state determines whether the loan you get can be considered as jumbo.

High-priced areas such as San Francisco have high loan limits. Therefore, you may take a conventional loan while purchasing a property in these areas. In 2023, the conforming loan limits are as follows:

  • $726,200 for a single residential house in several parts of the U.S
  • $1,089,300 for high-cost areas such as New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, and Hawaii

Reasons for Limits in Conforming Loans

The maximum limits set by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act 2008 ensured that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans were more available to borrowers. However, jumbo loans exceed these limits, which makes them non-conforming loans. Therefore, if a borrower defaults, lenders face challenges trying to recover the loan.

Do jumbo Loan Limits 2023 Exist

Jumbo loans do not have any central regulations since they exceed the recommended limits. Therefore, lenders set their limits. Some lenders offer up to $2.5 million, while others can go up to $3 million. Therefore, homebuyers who want to purchase multi-billion properties would benefit more from lenders who offer high jumbo loans.

What is the Importance of Jumbo Loan Limits?

The FHFA sets conforming loan limits and oversees the two government-sponsored institutions that buy mortgages and sell them to secondary market investors. The limits set help lenders to provide more loans to borrowers since it allows selling to the GSE. It reduces the risk if the borrower does not complete the payments.

Loans that exceed the conforming limits also pose a great risk to lenders since Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac do not secure them. Therefore, when the borrower cannot pay, lenders may have more financial problems.

Borrowers will need to meet certain demands from the lender before qualifying for a jumbo loan. Jumbo loan requirements made by the lender include:

High Credit Score

Borrowers need to have a high credit score of at least 680. However, some lenders only provide loans to borrowers with a credit score of 700 and above. The credit score determines the interest fee charged on your loan. The lower the credit scores, the higher the interest rate.

More Cash Reserves

Borrowers with ample cash are likely to get approval for a jumbo loan. It helps lenders gauge the ability of the borrower to pay the loan in the event of a financial crisis. Most lenders require that your cash reserves be enough to pay at least a six-month installment.

Debt-to-income Ratio

Most lenders will check your debt-to-income ratio to ensure you do not become over-leveraged. The DTI should have a hard cap of at least 45%. However, some lenders may consider you if you have more money in your cash reserves.

Appraisals

Some lenders may ask you to provide a second appraisal for the house you want to purchase if the previous one is expired. Some ask for a second appraisal to confirm the property’s real value.

Loan-to-Value Ratio

The loan-to-value ratio measures the loan amount to the property value. Most lenders calculate it by dividing the loan amount by the appraised value or asking price. The LTV of a jumbo loan is stricter compared to conforming loans. A low LTV and a high down payment provide more security for a jumbo loan.

Documentation

Lenders will ask for certain documents to prove that you are fiscally qualified for a jumbo loan. Documents asked by lenders such as the District Lending include:

  • 2-3 years of tax returns
  • Bank statement
  • Investment account and asset information
  • 2-3 years W-2 statements

What are Jumbo Loans Rates?

Jumbo loan rates are similar to those of conventional or conforming loans. Lenders charge borrowers a fixed rate in exchange for money given. The rate may also vary depending on individual factors such as credit scores.

Most institutions use credit scores to determine jumbo rates. The higher the credit score, the lower the interest rate. However, borrowers can use other factors to compensate for a low credit score. These factors include high income and low debt-to-income ratio.

District Lending offers a flexible 40-year repayment loan with the first ten years being interest payment only. For a long period, jumbo rates were higher than non-conforming loans since they lacked government guarantees.

Benefits of Jumbo Loans

Jumbo loans have several benefits, which include:

Allows you to Purchase Pricey Homes

A jumbo loan may be the best option when looking for a home at a price above $1 million. Jumbo loans provide higher loan limits for pricey properties. It provides you with a higher advantage over competitors when bidding. It helps borrowers finance properties in highly competitive real estate markets.

It Encompasses Multiple mortgage types

District Lending allows you to choose from different loan programs. One can choose the 30-year fixed-rate loan or the jumbo mortgage with an adjustable rate. Jumbo loans come as a single mortgage preventing you from taking multiple loans to finance your property. Having multiple loans lead to conflicts when collecting collateral.

A homeowner can also apply for a jumbo loan at District Lending to refinance an existing loan or to finance another investment. Jumbo loans help wealthy people retain their assets and secure low-interest loans. The assets reduce credit risk to the bank or lender.

Low Down Payment

Conventional loans require borrowers to put in a minimum of 20% down payment. Lenders will ask borrowers to take private mortgage insurance if they cannot attain the 20% down payment. However, jumbo loan borrowers at District Lending enjoy low down payments of up to 5% of the property price. The down payment protects the financial institution from the buyer’s credit risk.

Disadvantages of Jumbo Loans

High Interest

Despite being beneficial, jumbo loans still have a significant credit risk. The risk comes with the inability of the lender to resell the loan and the high amount of money the borrower receives. Therefore, the lender will compensate for these risks by charging high interest.

Borrowers need to have a Higher Credit Score

One needs a good credit score to qualify for a jumbo loan. However, people with low credit scores can still make up by making a larger down payment. People considered bankrupt can only apply for a jumbo loan after ten years after repaying all debts.

It has Several Closing Costs

Borrowers will incur several closing costs when applying for a jumbo loan. Most closing costs are calculated as a percentage of the total cost. Lending institutions need borrowers to set aside cash reserves to make the first monthly payments for a year. Therefore, borrowers should have a separate checking account to fund the mortgage.

Is a Jumbo Loan Ideal for You?

A jumbo loan is the best option for people searching for an expensive home or a house in an expensive neighborhood. These loans surpass the limits set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. These government institutions do not purchase such large loans. Therefore, lending institutions only offer jumbo loans to borrowers with the right money to repay the loan.

If you are considering a jumbo loan for an investment property or personal residence, you can explore the opportunities at District Lending. It provides funding options for financing a new home or refinancing an existing one.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Jumbo Loan?

A jumbo loan is a mortgage loan greater than the conventional conforming loan limit. The current limit for a loan to be considered jumbo is $726,200. However, the limit varies depending on the state. Counties such as Hawaii, California, and New York have higher limits of up to $1,089,300.

What are the Jumbo Loan Limits?

Jumbo loans do not have any central regulation since they exceed the set limit by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Therefore, banks and lending institutions set their limits. Lenders such as District Lending can offer loans of up to $ 3 million depending on the borrower’s ability to pay.

What are the Requirements for a Jumbo Loan?

Jumbo loans have similar requirements to conventional mortgage loans but are stricter than jumbo loans. Some of these requirements include the following:

  • A high credit score of 680 and above
  • More cash reserves
  • A low debt-to-income ratio of at least 45%
Buy a home and refinance at no cost.
get a quote
Buy
Home Purchase
Why District
Read about all the benefits
Process overview
Simplified and easy to understand
Apply now
Start your application
Get a quote
See your rate with no commitment
Perks
Free refinance for 3 years
Refinance with no closing costs
No closing costs
Zero costs options, what it means
Realtor credits
Get .5% towards your closing costs
18 Day closing
2X more likely to get your offer accepted
Price match guarantee
We beat competitors’ rates by .125% or more
Rate defense
Never miss out on rates dropping
Refinance
Rates
About
Reviews
Hear from our customers
Contact
Answers within 2 business hours
Meet the crew
Our experts, mission, and values
Careers
Join us in making a difference
Learn
Blog
Our knowledge at your convenience
Mortgage secrets
Short videos with tips&tricks
Video library
A short description can be here
Calculator
Calculate your mortgage payment
Apply nowGet a quote