FHA high-balance vs low-balance in San Diego ($832,750 vs $1,104,000)
Quick answer: In San Diego County, FHA can go to the 2026 high-cost 1-unit figure of $1,104,000. Loans at or under the $832,750 national baseline are the low-balance bucket. Amounts from $832,751 through $1,104,000 are high-balance FHA. Same 3.5% down and MIP rules. The loan amount, including financed upfront MIP, is what hits the cap, not the list price.
San Diego buyers hear two FHA numbers in the same week and assume one of them is wrong. Both are in use. $832,750 is the 2026 national baseline. $1,104,000 is the San Diego County high-cost 1-unit line. Left Coast Leaders, Inc. (NMLS #2394495) prices the bucket from loan amount, then compares FHA to conventional on the full monthly number. This page is the split, not the full FHA loan guide.
The two 2026 numbers (and where they come from)
The figures below are the same 1-unit lines on our San Diego conforming loan limits 2026 post. HUD publishes FHA forward limits separately. In high-cost counties they often match the FHFA high-cost figure. Confirm the current HUD county table for the property type before you write an offer.
| Bucket | 2026 1-unit loan amount |
|---|---|
| Low-balance FHA (national baseline) | At or under $832,750 |
| High-balance FHA (San Diego high-cost) | $832,751 through $1,104,000 |
| Above the FHA cap | Over $1,104,000 (not FHA on a 1-unit) |
Multi-unit high-cost figures from that same limits post, which the FHA page also copies: 2-unit $1,413,350, 3-unit $1,708,400, 4-unit $2,123,100. A duplex or house-hack can stay FHA when a 1-unit at the same price would not.
What actually changes between the buckets
3.5% down does not change. MIP does not get a different HUD factor just because you crossed $832,750. From the FHA MIP vs conventional PMI post:
- Upfront MIP: 1.75% of the base loan amount on most purchases, usually financed.
- Annual MIP: often 0.55% of the base loan on many 30-year files since HUD's 2023 cut. Confirm the factor on your Loan Estimate.
- Under 10% down: annual MIP typically lasts for the life of the loan.
- 10% or more down: annual MIP typically ends after 11 years if the loan is current.
What does change is how some investors and lenders price and overlay the file. High-balance FHA can price a notch differently than a low-balance FHA loan on the same credit. That is why we do not treat "FHA is FHA" as a rate quote. We treat it as a loan-amount bucket, then compare it to high-balance conventional on the same house.
Loan amount includes financed UFMIP
The $1,104,000 figure is a loan-amount cap, not a list-price cap. That sentence is on the FHA page for a reason. If you finance the 1.75% upfront MIP, the total loan is the base plus that fee. If that total would clear $1,104,000, FHA is not the path unless the price or down payment changes. We run that math on the contract price. I am not posting a max-purchase sticker here.
The same rule decides low-balance vs high-balance. Crossing $832,750 is a loan-amount test. A higher list price with more down can stay low-balance. A lower list price with 3.5% down can land high-balance.
San Diego examples using published LCL numbers
The $850,000 purchase on the MIP post is the clean low-balance example. 3.5% down is $29,750. The base loan is $820,250. That sits under $832,750, so it is low-balance FHA if the rest of the file qualifies. Financed UFMIP (1.75% of $820,250) still keeps that file under the $1,104,000 cap.
| Low-balance example | High-balance ceiling | |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase (from MIP post / cap) | $850,000 | Loan-amount cap, not a price |
| 3.5% down | $29,750 | Still 3.5% of price |
| Base loan | $820,250 | Must leave room for financed UFMIP |
| Bucket | At or under $832,750 | $832,751 through $1,104,000 |
If the base loan plus financed UFMIP would land between $832,751 and $1,104,000, you are in high-balance FHA. If it would clear $1,104,000, we price conventional high-balance or jumbo instead. That is the same loan-amount-not-list-price test on the conforming limits post.
When we compare FHA high-balance to conventional
High-balance FHA is useful when 3.5% down and FHA credit rules fit the buyer, and the loan still fits under $1,104,000. It is not automatically cheaper than high-balance conventional. Conventional PMI can often come off at 80% LTV. FHA MIP with under 10% down typically does not. Price both with San Diego taxes, insurance, and HOA. See FHA vs conventional after you know which FHA bucket you are in.
Amir Nurani (NMLS #197458) will not quote FHA from the $832,750 baseline if your loan amount is clearly in the $1,104,000 band, or the other way around. Use the affordability calculator for a payment sketch. Use pre-approval for the bucket that goes in the offer.
Frequently asked questions
No. $832,750 is the 2026 national baseline. San Diego County is high-cost. HUD's 1-unit FHA forward limit here often matches the FHFA high-cost figure of $1,104,000. Confirm the current HUD county table for the property type.
No. 3.5% down and the HUD MIP table still apply. Upfront MIP is 1.75% of the base loan on most purchases and is usually financed. Annual MIP is often 0.55% on many 30-year files. The bucket is about loan amount and how investors price it, not a different down-payment rule.
Yes. The $1,104,000 figure is a loan-amount cap, not a list-price cap. If the base loan plus financed upfront MIP would clear that line, FHA is not the path unless the price or down payment changes.
Want to know which FHA bucket your San Diego purchase is in?
We will price low-balance FHA, high-balance FHA, and conventional on the same credit and down payment.
Get Pre-Approved(619) 366-9494 · Amir Nurani · NMLS #197458
Left Coast Leaders, Inc. · NMLS #2394495 · DRE #02191517 · Equal Housing Lender · San Diego, CA