What is the difference between a jumbo loan and a conventional loan? (2024)

What is the difference between a jumbo loan and a conventional loan?

A conventional mortgage usually falls within a certain size, as set by the FHFA annually, and adheres to certain government guidelines. A jumbo mortgage is in excess of FHFA standards, typically starting around $650,000, and cannot be backed by government-sponsored enterprises like Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

Is it better to get a jumbo loan or conventional loan?

The decision to get a jumbo loan often comes down to necessity: If you're buying in a pricey market, you'll need a bigger mortgage. Both conventional and jumbo loans require good to excellent credit scores, but jumbo loans have extra qualifying factors like a higher income, lower DTI ratio and more reserves.

What are the drawbacks of a jumbo loan?

Cons. Cash reserve requirement: Since jumbo loans put lenders at more risk with substantial lending amounts, they often require borrowers to provide proof of cash reserves prior to closing. Lenders may require up to 12-months of mortgage payments set aside in an account to ensure you can pay the mortgage.

Do jumbo loans have a higher interest rate?

A jumbo loan will typically have a higher interest rate, stricter underwriting rules and require a larger down payment than a standard mortgage.

Why would someone want a jumbo loan?

Opportunity to Buy a Larger Home

When different people live under the same roof, the opportunity to purchase a larger home just makes sense for many contemporary borrowers. A jumbo loan provides additional funds to make that possible.

What is the downside of a conventional loan?

Higher Closing Costs

As noted above, conventional loans tend to have lower closing costs (and be cheaper in general) than government-backed options. However, the downside of conventional loans is that they don't offer as much flexibility to help you avoid paying those costs upfront.

Should I avoid jumbo loan?

Jumbo loans present more of a risk than loans that conform to Fannie Mae's limits. As a result, the government agency won't buy jumbo-loan mortgages from the lenders that made them — which means more of the bank's own capital is at risk if a borrower fails to pay their mortgage.

Why avoid jumbo mortgage?

Since jumbo loans are not backed by any government entity, lenders are at a higher risk and often require a larger down payment and stricter qualification criteria.

Do jumbo loans require 20 down?

The typical down payment required for an FHA loan is just 3.5%. With jumbo loans, though, it is typically required that borrowers make a down payment of at least 10% of the home's value. Some lenders might actually require you to make a down payment of as much as 20%.

Are jumbo loans typically tax deductible?

In addition to low rates, interest on jumbo loans — up to $1 million— can be tax deductible, but you'll need to check with a qualified accountant. If you want a loan amount over the conforming limit, it is possible to use a non-jumbo conventional loan plus a second mortgage to make up the difference.

Are jumbo loans 30-year fixed?

Home loans below the limit are called conforming mortgages. Home loans above the conforming loan limit are called jumbo mortgages. A jumbo mortgage can have a fixed rate or an adjustable rate. A 30-year jumbo mortgage will have a loan term of 30 years.

Who might jumbo loans be best for?

Jumbos are meant for buyers with a substantial stable income and ample resources. You'll need strong credit, a low debt-to-income ratio and at least six months of cash reserves to qualify. Research the conforming loan limits in your region.

How to avoid jumbo mortgage?

If you want to avoid a jumbo loan, you might be able to finance the purchase of a more expensive home with an 80-10-10 mortgage, also known as a piggyback loan. Rocket Mortgage doesn't offer these. In this loan type, you take out two mortgages, one for 80% of the home's purchase price and a second one for 10%.

What is the lowest down payment on a jumbo loan?

Jumbo loans are now available from some mortgage lenders with as little as 5% or 10% down. Others may require 15% to 20%. It all depends on the investor you work with. As we said before, lenders have free rein to set their own rules for this type of mortgage.

Is there PMI on jumbo loans?

No. Private mortgage insurance (PMI) is only required on Better Mortgage conforming loans with a loan-to-value ratio (LTV) higher than 80%. Better Mortgage waives the PMI requirement for jumbo loans with loan-to-value ratios up to 89.99%.

What credit score do you need for a jumbo loan?

Why would someone only take a conventional loan?

A conventional loan is often better if you have good or excellent credit because your mortgage rate and private mortgage insurance (PMI) costs will decrease. But an FHA loan can be perfect if your credit score is in the high 500s or low 600s. For lower-credit borrowers, FHA is often the cheaper option.

Why would someone want a conventional loan?

A conventional loan is a great option if you have a solid credit score and a low DTI. Conventional mortgages are also a popular choice for home buyers making a down payment of 20% or more. That's because paying more upfront means lower monthly payments and avoiding paying private mortgage insurance (PMI).

Do you have to put 20 down on a conventional loan?

Most lenders offer conventional loans with PMI for down payments ranging from 5 percent to 15 percent. Some lenders may offer conventional loans with 3 percent down payments. A Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan. FHA loans are available with a down payment of 3.5 percent or higher.

What is a good debt-to-income ratio for a jumbo loan?

Max debt-to-income ratio (DTI) for jumbo loans is usually 43% Your DTI is the percentage of your monthly earnings used to pay off all debt obligations and it's used by lenders to determine how large of a monthly mortgage payment you can handle.

How to get the best rate on a jumbo loan?

What is the max loan amount for conventional?

Conventional loans with limits on the amount of money you can borrow are often called “conforming” loans. In 2024, the maximum conventional conforming loan limit for a single family home is $766,550. Certain high cost areas may have higher limits.

What type of house would require a jumbo mortgage?

Jumbo Loans are a type of mortgage that's used to finance high mortgage amounts, often for luxury homes.

What is a jumbo loan in 2023?

Determining Jumbo Loan Limits

In 2023, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) set the conforming loan limit for most single-family homes at $726,200 and up to $970,800 in high-cost locations. Loans exceeding these amounts enter the realm of jumbo loans.

Is it hard to refinance jumbo loan?

Difficult process: Jumbo loans come with higher risks for the lender which makes the refinancing process time-consuming. This also means the requirements can be stricter than conforming mortgages. Lenders usually look for high credit scores, low DTI ratios and good cash reserves.