A loan is considered a jumbo if it exceeds what is known as the conforming loan limit. The current conforming loan limit for a one-unit home is $453,100 in the state of Florida (and in most areas of the U.S for 2018). That is an increase from the jumbo loan limit of $424,100 in 2017.

However, if you live in a federally designated high-priced market, there are conforming high balance limits available for certain loan programs. These loans have higher interest rates and stricter underwriting requirements than standardconforming loans, but are generally priced lower than jumbo loans. Additionally, limits may be different for multi-unit properties.

Qualifying for a jumbo loan usually requires lower debt-to-income ratios, higher credit scores, larger down payments, and higher reserves (or emergency funds) than conforming loans. Jumbo loans can also have higher interest rates compared to a conforming loan.

A jumbo loan is one potential way to buy a high-priced home, but other options include:

Increasing your down payment. This is the simplest option. If you can put more cash toward the down payment, you will borrow less. This could be especially helpful to you if the mortgage you are considering is only slightly above the conforming loan limit.

Obtaining two mortgages. This is also called a combination loan. This option is more complex. It entails taking out a second, smaller mortgage at the same time as the first. By doing this, your first, larger mortgage would conform to the loan limit, and you may avoid some of the increased requirements and higher rates of a jumbo. However, the interest rate on a second mortgage is typically higher than on a first mortgage, so you’ll want to calculate the costs and potential savings carefully. In addition, if you took out two mortgages, you would be responsible for paying both of them each month. So you would need to be sure that you could manage the combined payment. Not everyone will be eligible or qualify for this loan option.

If you are considering a jumbo loan, talk with your loan specialist at Trust Lending. Together, we can discuss different scenarios to see if it makes sense for you to save for a larger down payment before you buy, get two loans, or take out a jumbo loan. Whatever option you choose, you should be confident that you will be able to comfortably afford the loan(s) you obtain. Understanding the full costs and terms of various loan options can help you make the best decision for your situation.