The conforming loan limit is the largest loan amount Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are allowed to buy from lenders, and a Conventional loan at or under it is called a conforming loan. For 2026, the baseline limit on a single-family home is $832,750. Conforming loans are the ones with 3% down for first-time buyers on a single-family home, 5% down on 2 to 4 units, and private mortgage insurance that comes off as you build equity.
The baseline figures for 1 to 4 units
| Units | Conforming baseline |
|---|---|
| 1 unit | $832,750 |
| 2 units | $1,066,250 |
| 3 units | $1,288,800 |
| 4 units | $1,601,750 |
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) sets these figures under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act. Each year it moves the baseline by the change in its house price index, so the numbers usually rise in January. In high-cost counties the limit becomes 115% of the local median home value, with a ceiling of $1,249,125 for one unit. Monroe County is the only Florida county above the baseline. The other 66 counties all use the figures in the table.
How it lines up with FHA, VA and USDA
Each government program runs its own cap. FHA sets a separate, lower limit by county, and in most of Florida that's the national FHA floor of $541,287 for one unit. VA has no limit for a veteran with full entitlement, and USDA has no dollar limit at all. A buyer whose price runs past FHA's limit can often move to Conventional, because the conforming limit sits higher in nearly every county.
A worked example
A first-time buyer picks a $350,000 single-family home and puts 3% down. That's $10,500 down and a $339,500 loan. At a 5.75% rate on a 30-year fixed, principal and interest come to $1,981.23 a month. The loan sits far below $832,750, so it's conforming and the 3% option stays open.
Now take a $560,000 duplex where the buyer will live in one unit. With 5% down ($28,000), the loan is $532,000, still well under the two-unit figure of $1,066,250. For most Florida purchases the limit never comes into play. It starts to matter on higher-priced homes, larger multifamily buildings and in the Keys.
When the loan lands above the limit
Three routes keep the purchase moving:
- Add to the down payment until the loan drops to the limit. Every dollar above the line comes off the loan, and family gifts can supply it.
- Use a high-balance loan in Monroe County, where the higher limit lets Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac still buy the loan.
- Use a jumbo loan, which has no agency cap and follows the lender's own credit, down payment and reserve rules.
A veteran with full VA entitlement can skip the question, since VA puts no cap on the loan.
Look up any county on the loan limits tool, then test a real price on Price Check. When a home sits close to the line, call AAA Capital Funding at 888-601-8344 and we'll show you what each route costs at that price.