In short
A jumbo loan is a mortgage above the conforming limits Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will purchase, underwritten instead by banks and portfolio investors who each set their own rules. In Palm Beach County's price ranges that's everyday territory, and America's Mortgage Solutions places jumbo files — including bank-statement and asset-based structures — across a lender network built since 1997.
Reviewed by Christian Penner, NMLS #368289 · Last updated July 24, 2026
What is a jumbo loan, and when do you need one?
A jumbo loan is any mortgage above the conforming loan limits that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will purchase — limits that reset annually. Above that line, your loan is held or placed by banks and portfolio investors, each with its own appetite for credit, reserves, property types, and income documentation. That's why two jumbo quotes can look wildly different: you're not comparing one program, you're comparing lenders. Our job is to know whose appetite fits your file — including bank-statement and asset-based jumbo structures for entrepreneurs whose tax returns undersell them — and to place your loan where it's wanted. Tell us your scenario and we'll tell you who wants it.
Key takeaways
In Palm Beach County, "jumbo" isn't exotic — it's Tuesday. A meaningful share of homes from Singer Island to Jupiter Inlet carry price tags above each year's conforming loan limits, which means the buyers here routinely need financing that Fannie and Freddie won't touch. That's where lender depth matters. America's Mortgage Solutions shops jumbo scenarios across a broad network — banks, private lenders, and portfolio investors — and Christian has structured large-balance loans for South Florida buyers, business owners, and their advisors since 1997. The Realtors, CPAs, and financial advisors who send us their own clients tend to send us exactly these files.
Above the Line, It's a Different Game
Below the conforming limit, mortgages are commodities. Above it, they're relationships — every jumbo lender sets its own rules on credit depth, reserves, property types, and how income gets counted. In a market like ours, where waterfront homes, golf-course estates, and Intracoastal tower residences routinely clear the line, the difference between a smooth jumbo closing and a collapsed contract is usually one thing: whether your loan officer knew which lender actually wanted your file before submitting it.
That's been Christian's craft since 1997. America's Mortgage Solutions is built around deeper lender access — the banks, private capital, and portfolio investors whose appetites we know deal by deal.
What Jumbo Underwriting Really Looks At
- Credit depth — jumbo lenders generally want stronger, more seasoned credit than conventional loans require.
- Reserves — expect to show months of payments in liquid assets after closing; the exact figure varies widely by lender and scenario.
- Income documentation — full-doc is the default, but it is not the only door. Bank-statement jumbo, asset-depletion jumbo, and other structures exist for self-employed buyers and wealth held outside a W-2.
- The property itself — high-value appraisals, waterfront and coastal considerations, condo project review, insurance placement. South Florida properties carry South Florida questions, and we answer them before underwriting asks.
Where We Earn Our Keep
Entrepreneurs and professionals. A business owner whose returns show strategic write-offs, a partner with K-1 income, a retiree with substantial assets and modest "income" — these are the files banks fumble and the ones we place well, because we can choose the lender whose documentation rules fit the borrower's actual finances.
Second homes and seasonal buyers. A large share of Palm Beach County's luxury market is bought by out-of-state buyers — and we're licensed in Florida, Georgia, Michigan, and Colorado, a footprint that happens to match how people in our market actually live and move. The whole process runs remotely.
Condos and waterfront. Tower residences get project-level review; waterfront homes get insurance and appraisal scrutiny. We've closed enough of both to know which lenders are comfortable where.
Above the jumbo line entirely? For estates and larger structures, our super jumbo program picks up where this page leaves off.
The Advisor's Lender
A large part of our jumbo business arrives by referral from CPAs, financial advisors, attorneys, and Realtors — professionals who can't afford to hand a client a bad experience. They send these files to us because complex, large-balance lending is our specialty, not our exception. If you're an advisor with a client to place, or a buyer who wants your financing handled like your advisors handle everything else, that's the standard we work to.
All figures and program details on this page are illustrative examples for general education only and are not an offer or commitment to lend. Jumbo guidelines, reserve requirements, and conforming limits change and vary by lender. Contact our team for details specific to your situation, and ask us for your rate.
Quick facts
- Loan type
- Non-conforming (above conforming limit)
- When it applies
- Loan amount exceeds the annual conforming limit — ask for current figures
- Credit
- Typically stronger than conventional
- Reserves
- Several months of payments commonly required
- Down payment
- Often larger; some programs flexible — ask for current figures
- Occupancy
- Primary, second home, or investment
Is this loan right for you?
Who it's for
- Buyers of waterfront, estate, and luxury condo properties across Palm Beach County
- Entrepreneurs and professionals whose tax returns undersell their real finances
- Out-of-state and seasonal buyers purchasing second homes in Florida — or in GA, MI, and CO
- CPAs, advisors, attorneys, and Realtors placing a client who needs large-balance financing done right
Who it may not fit
- Loan amounts within conforming limits — conventional financing is usually the more efficient path, and we'll tell you so
- Buyers wanting a one-size answer — jumbo is lender-by-lender, and we price your specific scenario
Pros and cons
Pros
- Access to banks, private capital, and portfolio lenders with different appetites — your file goes where it's wanted
- Income flexibility: full-doc, bank-statement, and asset-depletion jumbo structures
- South Florida property fluency — waterfront, condo towers, insurance, and appraisal handled proactively
- A referral-grade experience — the standard CPAs and advisors expect when they send us their own clients
Trade-offs to weigh
- Stronger credit and meaningful liquid reserves are generally required
- Requirements vary widely by lender — generic online quotes rarely survive underwriting, so real answers require a real scenario
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if I need a jumbo loan in Palm Beach County?
If your loan amount exceeds the current conforming limit — which resets every year — you're in jumbo territory. Plenty of Palm Beach County purchases land there, and some buyers sit close enough to the line that a modestly larger down payment deliberately keeps them conforming. We run your scenario both ways and show you what each side of the line costs and requires.
I'm self-employed and my tax returns understate my income. Can I still get a jumbo loan?
Very likely — this is one of our core specialties. Bank-statement jumbo programs qualify you on business cash flow instead of taxable income, and asset-depletion structures qualify you on what you own rather than what you report. The key is choosing the lender whose documentation rules fit your finances, which is exactly the access we've built since 1997. Bring us the real picture and we'll place it.
How much do I need down for a jumbo loan?
It varies more than people expect, because every jumbo lender sets its own tiers based on loan size, credit, property type, and reserves. Rather than quote a generic number that may not apply to you, we'd rather price your actual scenario across our lender network — that takes a short conversation, and you'll get real figures instead of folklore. Ask us and we'll run it.
Do jumbo loans work for condos on the water?
Yes, with an extra layer: the building gets underwritten alongside you — budget, reserves, insurance, litigation, rental mix — and lenders vary widely in their comfort with South Florida condo projects. We know which lenders are comfortable where, and we vet the building at the start. If a project falls outside standard boxes, our non-warrantable condo program is the fallback most lenders don't have.
I'm buying a second home in Florida from out of state. Does that complicate a jumbo loan?
Not with us — it's routine. A large share of Palm Beach County's higher-end market is exactly this buyer, and we're licensed in Florida, Georgia, Michigan, and Colorado. Second-home jumbo carries its own reserve and documentation expectations, and the entire process — application, documents, e-signing, closing coordination — runs remotely. Many clients never set foot in our office until the housewarming.
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Last updated July 24, 2026 · Reviewed by Christian Penner, NMLS #368289. This page is educational and not a commitment to lend; program details change — ask for current figures.