2024 VA Loan Limits: How Much House Can You Buy with a VA Loan?

The maximum guarantee for VA loans over $144,000 is up to 25% of the county loan limit. The lowest county limit is $766,550. This means that if your home costs more than $144,000, the VA will only guarantee 25% of the loan, up to the $1,149,825 limit or the limit for high-cost counties.
Advertising Disclosure.

Advertiser Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone. This article may contain links from our advertisers. For more information, please see our Advertising Policy.

The Military Wallet has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. The Military Wallet and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on The Military Wallet are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear, but does not affect our editors’ opinions or evaluations. The Military Wallet does not include all card companies or all available card offers.

va home loan limits

In 2020, the Department of Veterans Affairs eliminated loan limits for service members and veterans who had their full loan entitlements. For those who only have a partial entitlement, the loan limit increased in 2024.

The new maximum loan guarantee is $766,550 in most counties, an increase of $40,000 from the previous loan limit. The loan limit is up to $1,149,825 in some high-cost counties. These higher loan limits vary by region and are listed later in this article.

The VA loan limits are the same as the conforming mortgage loan limits determined by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and the maximum limits for conforming mortgages acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

These new loan limits apply to all VA loans closed after January 1, 2024.

Read through this article to get a full understanding of VA loan limits, the maximum amount you can borrow without a down payment, which high-cost counties have higher limits and other information you may need to know to secure a VA loan.

What Full Entitlement Means

In 2020, the VA removed the loan limits for service members and veterans with a full loan entitlement remaining. You may have full entitlement if you meet one of the following three criteria:

  • You have never taken out a VA loan
  • You have repaid your VA loan in full and you have sold the house you purchased with it
  • You defaulted on a previous VA loan but you have paid back the VA in full

Importance of the VA Loan Limits

The VA loan limits aren’t necessarily a hard limit on how much house you can buy with a VA loan. The limits only apply to the portion of the loan the VA will guarantee.

The limits also apply to how much money qualified buyers can borrow without making a down payment. You can buy a more expensive home, but most lenders will require you to make a down payment to bring the borrowed amount in line with the guarantee limit.

In most counties, that limit is $766,550 for a one-unit house. But the limits in counties with high costs of living can go as high as $1,149,825 in high cost of living areas, such as some of the higher populated areas on both coasts and in some areas of Alaska and Hawaii.

VA Loan Limits and What Lenders Will Actually Lend

Most military members and veterans are eligible for a basic VA loan entitlement, which amounts to $36,000. Lenders will normally allow veterans to borrow up to four times the basic entitlement ($144,000) without a down payment, provided they have the income and credit to qualify for the loan and provided the property appraises for at least the purchase price. The VA will guarantee the full loan up to $144,000.

The maximum guarantee for VA loans over $144,000 is up to 25% of the county loan limit. The lowest county limit is $766,550. The high-cost county limits are listed in the table further down the article.

This means that if your home costs more than $144,000, the VA will only guarantee 25% of the loan, up to the $766,550 limit or the limit for high-cost counties. The guarantee makes these types of loans more attractive to the lender, which, in turn, may help the borrower obtain favorable loan rates.

How to Buy a House that Costs More than the Maximum VA Loan Guarantee

If you do not have your full entitlement and want to use the VA loan to buy a house that costs more than $144,000, you may need to put make a down payment on the loan. The amount of the down payment will depend on your lender’s policies, the cost of your home, the amount you are borrowing, your income, credit profile, debt-to-income ratio and other factors.

If you want to buy a home that costs more than the loan guarantee, you need to make a down payment, usually 25% of the amount above the VA loan limit.

For example, if you want to buy a home that costs $866,550 in a county with a loan limit of $766,550, you would likely need to make a $25,000 down payment (25% of $100,000, or the amount above the loan limit).

Larger down payment may be a good idea: You can always make a larger down payment if you have the available funds, and there are some benefits to doing so. For example, a larger down payment reduces your outstanding balance on your home, reduces your monthly payments and reduces the amount of interest you pay over the life of the loan.

Additional loan costs to consider: You still may need to come up with the VA loan funding fee, which the VA charges for guaranteeing your loan. However, the funding fee may be waived for some disabled veterans. Alternatively, you can often roll the funding fee into your loan.

Why You Would Use a VA Loan if Your Home Costs More than the VA Will Guarantee

There are several good reasons to apply for a VA loan. The first is that you may be able to buy a home with a lower down payment than you would with a conventional mortgage, unless you are willing to pay for private mortgage insurance (PMI), which may add a fairly substantial amount to your monthly payment.

Interest rates are another important factor in your decision. Because VA loans are guaranteed by the VA, they often have slightly lower interest rates than conventional loans (all things being equal, including credit score, income, assets, debt-to-income ratio, etc.).

That said, it pays to shop around. A mortgage is often the largest purchase you will ever make, and even a few decimal points on your interest rate can save you a substantial amount of money, or cost you thousands, over the life of your loan.

2023 VA Loan Limits for High-Cost Counties

Below is the table for VA loan limits for a one-unit house for 2023. The VA bases these amounts on the county median home values reported by the Federal Housing Administration.

Note: For all counties not listed below, the limit is $726,200. See below the table for the regional loan center’s physical and mailing addresses and contact information.

StateCounty or Area2023 VA LimitRegional Loan Center
AlaskaAleutians East Borough$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaAleutians West Census Area$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaAnchorage Municipality$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaBethel Census Area$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaBristol Bay Borough$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaDenali Borough$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaDillingham Census Area$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaFairbanks North Star Borough$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaHaines Borough$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaHoonah-Angoon Census Area$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaJuneau City and Borough$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaKenai Peninsula Borough$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaKetchikan Gateway Borough$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaKodiak Island Borough$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaKusilvak Census Area$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaLake and Peninsula Borough$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaMatanuska-Susitna Borough$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaNome Census Area$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaNorth Slope Borough$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaNorthwest Arctic Borough$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaPetersburg Census Area$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaPrince of Wales-Hyder Census Area$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaSitka City and Borough$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaSkagway Municipality$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaSoutheast Fairbanks Census Area$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaValdez-Cordova Census Area$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaWrangell City and Borough$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaYakutat City and Borough$1,149,825Denver
AlaskaYukon-Koyukuk Census Area$1,149,825Denver
CaliforniaAlameda County$1,149,825Phoenix
CaliforniaContra Costa County$1,149,825Phoenix
CaliforniaEl Dorado County$1,149,825Phoenix
CaliforniaLos Angeles County$1,149,825Phoenix
CaliforniaMarin County$1,149,825Phoenix
CaliforniaMonterey County$920,000Phoenix
CaliforniaNapa County$1,017,750Phoenix
CaliforniaOrange County$1,149,825Phoenix
CaliforniaSan Benito County$1,149,825Phoenix
CaliforniaSan Diego County$1,006,250Phoenix
CaliforniaSan Francisco County$1,149,825Phoenix
CaliforniaSan Luis Obispo County$929,200Phoenix
CaliforniaSan Mateo County$1,149,825Phoenix
CaliforniaSanta Barbara County$838,350Phoenix
CaliforniaSanta Clara County$1,149,825Phoenix
CaliforniaSanta Cruz County$1,149,825Phoenix
CaliforniaSonoma County$877,450Phoenix
CaliforniaVentura County$954,500Phoenix
ColoradoAdams County$816,500Denver
ColoradoArapahoe County$816,500Denver
ColoradoBoulder County$856,750Denver
ColoradoBroomfield County$816,500Denver
ColoradoClear Creek County$816,500Denver
ColoradoDenver County$816,500Denver
ColoradoDouglas County$816,500Denver
ColoradoEagle County$1,149,825Denver
ColoradoElbert County$816,500Denver
ColoradoGarfield County$1,149,825Denver
ColoradoGilpin County$816,500Denver
ColoradoJefferson County$816,500Denver
ColoradoPark County$816,500Denver
ColoradoPitkin County$1,149,825Denver
ColoradoRoutt County$1,012,000Denver
ColoradoSummit County$1,006,250Denver
District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia$1,149,825Roanoke
FloridaMonroe County$929,200St. Petersburg
GuamGuam$1,149,825Phoenix
HawaiiHawaii County$1,149,825Phoenix
HawaiiHonolulu County$1,149,825Phoenix
HawaiiKalawao County$1,149,825Phoenix
HawaiiKauai County$1,149,825Phoenix
HawaiiMaui County$1,149,825Phoenix
IdahoTeton$1,149,825Denver
MarylandCalvert County$1,149,825Roanoke
MarylandCharles County$1,149,825Roanoke
MarylandFrederick County$1,149,825Roanoke
MarylandMontgomery County$1,149,825Roanoke
MarylandPrince George’s County$1,149,825Roanoke
MassachusettsDukes County$1,149,825Cleveland
MassachusettsEssex County$862,500Cleveland
MassachusettsMiddlesex County$862,500Cleveland
MassachusettsNantucket County$1,149,825Cleveland
MassachusettsNorfolk County$862,500Cleveland
MassachusettsPlymouth County$862,500Cleveland
MassachusettsSuffolk County$862,500Cleveland
New HampshireRockingham County$862,500Cleveland
New HampshireStrafford County$862,500Cleveland
New JerseyBergen County$1,149,825Cleveland
New JerseyEssex County$1,149,825Cleveland
New JerseyHudson County$1,149,825Cleveland
New JerseyHunterdon County$1,149,825Cleveland
New JerseyMiddlesex County$1,149,825Cleveland
New JerseyMonmouth County$1,149,825Cleveland
New JerseyMorris County$1,149,825Cleveland
New JerseyOcean County$1,149,825Cleveland
New JerseyPassaic County$1,149,825Cleveland
New JerseySomerset County$1,149,825Cleveland
New JerseySussex County$1,149,825Cleveland
New JerseyUnion County$1,149,825Cleveland
New YorkBronx County$1,149,825Cleveland
New YorkKings County$1,149,825Cleveland
New YorkNassau County$1,149,825Cleveland
New YorkNew York County$1,149,825Cleveland
New YorkPutnam County$1,149,825Cleveland
New YorkQueens County$1,149,825Cleveland
New YorkRichmond County$1,149,825Cleveland
New YorkRockland County$1,149,825Cleveland
New YorkSuffolk$1,149,825Cleveland
New YorkWestchester County$1,149,825Cleveland
PennsylvaniaPike County$1,149,825Cleveland
TennesseeCannon County$943,000Atlanta
TennesseeCheatham County$943,000Atlanta
TennesseeDavidson County$943,000Atlanta
TennesseeDickson County$943,000Atlanta
TennesseeMacon County$943,000Atlanta
TennesseeMaury County$943,000Atlanta
TennesseeRobertson County$943,000Atlanta
TennesseeRutherford County$943,000Atlanta
TennesseeSmith County$943,000Atlanta
TennesseeSumner County$943,000Atlanta
TennesseeTrousdale County$943,000Atlanta
TennesseeWilliamson County$943,000Atlanta
TennesseeWilson County$943,000Atlanta
UtahSummit County$1,149,825Denver
UtahWasatch County$1,149,825Denver
Virgin IslandsSt. Croix Island$1,149,825St. Petersburg
Virgin IslandsSt. John Island$1,149,825St. Petersburg
Virgin IslandsSt. Thomas Island$1,149,825St. Petersburg
VirginiaAlexandria City$1,149,825Roanoke
VirginiaArlington County$1,149,825Roanoke
VirginiaClarke County$1,149,825Roanoke
VirginiaCulpeper County$1,149,825Roanoke
VirginiaFairfax City$1,149,825Roanoke
VirginiaFairfax County$1,149,825Roanoke
VirginiaFalls Church City$1,149,825Roanoke
VirginiaFauquierCounty$1,149,825Roanoke
VirginiaFredericksburg City$1,149,825Roanoke
VirginiaLoudoun County$1,149,825Roanoke
VirginiaMadison County$1,149,825Roanoke
VirginiaManassas City$1,149,825Roanoke
VirginiaManassas Park City$1,149,825Roanoke
VirginiaPrince William County$1,149,825Roanoke
VirginiaRappahannock County$1,149,825Roanoke
VirginiaSpotsylvania County$1,149,825Roanoke
VirginiaStafford County$1,149,825Roanoke
VirginiaWarren County$1,149,825Roanoke
WashingtonKing County$977,500Denver
WashingtonPierce$977,500Denver
WashingtonSnohomish$977,500Denver
West VirginiaJefferson$1,149,825Roanoke

Shop around to save thousands: As mentioned above, shaving a couple percentage points off your VA loan can save you thousands of dollars over the course of your loan. You can view our list of VA Loan providers to shop and compare interest rates.

VA Regional Loan Centers and Contact Information

Regional loan centers are not open to the public. You can contact a VA home loan representative at 1-877-827-3702, Monday-Friday between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. EST. You can also contact the regional offices below by mail or email.

Atlanta Department of Veterans Affairs

VA Regional Loan Center

P.O. Box 100023, Decatur, GA 30031-7023

Construction and valuation: [email protected]

Loan Production: [email protected]

Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs
VA Regional Loan Center
1240 East Ninth Street, Cleveland, OH 44199

Construction and valuation: [email protected]

Loan Production: [email protected]

Denver Department of Veterans Affairs
VA Regional Loan Center
Box 25126, Denver, CO 80225

Construction and valuation: [email protected]

Loan production: [email protected]

Houston Department of Veterans Affairs

VA Regional Loan Center

6900 Almeda Road, Houston, TX 77030-4200

Construction and Valuation: [email protected]

Loan production: [email protected]

Phoenix Department of Veterans Affairs
VA Regional Loan Center
3333 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85012-2402

Construction and valuation: [email protected]

Loan production: [email protected]

Roanoke Department of Veterans Affairs
VA Regional Loan Center
210 Franklin Road, S.W., Roanoke, VA 24011

Construction and valuation: [email protected]

Loan production: [email protected]

St. Paul Department of Veterans Affairs
VA Regional Loan Center
1 Federal Drive, Ft. Snelling, St. Paul, MN 55111
Construction and valuation: [email protected]

Loan production: [email protected]

St. Petersburg Department of Veterans Affairs
VA Regional Loan Center
9500 Bay Pines Blvd., St. Petersburg, FL 33708
Construction and valuation: [email protected]

Loan production: [email protected]

USAA Disclosure: Use of the term “member” or “membership” refers to membership in USAA Membership Services and does not convey any legal or ownership rights in USAA. Restrictions apply and are subject to change. To join USAA, separated military personnel must have received a discharge type of “Honorable.” Eligible former dependents of USAA members may join USAA. Bank products provided by USAA Federal Savings Bank, Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender NMLS ID 401058.

Equal Housing Opportunity

Equal Housing Opportunity. The Department of Veterans Affairs affirmatively administers the VA Home Loan Program by assuring that all Veterans are given an equal opportunity to buy homes with VA assistance. Federal law requires all VA Home Loan Program participants – builders, brokers and lenders offering housing for sale with VA financing – must comply with Fair Housing Laws and may not discriminate based on the race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin of the Veteran.


About Post Author

Get Instant Access
FREE Weekly Updates! Enter your information to join our mailing list.

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave A Comment:

    Comments:

    About the comments on this site:

    These responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

  1. John thomas says

    I need to no how much I can borrow in sc and if I can have two homes one on the beach and one away from it

    • Ryan Guina says

      Hello John, How much you can borrow will depend many factors, including your income, how much you need to borrow, the price of the home, your debt to income ratio, your credit score, and other factors. Additionally, a VA Loan can only be used for a primary residence. It cannot be used for a vacation property, rental property, or commercial use property. So you would only be able to get a VA loan for the home you intend to live in most of the time. I recommend speaking with a mortgage broker to help you better understand how much you can borrow to buy a home. Best wishes.

  2. Thelma Williams says

    I understood that the VA entitlement can be used more than once to purchase a home, but the homes could not in the same county? Please advise if this has changed and when. Thank you.

  3. Keith Gumbinger says

    Even though great rates, no down payment and more can make buying a home a great idea for a veteran, there can be drawbacks, such as a short-ownership period. One risk is that active military personnel often don’t stay in one station for long, and the costs of acquiring and disposing of real estate are considerable – usually a couple percentages of the purchase price getting in, and six percent or more getting out.

    Unless home prices are rising quickly in your area or you’re certain you’ll stay put for perhaps five years, there is a risk that you will lose money by owning — and being able to rent a “”trailing”” property as an absentee landlord isn’t always a viable option.

The Military Wallet is a property of Three Creeks Media. Neither The Military Wallet nor Three Creeks Media are associated with or endorsed by the U.S. Departments of Defense or Veterans Affairs. The content on The Military Wallet is produced by Three Creeks Media, its partners, affiliates and contractors, any opinions or statements on The Military Wallet should not be attributed to the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, the Dept. of Defense or any governmental entity. If you have questions about Veteran programs offered through or by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, please visit their website at va.gov. The content offered on The Military Wallet is for general informational purposes only and may not be relevant to any consumer’s specific situation, this content should not be construed as legal or financial advice. If you have questions of a specific nature consider consulting a financial professional, accountant or attorney to discuss. References to third-party products, rates and offers may change without notice.

Advertising Notice: The Military Wallet and Three Creeks Media, its parent and affiliate companies, may receive compensation through advertising placements on The Military Wallet; For any rankings or lists on this site, The Military Wallet may receive compensation from the companies being ranked and this compensation may affect how, where and in what order products and companies appear in the rankings and lists. If a ranking or list has a company noted to be a “partner” the indicated company is a corporate affiliate of The Military Wallet. No tables, rankings or lists are fully comprehensive and do not include all companies or available products.

Editorial Disclosure: Editorial content on The Military Wallet may include opinions. Any opinions are those of the author alone, and not those of an advertiser to the site nor of  The Military Wallet.