Where · Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley jumbo mortgages: Santa Clara and San Mateo.

The 2026 conforming loan limit for a one-unit home is $1,249,125 in both Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. A loan above the county limit is a jumbo loan.

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Santa Clara County · 2026 limit, source: FHFA$1,249,125Conforming loan limit for a one-unit home. A loan above it is a jumbo loan.

San Mateo County · 2026 limit, source: FHFA$1,249,125Conforming loan limit for a one-unit home. A loan above it is a jumbo loan.

National baseline · 2026, source: FHFA$832,750A loan above this and up to the county limit is a high-balance conforming loan.

One-unit homes. Source: FHFA’s 2026 county loan limit file, read November 10, 2026. Per HUD, the 2026 FHA limit for a one-family home is the same figure in both counties (read November 6, 2026). Limits change each January, and the 2027 figures are expected in late November 2026. These are published limits, not an offer of any loan amount.

What’s different here

Two counties, and pay that comes in parts.

Ask Sam about a home here

Silicon Valley is not a city or a county. On this site it means Santa Clara County, which includes San Jose, and San Mateo County to its north. FHFA places the two in different metropolitan areas, yet for 2026 both are at the ceiling, the highest limit allowed in the contiguous states.

Home values in both counties are among the highest in the country. That is why the limit is at the ceiling, and why loans above it are common here. For many buyers the harder question is income. Pay often comes as a salary plus RSUs, an employee stock purchase plan and a yearly bonus, and lenders treat each part differently.

Timing matters more here than in most places. A new job, the first vesting date, a company going public or a lockup ending can each change what a lender will count and how much cash you have to close. It helps to talk through the calendar before you make an offer.

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Pictures are AI-generated illustrations of the general area. They do not show any particular home, address or listing.

Who Sam works with

Which page fits you.

Most questions here are about stock and bonus income. The tech page covers them in general terms.

The Tech Lender

Tech professionals

For RSUs, stock plans, options and bonuses, a job change, and pre-IPO equity.

How stock and bonus income is counted

Loan options

Jumbo loans, in plain words

What a jumbo loan is, and how it differs from a conforming loan.

Jumbo loans explained

Common questions

Plain answers.

What are the 2026 loan limits in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties?

The 2026 conforming loan limit is $1,249,125 in both Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, for a one-unit home. Both figures are set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). The FHA limit for a one-family home is the same in each county, per HUD. A loan above the county limit is a jumbo loan.

How do lenders look at RSUs, ESPP and stock options?

Lenders generally treat each one differently. Vested RSUs with a history of payments are often counted as income, using an average and a recent share price. Shares bought through an employee stock purchase plan, and shares from options you have exercised, are usually treated as assets you can sell, not as income. Unvested shares and unexercised options are generally not counted as savings. Each lender sets its own rules.

Can I get a mortgage before or after an IPO lockup ends?

You can apply at either time, but what a lender counts is different. Before a lockup ends, shares you cannot sell are generally not counted as savings, so the loan rests on your salary and other funds. After it ends, money from shares you sell can usually be used once the sale is documented. Decisions about when to sell belong with your CPA or financial adviser.

Does a bonus count as income?

Yes, a bonus can generally count as income when there is a history of receiving it. Lenders often look back about two years and average it, and may ask your employer to confirm it is likely to continue. A one-time sign-on bonus is usually treated as savings once it is paid, not as income.

General education only. Each lender sets its own rules, and they change. Nothing here is a promise that a loan will be approved or of any terms. This is not tax, legal or investment advice: for those questions, ask your own CPA, attorney or business manager.

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