Primary home
The most common jumbo, and usually the most flexible. Purchase and refinance are both available.
Jumbo loans in Fort Worth and DFW, explained.
Bigger house, bigger loan, and at some point a different set of rules. Once a loan goes past the conforming limit, it's a jumbo, and jumbo loans come with their own underwriting, appraisal rules, and fine print. Here's where the line is in 2026, how jumbo loans work for primary homes, second homes, and rentals, and what to do when standard jumbo underwriting doesn't fit you.
What makes a loan jumbo: the conforming loan limit
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac buy most of the regular mortgages in the country. There's a cap on how big a loan they can buy, called the conforming loan limit. A loan at or under the limit is conforming. A loan over it is a jumbo, and it has to be funded and held some other way, which is why the rules change.
The limit is set every year by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, based on home prices. For 2026, FHFA set the baseline limit for a one-unit home at $832,750 in most of the U.S. A few things to know about that number:
- It's about the loan, not the price A house can cost more than $832,750 and still have a conforming loan, if the loan amount stays under the limit. It's what you borrow that counts.
- High-cost areas are higher Where home values are high, the limit goes up, to as much as $1,249,125 for one unit in 2026. Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have their own higher limits. FHFA publishes the limit for every county.
- 2-4 units are higher too Duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes have bigger limits than a single-family house.
- It changes every year FHFA announces the next year's limits each fall. A loan that's jumbo this year might be conforming next year, or the other way around.
Jumbo for a primary home, second home, or investment property
Second home
The lake place, the ski condo, the house near the grandkids. Available, with somewhat stricter requirements than a primary home.
Investment property
Jumbo loans are available on rentals too, with the strictest requirements of the three. For a rental that should qualify on its rent instead, see DSCR loans.
Fixed or adjustable
Fixed and adjustable options are available. An adjustable rate can make sense if you expect to sell or refinance before it adjusts. Know when it can change before you pick it.
How jumbo underwriting works
Most jumbo loans start with an approval from an automated underwriting system, then a lender's own overlays on top. Compared with a conforming loan, expect a closer look at four things:
Credit
Stronger credit opens more options and better terms. A recent late payment matters more on a jumbo.
Debt-to-income
Jumbo programs usually cap your debt-to-income ratio a bit lower than conforming loans do, so pay down a car or a card before you apply if you can.
Reserves
Money left after closing, counted in months of your full payment. Bigger loans need more. Retirement and brokerage accounts usually count, sometimes at a discount.
Income documentation
Usually the full set: pay stubs, W-2s, tax returns. Self-employed borrowers get a careful read of their returns. If that's a problem, see the non-QM jumbo section below.
Appraisals on jumbo loans
One appraisal is typical up to $2 million. Above $2 million, expect two appraisals from two different appraisers, and the lender generally works off the more conservative value. That means more time and more cost, so order early. On unusual or high-end homes, the appraiser has fewer recent comparable sales to work with, so a value surprise is more likely. If the house is one of a kind, tell me up front.
Super jumbo: $3.5 million to $5 million
For the biggest loans, roughly $3.5 million to $5 million, super jumbo programs are available for primary homes in large metro areas, the ones with more than 2 million people. DFW qualifies easily. Super jumbo loans come with stricter requirements than a regular jumbo: a lower debt-to-income ceiling, strong credit, two appraisals, and substantial reserves. If you're shopping in this range, call me before you write the offer, so the loan doesn't become the slowest part of the deal.
Jumbo buydowns
A lot of lenders don't offer temporary buydowns on jumbo loans. I have jumbo buydowns available on select loans. If the seller or builder is offering a buydown on a house above the conforming limit, ask me before you assume it's off the table. How buydowns work, and the jumbo buydown details, are on the buydown page.
Non-QM jumbo: when standard jumbo underwriting doesn't fit
Standard jumbo underwriting likes tidy paperwork. Plenty of people who can easily afford a big loan don't have it: business owners whose returns show heavy write-offs, retirees living on investments, people with a recent job change or a credit event a few years back. Non-QM jumbo options exist for them.
- Self-employed Qualify on 12 or 24 months of bank statements, a P&L, or 1099s instead of tax returns. Up to $3.5 million. See bank statement loans.
- Lots of assets, not much paycheck Qualify on savings and investments instead of income. See asset depletion loans.
- Everything else Non-warrantable condos, unique properties, and recent credit events are in the non-QM loan guide.
Non-QM jumbo usually costs more than a standard jumbo, and the lender still has to make a good-faith ability-to-repay determination. If you fit standard jumbo underwriting, that's usually the better deal. I'll check that first.
Jumbo loans around Fort Worth and DFW
In Fort Worth, jumbo loans come up in the older neighborhoods near TCU and the Cultural District, along the west side, and in newer custom builds. Out west, bigger homes and acreage in Aledo and around Parker County push plenty of loans over the line too. Acreage, a guest house, or a barn can complicate the appraisal, so tell me what's on the property early.
What to send me
- Pay stubs, W-2s, and two years of tax returns, or bank statements if you're self-employed
- Two months of statements for every account: checking, savings, brokerage, and retirement
- A list of any other properties you own, with their mortgage statements
- Where you're buying, roughly the price, and whether it's a primary home, second home, or rental
- Any builder or seller incentive in writing, especially a buydown
How to start
Send the short form, call, or email. Tell me the price range, the area, how you'll use the house, and how you get paid. I'll tell you whether it's conforming, jumbo, or super jumbo, which program fits, and what I need next.
Phone: 817-873-6288
Email: [email protected]
Jumbo loan questions
What is a jumbo loan?
A jumbo loan is a mortgage bigger than the conforming loan limit, the most Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can buy. For 2026, the baseline conforming limit for a one-unit home in most of the country is $832,750. Borrow more than your area's limit, and it's a jumbo.
What is the conforming loan limit in 2026?
For 2026, FHFA set the baseline conforming loan limit for a one-unit home at $832,750 in most of the U.S. High-cost areas have higher limits, up to $1,249,125 for one unit. Limits for 2-4 unit properties are higher.
Can I get a jumbo loan on a second home or rental?
Yes. Jumbo loans are available for primary homes, second homes, and investment properties. Requirements are usually stricter for second homes and investment properties.
Do jumbo loans need two appraisals?
Sometimes. One appraisal is typical up to $2 million. Above $2 million, expect two appraisals.
What is a super jumbo loan?
A super jumbo loan is a very large jumbo, roughly $3.5 million to $5 million. Super jumbo programs are for primary homes in large metro areas, and DFW qualifies.
Can I get a temporary buydown on a jumbo loan?
Yes, on select loans. A lot of lenders don't offer temporary buydowns on jumbo loans. I have jumbo buydowns available on select loans, so ask me.
I am self-employed. Can I still get a jumbo loan?
Yes. If your tax returns don't fit standard jumbo underwriting, non-QM jumbo options can use bank statements, a P&L, or your assets to qualify instead.
Are jumbo loans harder to qualify for?
Usually a little. Jumbo lenders tend to want stronger credit, a lower debt-to-income ratio, and more reserves than a conforming loan. The details depend on the program.
Subject to qualification and program guidelines. Not all applicants will qualify. Not a commitment to lend.