If you served, you earned one of the most powerful financial benefits available to any American: the VA home loan guarantee. Zero down payment. No private mortgage insurance. No loan limit with full entitlement. Competitive wholesale rates. And you can use it more than once.
Despite how valuable it is, a significant number of Texas veterans either do not know they have this benefit or do not understand how to use it. This guide covers everything you need to know to put your VA benefit to work in 2026.
Who Is Eligible?
- Veterans who served 90+ days active duty during wartime
- Veterans who served 181+ days active duty during peacetime
- Active duty service members (after 90 continuous days)
- National Guard and Reserve members with 6+ years of service
- Surviving spouses of veterans who died in the line of duty or from a service-connected disability
Discharge must be honorable or general under honorable conditions. If you received an other-than-honorable discharge, there are character of discharge review processes that may still result in eligibility.
The Core Benefits
Zero down payment. For veterans with full entitlement, there is no down payment requirement regardless of loan amount. You can purchase a $700,000 home in Houston with $0 down.
No PMI. Ever. Conventional loans require private mortgage insurance for down payments below 20%. VA loans never require PMI, saving veterans hundreds of dollars per month for the life of the loan.
No loan limit with full entitlement. The 2026 conforming limit is $832,750, but VA borrowers with full entitlement are not bound by it. You can borrow any amount a lender will approve with zero down. Partial entitlement situations (if you have an existing VA loan) use the $832,750 baseline.
Competitive rates. Because the VA guarantees a portion of the loan, lenders take on less risk and offer lower rates. Kris shops VA rates across 20+ wholesale lenders to find the most competitive pricing available.
The VA Funding Fee
The VA charges a one-time funding fee to sustain the program. It ranges from 0.5% to 3.3% of the loan amount depending on your down payment, whether it is your first use, and your service category. The fee can be rolled into the loan so there is no out-of-pocket cost.
Exemptions: Veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 10% or more are completely exempt from the funding fee. Surviving spouses of veterans who died in the line of duty are also exempt. This exemption is one of the most important details to confirm before closing — Kris verifies this for every VA borrower.
How to Get Your Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
The COE is the document that confirms your VA loan eligibility to the lender. There are three ways to get it:
- Through your lender — Kris can pull your COE electronically through the VA portal in minutes during the pre-qualification process. This is the fastest and most common method.
- Online at VA.gov — Log into your VA account and request it through the eBenefits portal.
- By mail — Submit VA Form 26-1880 to the VA Eligibility Center. Takes several weeks.
In most cases Kris handles the COE pull as part of the pre-qualification so you never have to deal with it separately.
Can I Use My VA Benefit More Than Once?
Yes. There is no limit on how many times you can use your VA benefit. As long as you have sufficient remaining entitlement — either because you have paid off a prior VA loan or because your prior loan balance leaves room — you can use it again. In some situations you can even have two VA loans simultaneously, for example if you are PCSing to a new duty station.
The VA IRRRL — Streamline Refinance
If you already have a VA loan and rates have dropped, the VA Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan (IRRRL) lets you refinance to a lower rate with minimal paperwork and no appraisal required in most cases. The funding fee for an IRRRL is just 0.5% and can be rolled into the loan. It is one of the fastest and least burdensome refinance options available to any borrower.
Texas-Specific Considerations
Texas has a few quirks worth knowing. The Texas Constitution's home equity rules apply to cash-out refinances on primary residences — VA cash-out refinances in Texas are subject to the 80% LTV limit like other home equity products. Standard VA purchase loans are not affected by this rule.
Texas also has no state income tax, which improves the overall economics of homeownership here compared to most states. Combined with the VA benefit, Texas veterans are in an exceptionally strong financial position to build wealth through real estate.