Mortgage Navigator • Jumbo / Non-Conforming
High-Balance / Super Conforming vs. Jumbo
A loan can exceed the national baseline and still be conforming when the property is in an FHFA-designated high-cost area.
High-cost conforming
FHFA raises limits where 115% of the local median home value exceeds the baseline, subject to statutory ceilings. Freddie Mac calls eligible higher-limit mortgages in high-cost areas super conforming.
2026 ceiling
The maximum one-unit high-cost ceiling for the contiguous states and D.C. is $1,249,125. Many high-cost counties have limits below that ceiling, so the county lookup controls.
Jumbo is investor-specific. Unlike Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, VA or USDA, there is no single national jumbo underwriting handbook. Credit score, LTV, DTI, reserves, loan size, property, appraisal and income rules can vary materially by investor and lender. This page explains common underwriting concepts—not a universal approval matrix.
Primary official references
FHFA 2026 Conforming Loan Limits · Fannie Mae Loan Limits · Freddie Mac 2026 Loan Limits · Freddie Mac Super Conforming