Qualifying for a Jumbo Mortgage
The underwriting process for jumbo mortgages is similar to that of a conforming mortgage, except that jumbo lenders sometimes require 2 appraisals instead of just 1.
Down payment requirements differ in many cases. Jumbo loans generally require higher down payments — depending on the lender, the minimum down payment could be 15%, 20% or 30% for home purchases. Many lenders require a credit score of 700 or higher, a debt-to-income ratio of 43% or less, and 6 to 12 months’ worth of reserves.
Conforming loan limits are set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored enterprises that buy mortgages from lenders.