Historically, most mortgage loans made in the U.S. by large and small banks alike have been conforming loans, with jumbo loans accounting for less than 10% of all mortgage originations.
While buyers can likely find mortgage lenders to offer a conventional mortgage with less than a 20% down payment, jumbo loans with less than 20% down are harder to find.
A Jumbo Loan is for mortgages more than $625,500. It also offers 30 and 15 year fixed rate mortgage and competitive ARM products with full document, alternate documentation and limited documentation.
However, the biggest impacts on your monthly payment and overall costs are your repayment term and interest rate: a $100,000 mortgage with a 30-year term could have a monthly payment of $599.55 to more than $768.91 while a 15-year loan might have payments ranging from $843.86 to $984.74.
In 2025, single-family mortgages with balances higher than $806,500 in most U.S. counties (and $1,209,750 in certain high-cost areas) are considered jumbo loans. Since some real estate markets are more expensive than others, conforming loan limits vary by county.
The Bottom Line. To comfortably afford a 400k mortgage, you'll likely need an annual income between $100,000 to $125,000, depending on your specific financial situation and the terms of your mortgage. Remember, just because you can qualify for a loan doesn't mean you should stretch your budget to the maximum.
In 2024, the conforming loan limit for most counties in the U.S. is $766,550. For homes in Los Angeles County, the conforming loan limit is $1,149,825 in 2024. Nearby Orange County is the same amount but in San Bernardino and Kern counties, the limit is $766,550.
Do jumbo loans require mortgage insurance? Making a down payment of less than 20% normally means you have to pay for private mortgage insurance (PMI). That's true for most jumbo loans as well as conforming mortgages. PMI can be pretty expensive — especially for jumbo loans.
A “piggyback” second mortgage is a home equity loan or home equity line of credit (HELOC) that is made at the same time as your main mortgage. Its purpose is to allow borrowers with low down payment savings to borrow additional money in order to qualify for a main mortgage without paying for private mortgage insurance.
About jumbo loans
A loan is considered jumbo if the amount of the mortgage exceeds loan-servicing limits set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — currently $806,500 for a single-family home in all states (except Hawaii and Alaska and a few federally designated high-cost markets, where the limit is $1,209,750).
Jumbo loans work differently than conventional mortgages. These loans have stricter requirements than other types of mortgages, and you'll have to meet very specific property type, down payment, credit score and debt-to-income ratio requirements to get one.
Qualification Thresholds for Jumbo Loans
There usually is a hard credit score minimum of 700, and many lenders may even require as high as 720 or 740. Debt-to-income (DTI) ratio: The maximum DTI for a Jumbo loan is typically around 45%,though this can vary depending on the specific lender.
2025 FHA County Loan Limits in California
The FHA's 2025 current floor is $524,225 and the ceiling is $1,209,750. FHA High Balance Jumbo loan limit – California FHA loan amounts in high-cost counties between $524,225 and $1,209,750 are referred to FHA jumbo loans or FHA high balance loans.
The house you can afford on a $70,000 income will likely be between $290,000 to $360,000. However, your home-buying budget depends on quite a few financial factors — not just your salary.
According to the 28/36 rule, you should spend no more than 28% of your gross monthly income on housing and no more than 36% on all debts. Housing costs can include: Your monthly mortgage payment. Homeowners Insurance. Private mortgage insurance.
How Much Do You Need to Make to Get a $500K Mortgage? By the 28/36 rule, you need to make $150,000 a year to afford a $500,000 mortgage. However, if you have a significant amount of debt, you may need to aim for a lower mortgage amount to keep your total debt below 36%.
The 35/45 rule
With the 35/45 model, your total monthly debt, including your mortgage payment, shouldn't exceed 35% of your pre-tax income or 45% of your after-tax income. To estimate your affordable range, multiply your gross income before taxes by 0.35 and your net income after taxes by 0.45.
A balloon mortgage is a home loan with an initial period of low or interest-only payments. The borrower pays off the balance in full at the end of the term. A balloon mortgage is usually short-term, often five to seven years.
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.
The 2025 conforming limit for most counties in California State is $806,500, with several exceptions in higher-priced areas.
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.
Typically, jumbo loan rates are higher than conventional loan rates. Since jumbo loans carry higher loan amounts and pose higher risks to lenders, they often come with higher interest rates. Additionally, jumbo loans may require larger down payments and stricter qualification criteria compared to conventional loans.