The 2026 Virginia VA Loan Guide
Your VA loan benefit across Virginia, from Naval Station Norfolk to the Pentagon, explained without the runaround: zero down, no monthly mortgage insurance, the funding fee most disabled Veterans in Hampton Roads skip, and how to prove eligibility. Read it here, or get the Virginia edition emailed.
What makes a VA loan different in Virginia?
In Virginia, a VA loan is a mortgage backed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and it is what most Sailors at Naval Station Norfolk and Airmen at Joint Base Langley-Eustis use to buy with nothing down. For a Veteran who qualifies it is the strongest loan in the country: zero down payment, no monthly mortgage insurance, and no VA loan cap with full entitlement. It works in every Virginia county, from a Virginia Beach townhome to an Arlington condo near the Pentagon.
Who qualifies in Virginia, and what's a COE?
Eligibility depends on your service era and duty status, not a single rule: the minimum active-duty period differs for Veterans who served before 1980, after 1980, and after the 1990 Gulf War era, with exceptions for a service-connected discharge. For an active-duty Sailor stationed at Naval Station Norfolk the threshold is 90 days; for a Virginia National Guard or Reserve member it is six years in the Selected Reserve. Surviving spouses of Virginia service members qualify on their own path. The definitive check is your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) from the VA, which our team can usually pull the same day, so a buyer in Newport News or Chesapeake starts with proof rather than a guess. You can reuse the benefit and restore entitlement after you sell a Hampton Roads home.
The VA funding fee (and who skips it)
Instead of monthly mortgage insurance, the VA charges a one-time funding fee you can roll into the loan. First use with zero down is 2.15%; a second use, common when a Sailor keeps a Norfolk rental and buys again at a new duty station, is 3.3%. Put money down on a Hampton Roads home and the fee drops. If you draw VA disability compensation, and a large share of retired Veterans around Hampton and Virginia Beach do, you are exempt from the funding fee entirely.
| Scenario | Funding fee |
|---|---|
| First use, 0% down | 2.15% |
| Subsequent use, 0% down | 3.3% |
| Receiving VA disability | Exempt (0%) |
VA vs. conventional
For an eligible buyer, the VA loan almost always wins: no down payment, no monthly insurance, and no loan cap with full entitlement, which matters most in Northern Virginia where Fairfax and Loudoun prices push past the $1,249,125 high-cost limit. Conventional can still fit a Loudoun buyer putting 20% down who wants to save the benefit for later, or a property type the VA will not finance. For most Virginia Veterans buying a primary home from Suffolk to Alexandria, the VA loan is the better deal.
Virginia Veteran benefits
Virginia goes further than most states for disabled Veterans. Under Va. Code §58.1-3219.5, a Veteran rated 100% permanent-and-total service-connected pays $0 real estate tax on a primary residence plus up to one acre, with no income limit and no value cap, and an unremarried surviving spouse keeps it. Virginia Housing also layers down-payment and closing-cost help with VA financing, so our team checks what a buyer in Prince William County or the Richmond suburbs qualifies for before closing. Weighing where to buy? Our Richmond and Fort Gregg-Adams (Fort Lee) VA buyer guide lays out BAH, prices, and loan limits by metro.
Frequently asked questions
Do VA loans really require zero down in Virginia?
Yes. Eligible Veterans, active-duty Sailors at Naval Station Norfolk, and surviving spouses can buy a primary Virginia home with no down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance. With full entitlement there is no VA loan limit, so a Virginia Beach or Arlington buyer's zero-down benefit scales with what income and credit support, not with the $832,750 baseline.
What is the VA funding fee and who is exempt in Virginia?
The VA funding fee replaces monthly mortgage insurance with a one-time charge you can roll into the loan: 2.15% for first use with zero down, 3.3% for a later use such as a second Hampton Roads purchase. Veterans who receive VA disability compensation pay nothing, a waiver many Norfolk and Hampton retirees do not realize they hold.
How do I prove VA loan eligibility in Virginia?
With a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) from the VA. Eligibility turns on your service era and duty status, and the minimum period differs for pre-1980, post-1980, and post-1990 Gulf War service, with exceptions for a service-connected discharge. A Sailor out of Naval Station Norfolk needs 90 days of active duty; a Virginia Guard or Reserve member needs six years in the Selected Reserve; surviving spouses qualify on their own path. Your Cornerstone team can usually pull the COE the same day.
Figures reflect current VA guidelines; funding-fee tiers and the Virginia §58.1-3219.5 exemption can change, confirm current details with a specialist. Sources: VA.gov, HUD, Va. Code §58.1-3219.5. This is not a commitment to lend.