Before 2020, VA loans effectively capped out around the conforming loan limit because lenders wouldn't guarantee the loan past that point without a down payment. The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 changed that for anyone with full entitlement.
What "full entitlement" means
Every eligible veteran starts with basic entitlement of $36,000. Bonus (Tier 2) entitlement brings the total guaranty up to 25% of the county's conforming loan limit. You have full entitlement if:
- You've never used your VA loan benefit, or
- You used it before and paid the loan off in full and sold the property (entitlement restored), or
- You had a prior VA loan that was paid in full without a claim against the guaranty
Why that removes the loan limit
The VA guarantees a lender against loss — historically 25% of the loan amount. With full entitlement, the VA guarantees 25% of whatever amount you borrow, no matter how large, because there's no legacy loan tying up part of your entitlement. That means:
- $0 down payment at any loan amount the lender approves
- No published county limit applies to your file
- Your qualifying is driven entirely by credit, income, residual income, and the VA appraisal — not a dollar cap
Get your VA Pre-Approval Summary.
Complete the short form and we send back a full VA breakdown: your entitlement, the VA funding fee, and an estimated $0-down monthly payment — with no mortgage insurance, ever.
- Your entitlement and county loan limit (if applicable)
- $0 down payment — no mortgage insurance, ever
- One-time VA funding fee, financeable into the loan
- Estimated monthly payment with taxes and insurance
Summary emailed and shown on screen · Not an approval or commitment to lend
Illustration only, generated from the information you enter. Not a Loan Estimate, pre-qualification, commitment to lend, or approval. Subject to appraisal, credit and income review, VA guidelines, and final lender approval. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Equal Housing Opportunity.
- Purchase price
- $385,000
- Down payment
- $0
- Base loan amount
- $385,000
- Financed funding fee (2.15%)
- $8,278
- Est. monthly payment
- $2,690
Sample figures · Simply Approved Mortgages · NMLS #2620881 · Equal Housing Opportunity
When a limit still applies
If you have an existing VA loan you haven't paid off, or a prior VA loan that wasn't restored (for example, after a foreclosure), you have reduced/partial entitlement. In that case, the county's conforming loan limit governs how much you can borrow with $0 down; above it, you'd need a down payment to make up the gap. The 2026 conforming baseline is $832,750, with a high-cost ceiling of $1,249,125.
The practical takeaway
Most veterans buying their first home with a VA loan, or veterans who sold a prior VA-financed home, have full entitlement and simply are not subject to a loan limit. Lenders will still underwrite to your income and residual income — the "no limit" applies to VA's guarantee, not to what you can actually qualify for.
VA home purchase calculator: run your own numbers
Edit the fields to see your down payment, financed one-time VA funding fee, and full monthly payment. VA loans allow $0 down and carry no monthly mortgage insurance.
Estimates only. Nothing here is an application, pre-qualification, pre-approval, rate quote, rate lock or commitment to lend. You can keep using this tool without giving us anything.
Estimates only — not a loan offer, rate lock, or commitment to lend. Taxes, insurance, and rates vary by county and credit profile.