In most of the country the conforming loan limit is a footnote. In the Bay Area it is the central fact of your financing: it decides whether your loan is sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac or held as a jumbo, and that decision shapes your down payment, documentation and reserve requirements. The line sits at the national ceiling in most of the region — and then drops by more than $400,000 the moment you cross into Solano County. Here is the 2026 map.
2026 limits by county
| County (areas) | 2026 conforming limit (1-unit) | 2026 FHA limit (1-unit) | HUD 2026 area median price |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $1,249,125 | $1,249,125 | $1,750,000 |
| San Mateo | $1,249,125 | $1,249,125 | $1,750,000 |
| Santa Clara (San Jose) | $1,249,125 | $1,249,125 | $1,820,000 |
| Alameda (Tri-Valley: Dublin, Pleasanton, Livermore) | $1,249,125 | $1,249,125 | $1,750,000 |
| Contra Costa (Walnut Creek, Danville, San Ramon, Brentwood) | $1,249,125 | $1,249,125 | $1,750,000 |
| Marin | $1,249,125 | $1,249,125 | $1,750,000 |
| Solano (Vacaville, Fairfield, Vallejo) | $832,750 | $685,400 | $594,000 |
| Napa | $1,017,750 | $1,017,750 | $850,000 |
| Sonoma | $897,000 | $897,000 | $780,000 |
Three tiers emerge:
- The $1,249,125 counties — San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa and Marin sit at the 2026 national ceiling for both conforming and FHA. A single-unit loan up to $1,249,125 is a conforming loan here.
- Napa and Sonoma — between the baseline and the ceiling, at $1,017,750 and $897,000.
- Solano County — the national baseline, $832,750 conforming and an FHA limit of $685,400. Vacaville, Fairfield and Vallejo price well below the rest of the region, so the lower limit rarely bites, but a buyer moving from Walnut Creek to Vacaville with a large loan in mind should know the ceiling changed.
"High-balance" conforming: the middle lane
Between the $832,750 national baseline and a county's higher limit, a loan is still conforming but is classified as high-balance. It is delivered to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac like any conforming loan, but pricing and some eligibility rules differ slightly from a baseline loan. In San Francisco, San Jose, Walnut Creek and the Tri-Valley, a large share of purchase loans fall in this band — which is exactly why the county limit matters so much more here than elsewhere.
Above the county limit, you're in jumbo territory. Jumbo loans are underwritten to the lender's own guidelines: expect more detailed income and asset documentation, reserve requirements measured in months of payments, and more scrutiny of credit depth. None of that is a barrier — it's the daily business of Bay Area lending — but it starts earlier in the process.
Condos, TICs and HOAs in San Francisco
San Francisco's most attainable entry points are condominiums and tenancy-in-common (TIC) units, and each has financing mechanics worth understanding before you fall for a listing:
- Condos — Conventional and FHA financing both review the homeowners association: budget and reserves, owner-occupancy ratio, litigation, insurance. A "non-warrantable" project (one that fails those reviews) can still be financed, often through a non-QM or portfolio program, but the terms differ. Ask for the HOA documents at the same time you ask for the disclosure package.
- TICs — You own a fractional interest in the whole building with an exclusive-use agreement for your unit, not a separately deeded condo. TICs are financed with specialized fractional loans from a limited set of lenders, typically with larger down payments and adjustable-rate structures. They can be an excellent way into the city, and they are not a conventional loan.
- 2–4 unit buildings — Common across the western and southern neighborhoods; higher multi-unit limits apply (see our California loan limits guide), and rental income from the other units can help you qualify under program rules.
San Jose and the South Bay: income that isn't a paycheck
Santa Clara County's buyers bring equity compensation, bonuses and stock-heavy balance sheets more often than anywhere else in the country. Restricted stock units, vesting schedules and asset-based qualifying all have rules — conventional, jumbo and asset-utilization programs treat them differently — and the right structure can be the difference between qualifying comfortably and not. Bring the grant statements and vesting schedule to the first conversation, not the last.
The Tri-Valley, Walnut Creek and central Contra Costa
Dublin, Pleasanton, Livermore, San Ramon, Danville, Walnut Creek and Lafayette share the $1,249,125 ceiling, so high-balance conforming covers most of the condo and townhome market and a good share of single-family homes; jumbo picks up the rest. New construction in Dublin and east Livermore often comes with builder-lender incentives — compare the builder's full Loan Estimate against an outside quote on the same day and the same lock period before deciding.
Brentwood, Oakley and Discovery Bay
East Contra Costa keeps the county's $1,249,125 limit, which means almost every purchase here is a baseline or high-balance conforming loan — jumbo is rare. Watch for Mello-Roos special taxes in newer subdivisions (lenders count them in your qualifying payment) and for waterfront-specific insurance and HOA requirements in Discovery Bay.
Vacaville and Solano County
Cross into Solano and the conforming limit drops to $832,750 (FHA $685,400). At Vacaville, Fairfield and Suisun City price points that is rarely a constraint, and it makes FHA, VA (Travis Air Force Base is next door) and CalHFA-assisted purchases the common structures — see our CalHFA MyHome guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is a jumbo loan always more expensive than conforming? Not necessarily. Jumbo pricing depends on the lender and the market, and at times jumbo rates have been at or below high-balance conforming rates. The real differences are in documentation, reserves and down payment; compare actual quotes rather than assuming.
Can I use FHA in San Francisco or San Jose? Yes. The FHA limit in the six core counties equals the conforming limit ($1,249,125 for a single unit), so FHA is a genuine option for buyers with a 3.5% down payment — subject to FHA property and condo-project standards.
Does the conforming limit change my down payment? The limit caps the loan amount, not the down payment. Many buyers bridge a gap by putting enough down to keep the loan at or under the county limit, which can unlock conforming pricing and guidelines.
Where can I find limits for the rest of California? Every county — including the coastal counties at the ceiling and the inland counties at the baseline — is listed in our 2026 California loan limits guide.
Talk to someone who lives here
Xpert Home Lending's loan officers live and work across the Bay Area — serving San Francisco, San Jose, Walnut Creek, the Tri-Valley, Brentwood and Vacaville — and structure conforming, high-balance and jumbo loans every week. Start a conversation when you're ready, or visit the Bay Area hub.
Sources
- FHFA 2026 Conforming Loan Limit Values
- HUD FHA Mortgage Limits — 2026 FHA limits and area median prices
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide — Loan Limits — baseline and high-balance definitions
- Fannie Mae — Condo Project Standards — condo eligibility reviews
Loan limits are published annually by FHFA and HUD and are current for 2026 as of August 2026; lender guidelines, HOA requirements, special-tax amounts and program terms vary and change without notice. This is general information, not a loan offer, a commitment to lend, or tax or investment advice. Xpert Home Lending Inc., NMLS #2179191. Equal Housing Lender.