You'll need a jumbo loan if your mortgage amount exceeds the conforming loan limit. For 2025, the limit for a single-unit property is $806,500 throughout most of the country, although it goes up to $1,209,750 in areas with a high cost of living. It's more difficult to qualify for a jumbo loan.
A jumbo loan is a non-conforming loan for loan amounts greater than $806,500 for a single-family home. In certain high cost areas, including Alaska and Hawaii, the conforming limit is up to $1,209,750.
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.
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.
A “jumbo loan” refers to any conventional mortgage larger than the conforming loan limits set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) each year. 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.
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.
A super jumbo loan in California is a mortgage that far exceeds the typical conforming loan limits, often used for high-value properties in the state's costly real estate markets. Super jumbo loans range from $5 to $30 million and are designed to finance luxury properties in highly competitive local markets.
What income is required for a 600k mortgage? To afford a house that costs $600,000 with a 20 percent down payment (equal to $120,000), you will need to earn just under $90,000 per year before tax. The monthly mortgage payment would be approximately $2,089 in this scenario. (This is an estimated example.)
Not only are conforming loans offered by more lenders and tend to allow for lower interest rates, but avoiding a jumbo loan means less money you'll have to pay back over time — which is always a good thing for the health of your personal finances.
Monthly payments on a $1,000,000 mortgage by interest rate
At a 7.00% fixed interest rate, your monthly mortgage payment on a 30-year mortgage might total $6,653 a month, while a 15-year might cost $8,988 a month.
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.
Debt-To-Income Ratio (DTI)
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.
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.
If you want to avoid mortgage insurance by putting 20% down, your down payment should be $100,000. If you plan to put 8% down (the median for first-time homebuyers) it would be $40,000. If you're a first-time homebuyer with an FHA loan and a 3% down requirement, you would need $15,000.
How much is the down payment for a $400K house? You'll need a down payment of $12,000, or 3 percent, if you're buying a $400K house with a conventional loan. Meanwhile, an FHA loan requires a slightly higher down payment of $14,000, equivalent to 3.5 percent of the purchase price.
Most lenders require at least 10% of the home's value as a down payment on a jumbo loan, although some may ask for up to 30% to reduce their risk. If you put less than 20% down, you'll likely be required to have private mortgage insurance (PMI) until you have at least 20% equity in your house.
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.
Reduce your loan term
Making the equivalent of two extra mortgage payments per year, for example, will knock off 9 years and 4 months from the total term of your loan. A shorter mortgage term also means that you'll own your house outright sooner.
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.