Current Jumbo Mortgage Rates
Compare offers to find your lowest jumbo loan rates today.
Jumbo mortgage rate trends in 2026
Jumbo mortgage rates decreased in 2025 — moving down by just over half a percentage point between January and December. But this trajectory is likely to level off, depending on the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy decisions. The Fed cut rates three times in 2025, but has expressed uncertainty about additional rate cuts in 2026.
Based on current mortgage rate trends, we can probably expect jumbo rates to hover near 6.5% in early 2026.
The best jumbo loan lenders of 2026
| Lender | User ratings | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Online jumbo lender | ||
![]() | User reviews coming soon | Higher loan amounts | |
![]() | Lower credit scores | ||
![]() | Interest-only jumbo ARMs |
Learn more about how we created our list of the best jumbo loan lenders.
Most jumbo loans are “manually underwritten.” A human underwriter does most of the review, instead of the automated underwriting systems that are typically used for conforming loans. This makes the process a little bit slower, but also allows for borrowers to qualify even if they have unusual or complicated circumstances that an automated system would flag.
Jumbo mortgages are large home loans that exceed conforming loan limits, which are $832,750 in most areas and $1,249,125 in high-cost counties for 2026. These loans are designed for expensive markets or luxury home purchases.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two agencies that provide funding for a majority of mortgage lenders, set the conforming loan limits each year. Jumbo loans are larger, so they’re considered “nonconforming” mortgages, but are still conventional loans.
What factors determine my jumbo mortgage loan rate?
Jumbo loan rates are based on a number of factors, including your credit score, down payment amount, loan size and location.
Between December 2024 and November 2025, LendingTree users with credit scores between 720 and 759 received more jumbo loan offers than any other credit score range. The average loan offer in this group was $1,117,597, and the average APR was 7.08%.
Since jumbo loans exist outside of conforming loan requirements, jumbo lenders can set interest rates based on their own qualifications. This means that consumers are likely to see more variation in offers and loan programs among jumbo lenders.
How to get the best jumbo mortgage rates
You can get the best jumbo loan rates by following these six steps:
Shop around
Gather loan estimates from three to five lenders and compare the loan offers you receive — it may sound simple, but LendingTree data shows that doing so can save you thousands over your loan’s lifetime.
Boost your credit score
Although a 700 credit score will typically get you a jumbo loan approval, lenders often offer the best jumbo mortgage rates to borrowers with higher credit scores.
Make a bigger down payment
Unlike conventional loans, you’ll need at least a 10% to 20% down payment to qualify for a jumbo loan. If you have some wiggle room with your down payment, consider paying more upfront to qualify for a lower rate.
Check with your current bank
Banks may offer special rates on jumbo loans to customers they currently work with, especially if they have large deposit balances and investment portfolios.
Check with mortgage banks and mortgage brokers
You may find a mortgage broker or mortgage bank with a special jumbo loan program.
Avoid low-documentation loan options if possible
Some jumbo lenders offer loans with less stringent documentation requirements. For example, the lender may allow you to prove your income with recent bank statements instead of tax returns. This caters to people in uncommon employment scenarios — however, you’ll likely pay a higher interest rate for the extra flexibility.
If you see a notably low jumbo mortgage rate offer, beware — it may come with an added fee if you pay off the loan early. Ask your loan officer if your quoted rate includes a prepayment penalty.
Are jumbo loan rates higher than conventional rates?
Right now, jumbo rates are higher than conforming conventional mortgage rates — historically, this is common. However, during periods of strong economic and housing growth, investors tend to feel more confident in bonds secured by jumbo loans. This can drive down jumbo rates, making them the more affordable option.
A conventional loan is any loan that isn’t backed or insured by a government agency.
A jumbo loan is a type of conventional loan that exceeds conforming loan limits, and is typically much harder to qualify for than conforming conventional loans. Most, but not all, jumbo loans are conventional loans.
Learn more with our guide to jumbo versus conventional loans.
How to qualify for a jumbo loan
Lenders typically set stricter requirements for jumbo loans than for conventional loans, which may include:
| Jumbo loans | Conventional loans | |
|---|---|---|
| Down payment | 20% | 3% |
| Credit score | 700 | 620 |
| Debt-to-income (DTI) ratio | 45% | 45% |
| Maximum loan amount | Typically $1 million to $2 million | Conforming loan limits |
| Cash reserves | Typically six to 24 months, depending on the lender | Zero to six months |
Jumbo loans don’t adhere to rules set by a government agency, so some lenders offer niche jumbo programs like:
- Loans requiring minimal income documentation
- Loans with interest-only payments
- Loans for wealthy customers with complex finances, like doctors or self-employed borrowers
The requirements for these programs vary by lender — just be aware that these loans often carry higher interest rates to offset the risk of lending to borrowers with unusual circumstances.
Types of jumbo loans
Jumbo loans can be very similar to traditional 30-year fixed-rate mortgages — just bigger. However, because jumbo loan lenders set their own terms, they can offer more unique loan options.
Many jumbo lenders offer adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) options with a lower fixed rate that can often last for three, five, seven or 10 years. After the initial fixed-rate period ends, ARM rates change (“adjust”) based on your loan terms.
Some jumbo lenders offer an interest-only option for jumbo loans. You’ll start off with low payments, as you’ll only be paying interest charges without touching your principal balance. But once the interest-only period ends, you’ll pay the outstanding balance in installments for the remaining loan term. This could be a shock to your budget if you’re carrying a large balance before the principal and interest payments begin.
Military borrowers with full VA loan entitlement can qualify for a loan amount that exceeds conforming loan limits. Still, VA jumbo loans remain subject to the VA’s underwriting guidelines.
Some people may refer to FHA loans that exceed FHA loan limits as “FHA jumbo loans.” However, they aren’t actually jumbo loans — they’re just loans that have a higher loan limit because they’re tied to a high-cost area. FHA loans can’t exceed the loan limit set for their county.
Alternatives to jumbo loans
Piggyback loan
Using a piggyback loan means taking out two loans at the same time, both secured by the home you’re purchasing. To avoid a jumbo loan, you can take out a first mortgage up to the local conforming loan limit, and then add (“piggyback”) a second mortgage for the additional amount you’ll need to borrow. It’s common to choose a home equity loan or HELOC for the second mortgage.
- Advantage: You can avoid the higher interest rates and larger minimum down payment associated with a jumbo loan.
- Disadvantage: Having more than one mortgage at a time — also known as utilizing “subordinate financing” — can trigger higher interest rates or extra fees. You’ll have to do the math on both scenarios to determine which option is right for you.
See current home equity rates today.
Bridge loan
Putting profits from a home sale toward a big down payment is smart, but it also means you’ll have to wait for your current home to sell before buying a new one. However, if you use a bridge loan, you can access equity in your current home while it’s still on the market and pay off the bridge loan once it sells.
- Advantage: The cash from a bridge loan can beef up your down payment, keeping the mortgage on your new home at or below conforming loan limits.
- Disadvantage: You’ll have to pay closing costs twice — once on the bridge loan and again on your new mortgage.
Learn more about getting a bridge loan.
Frequently asked questions
The amount of money that makes a loan “jumbo” will vary depending on where you’re buying a home. In most U.S. counties, a loan amount above $832,750 for a single-family home requires a jumbo loan. In high-cost areas, that amount rises to $1,249,125.
No, you don’t always need to put down 20% when taking out a jumbo loan. For instance, you only need at least a 10% down payment on a jumbo loan with Rocket Mortgage. Some lenders require more, some less — it’s up to each individual lender.
You should consider a jumbo mortgage if you’re buying an expensive home and need a loan amount that exceeds the conforming loan limits in your area.
Yes. Jumbo refinance loans work much like conforming conventional refinances, but they set stricter limits for income, credit history and credit scores. One tip: Conforming loan limits change every year, and often go up. If they rise high enough to meet your needs, you can avoid the tougher jumbo approval standards by refinancing into a conventional loan.
A jumbo loan allows you to borrow more money than conventional loan programs allow. Even if you have the cash for a home, a jumbo loan can help keep some of your cash in the bank and potentially increase your mortgage interest tax write-off. One caveat: The mortgage interest deduction is capped at $750,000 for individuals and married couples filing jointly, but drops to $375,000 for married couples filing taxes separately.
How we chose our picks for the best jumbo lenders
To determine the best jumbo loan lenders, we reviewed data collected from more than 30 lender reviews completed by the LendingTree editorial staff for 2026.
Each lender review gives a rating between zero and five stars based on several features including digital application processes, available loan products and the accessibility of product and lending information. To evaluate jumbo-specific factors, we awarded extra points to lenders that publish jumbo mortgage rates online and offer both fixed- and adjustable-rate jumbo loans.
Our editorial team brought together all of the data about lenders in our reviews, as well as the scores awarded for jumbo-specific characteristics, to find the lenders with a product mix, information base and guidelines that best serve the needs of jumbo loan borrowers. To be considered for our “best overall” pick, lenders must be licensed to issue mortgages in at least 35 states.



