A conventional mortgage that meets the loan limits and guidelines set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Loan amounts above those limits are jumbo loans.
A conforming loan is a conventional mortgage that meets the rules set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — the two government-sponsored enterprises that buy most mortgages from lenders. To "conform," the loan amount has to stay under the Federal Housing Finance Agency's annual loan limits.
For 2026, the baseline conforming limit is around $806,500 for a single-family home in most of the country, with higher limits in expensive markets. Loans above that limit are "jumbo" loans, which usually require stricter qualification and slightly higher rates.
Most homebuyers get conforming loans whether they realize it or not — that's the default for any conventional mortgage under the loan limit.
Example
In most U.S. counties, a $700,000 conventional loan is conforming. A $900,000 loan in the same county would be a jumbo loan, with stricter underwriting requirements.
Also known as
conforming mortgage, conforming conventional loan
Source:
FHFA