VA Loan Entitlement Calculator
With $50,000.00 used in a $900,000.00 county, VA backs $175,000.00 (23.33%) of a $750,000.00 loan. Tier 2 loans over $144,000.00 up to $700,000.00 need no down payment; $750,000.00 needs $12,500.00 down, measured on the price.
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Your VA loan guaranty and remaining entitlement
Maximum VA Guaranty
$175,000.00
Cash for 25.00% Coverage
$12,500.00
On a $750,000.00 loan with $50,000.00 of entitlement used in a $900,000.00 county, VA guarantees $175,000.00 (23.33% of the loan) under 38 U.S.C. 3703(a)(1)(C)(ii).
Subtracting $50,000.00 used from $225,000.00 (25.00% of the $900,000.00 county limit) leaves $175,000.00 of bonus entitlement, supporting Tier 2 loans over $144,000.00 up to $700,000.00 at 25.00% VA guaranty with $0.00 down.
On a $750,000.00 purchase, $12,500.00 down (1.67%) leaves a $737,500.00 base loan, and $175,000.00 of guaranty plus that cash reaches $187,500.00, which is 25.00% of the $750,000.00 price. Zero down on the full $750,000.00 would take a county limit of at least $950,000.00.
At the Tier 2 cutoff for your inputs, the maximum guaranty rises from $0.00 on a $144,000.00 loan to $36,000.25 on a $144,001.00 loan.
Your loan, county limit, and Certificate of Eligibility
- 25.00% × county limit = 0.25 × $900,000.00 = $225,000.00
- remaining bonus = max($0.00, $225,000.00 − $50,000.00) = $175,000.00
- 25.00% × loan = 0.25 × $750,000.00 = $187,500.00
- guaranty = min($187,500.00, $175,000.00) = $175,000.00
- $175,000.00 + $12,500.00 ≥ 25.00% × $750,000.00 = $187,500.00
- base loan $737,500.00, cash for 25.00% coverage = $12,500.00
Maximum VA guaranty and coverage cash gap by loan size
VA guaranty and coverage cash gap across 2026 county limits
Your County Limit vs. 2026 FHFA Benchmarks
| County benchmark | One-unit limit | Bonus entitlement left | Zero-down ceiling | Guaranty on your loan | Coverage cash gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your county | $900,000.00 | $175,000.00 | $700,000.00 | $175,000.00 | $12,500.00 |
| FHFA baseline | $832,750.00 | $158,187.50 | $632,750.00 | $158,187.50 | $29,312.50 |
| High-cost max | $1,249,125.00 | $262,281.25 | $1,049,125.00 | $187,500.00 | $0.00 |
| AK/HI/GU/VI max | $1,873,675.00 | $418,418.75 | $1,673,675.00 | $187,500.00 | $0.00 |
| Zero-down limit | $950,000.00 | $187,500.00 | $750,000.00 | $187,500.00 | $0.00 |
On your $750,000.00 loan, your $900,000.00 county limit yields $16,812.50 more guaranty than the $832,750.00 FHFA 2026 baseline ($175,000.00 vs. $158,187.50).
Purchase Down-Payment & VA Funding-Fee Tiers
| Down-payment tier | Cash down | Down % | Base loan | VA guaranty | Combined % of basis | First-use fee | After-first-use fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smallest down payment for 25.00% coverage | $12,500.00 | 1.67% | $737,500.00 | $175,000.00 | 25.00% | $15,856.25 | $24,337.50 |
| 5.00% down payment (first funding-fee discount tier) | $37,500.00 | 5.00% | $712,500.00 | $175,000.00 | 28.33% | $10,687.50 | $10,687.50 |
| 10.00% down payment (lowest funding-fee tier) | $75,000.00 | 10.00% | $675,000.00 | $168,750.00 | 32.50% | $8,437.50 | $8,437.50 |
| 20.00% down payment (conventional no-PMI benchmark) | $150,000.00 | 20.00% | $600,000.00 | $150,000.00 | 40.00% | $7,500.00 | $7,500.00 |
Treating $750,000.00 as a purchase price, putting $12,500.00 down (1.67%) carries a 2.15% first-use fee ($15,856.25) or 3.30% repeat-use fee ($24,337.50); stepping up to 5.00% down ($37,500.00) lowers the repeat-use fee by $13,650.00 to $10,687.50.
Maximum VA Guaranty Across 38 U.S.C. 3703 Loan Bands
| Loan amount | Guaranty band | Max VA guaranty | Guaranty % | Coverage cash gap | Cash % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $45,000.00 | Tier 1: up to $45,000.00 (50.00% band, § 3703(a)(1)(A)(i)(I)) | $0.00 | 0.00% | $11,250.00 | 25.00% |
| $56,250.00 | Tier 1: $45,000.01–$56,250.00 ($22,500.00 flat, § 3703(a)(1)(A)(i)(II)) | $0.00 | 0.00% | $14,062.50 | 25.00% |
| $90,000.00 | Tier 1: $56,250.01–$144,000.00 (40.00% up to $36,000.00, § 3703(a)(1)(A)(i)(III)) | $0.00 | 0.00% | $22,500.00 | 25.00% |
| $144,000.00 | Tier 1: $56,250.01–$144,000.00 (40.00% up to $36,000.00, § 3703(a)(1)(A)(i)(III)) | $0.00 | 0.00% | $36,000.00 | 25.00% |
| $144,001.00 | Tier 2: over $144,000.00, partial entitlement (§ 3703(a)(1)(C)(ii)) | $36,000.25 | 25.00% | $0.00 | 0.00% |
| $250,000.00 | Tier 2: over $144,000.00, partial entitlement (§ 3703(a)(1)(C)(ii)) | $62,500.00 | 25.00% | $0.00 | 0.00% |
| $400,000.00 | Tier 2: over $144,000.00, partial entitlement (§ 3703(a)(1)(C)(ii)) | $100,000.00 | 25.00% | $0.00 | 0.00% |
| $600,000.00 | Tier 2: over $144,000.00, partial entitlement (§ 3703(a)(1)(C)(ii)) | $150,000.00 | 25.00% | $0.00 | 0.00% |
| $700,000.00 | Tier 2: over $144,000.00, partial entitlement (§ 3703(a)(1)(C)(ii)) | $175,000.00 | 25.00% | $0.00 | 0.00% |
| $750,000.00 | Tier 2: over $144,000.00, partial entitlement (§ 3703(a)(1)(C)(ii)) | $175,000.00 | 23.33% | $12,500.00 | 1.67% |
| $832,750.00 | Tier 2: over $144,000.00, partial entitlement (§ 3703(a)(1)(C)(ii)) | $175,000.00 | 21.01% | $33,187.50 | 3.99% |
| $900,000.00 | Tier 2: over $144,000.00, partial entitlement (§ 3703(a)(1)(C)(ii)) | $175,000.00 | 19.44% | $50,000.00 | 5.56% |
| $1,000,000.00 | Tier 2: over $144,000.00, partial entitlement (§ 3703(a)(1)(C)(ii)) | $175,000.00 | 17.50% | $75,000.00 | 7.50% |
| $1,125,000.00 | Tier 2: over $144,000.00, partial entitlement (§ 3703(a)(1)(C)(ii)) | $175,000.00 | 15.56% | $106,250.00 | 9.44% |
| $1,249,125.00 | Tier 2: over $144,000.00, partial entitlement (§ 3703(a)(1)(C)(ii)) | $175,000.00 | 14.01% | $137,281.25 | 10.99% |
| $1,500,000.00 | Tier 2: over $144,000.00, partial entitlement (§ 3703(a)(1)(C)(ii)) | $175,000.00 | 11.67% | $200,000.00 | 13.33% |
Across 16 loan sizes from $45,000.00 to $1,500,000.00, the maximum VA guaranty spans from $0.00 to $175,000.00, with $200,000.00 (13.33%) down needed for 25.00% coverage at $1,500,000.00.
Guaranty and cash gap by prior entitlement charged on your COE
On a $750,000.00 loan in a $900,000.00 county, the VA guaranty drops from $187,500.00 at $0.00 used to $0.00 at $225,000.00 used; a cash gap first appears at $50,000.00 used and reaches $187,500.00 at $225,000.00 used.
| Entitlement used | Max VA guaranty | Guaranty % | Coverage cash gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0.00 | $187,500.00 | 25.00% | $0.00 |
| $25,000.00 | $187,500.00 | 25.00% | $0.00 |
| $36,000.00 | $187,500.00 | 25.00% | $0.00 |
| $50,000.00 (closest to your input) | $175,000.00 | 23.33% | $12,500.00 |
| $70,000.00 | $155,000.00 | 20.67% | $32,500.00 |
| $100,000.00 | $125,000.00 | 16.67% | $62,500.00 |
| $150,000.00 | $75,000.00 | 10.00% | $112,500.00 |
| $208,187.50 | $16,812.50 | 2.24% | $170,687.50 |
| $225,000.00 | $0.00 | 0.00% | $187,500.00 |
How VA loan entitlement, guaranty caps, and zero-down limits work
A VA loan guaranty is not a cap on how much you can borrow. It is the dollar sum VA promises to pay your lender if you default. Because that first-loss promise protects the lender, qualifying buyers can finance a home without monthly PMI. Your income, debts, credit, and home appraisal still set your budget. Test your monthly budget first in the home affordability calculator.
Under 38 U.S.C. 3703(a)(1), VA splits entitlement into Tier 1 (basic) up to $144,000.00 and Tier 2 (bonus) above that line. Tier 1 caps at $36,000.00 minus un-restored entitlement used, and its band ceilings span three ranges. Band I ceiling is 50.00% of loans up to $45,000.00. Band II ceiling is $22,500.00 from $45,000.01 to $56,250.00. Band III ceiling is 40.00% up to $36,000.00 from $56,250.01 to $144,000.00.
Tier 2 (bonus) covers purchase, construction, and cash-out loans above $144,000.00. Since January 1, 2020 (Pub. L. 116-23, § 6(a)(1)), those loans follow one of two rules. With full entitlement (zero prior entitlement charged), 38 U.S.C. 3703(a)(1)(C)(i) sets the guaranty at 25.00% of the loan with no county cap. When prior entitlement stays charged, § 3703(a)(1)(C)(ii) caps your guaranty at “25 percent of the Freddie Mac conforming loan limit, reduced by the amount of entitlement previously used by the veteran under this chapter and not restored as a result of the exclusion in section 3702(b) of this title.”
On VA's VA home loan entitlement and limits page, VA notes that most lenders ask for 25.00% combined coverage from your guaranty plus cash down. With partial entitlement, 4 times your remaining bonus entitlement gives your zero-down loan ceiling whenever that product exceeds the Tier 1 limit. Above that ceiling, the smallest qualifying down payment depends on how your lender measures that coverage. The results use the price you enter as the lesser of price or appraised value by default, and the “How your lender measures the 25.00%” choice switches to the loan left after your down payment, which gives a smaller figure. Track principal payoff over time in the loan amortization calculator.
How to read your Certificate of Eligibility and county limit
Your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) prints your basic line near the top, never your bonus cap. When it reads “THIS VETERAN’S BASIC ENTITLEMENT IS $36,000,” VA's VA home loan entitlement and limits page notes you hold full entitlement and face no VA county cap. When it reads “THIS VETERAN’S BASIC ENTITLEMENT IS $0,” your first tier is tied up on an earlier loan, yet bonus entitlement can still back a Tier 2 purchase.
To fill in Entitlement used, find the COE table named “Prior Loans charged to entitlement.” Add the un-restored amounts in the Entitlement Charged column. On VA's How to request a VA home loan Certificate of Eligibility (COE) page, VA lists three ways to get a COE: online, through your lender's Web LGY portal, or by mail on VA Form 26-1880. A COE marked with a cash-out refinance condition works only on the home named on that COE.
Next, check the FHFA conforming loan limit for the county where you will buy. On November 25, 2025, FHFA set the 2026 one-unit baseline at $832,750.00 for most U.S. counties. High-cost areas reach up to $1,249,125.00, while Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands reach up to $1,873,675.00. Buying a duplex, triplex, or four-plex does not raise that cap. VA's VA home loan entitlement and limits page states: “You’ll want to use the One-Unit Limit, even if your property has more than one unit.”
The $144,000.00 cutoff and when the 4x shortcut fails
Many worksheets multiply bonus left by 4 without testing the Tier 2 floor. Under 38 U.S.C. 3703(a)(1)(B) and (C)(ii), bonus rules apply only above Tier 1. County limits play no part in Tier 1. Take Example 3 of VA's Maximum VA Guaranty Calculation guide ($300,000.00 county limit and $70,000.00 used). Bonus left is $5,000.00, and 4 times $5,000.00 is $20,000.00. That $20,000.00 loan sits in Tier 1 where basic entitlement is gone, so no zero-down loan exists.
That split creates a sharp jump above $144,000.00 once prior loans use the Tier 1 cap and bonus left remains. On the defaults ($900,000.00 county limit and $50,000.00 used), a $144,000.00 loan gets $0.00 guaranty. That is the same result as Example 4 of VA's Maximum VA Guaranty Calculation guide. Yet a $144,001.00 loan enters Tier 2 and unlocks a $36,000.25 guaranty. Weigh discount points on any Tier 2 base loan in the mortgage points calculator.
Restoring prior entitlement, IRRRL loans, and funding fees
Paying off a VA loan does not free up your COE by itself, because 38 CFR 36.4302(i) states that payoff alone does not raise remaining entitlement. VA's Eligibility for VA home loan programs page says you may be able to restore used entitlement if at least one of three things is true. You can request restoration on VA Form 26-1880 or through your lender. Under 38 U.S.C. 3702(b), the Secretary “may exclude” used entitlement in set cases. One case is a loan repaid in full when the new loan is secured by the same property (3702(b)(3)). Each exclusion is at VA's discretion, so confirm with VA before you count on it:
- You sold the home you bought with the prior loan and have paid that loan in full.
- A qualified Veteran-transferee agrees to assume your loan and substitute their entitlement for the same amount you used originally.
- You repaid your prior loan in full but did not sell the home you bought with it (VA says you can only do this once).
Streamline refinances (IRRRL) and VA funding fee tiers
An Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan (IRRRL) uses its own guaranty test. Under 38 CFR 36.4302(b), an IRRRL guaranty under 38 U.S.C. 3710(a)(8) equals up to the greater of your old loan's guaranty or 25.00% of the new loan. Check your rate-drop break-even month in the mortgage refinance calculator.
Non-exempt borrowers pay a one-time VA funding fee on the base loan at closing. VA waives the fee in five cases. You receive VA compensation for a service-connected disability. You are eligible for it but receive retirement or active-duty pay instead. You receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (D.I.C.) as a surviving spouse. You hold a proposed or memorandum pre-discharge disability rating before closing. You are an active-duty member who shows proof of a Purple Heart on or before closing. Under VA's VA funding fee and loan closing costs rate charts effective April 7, 2023, purchase fees below 5.00% down are 2.15% on first use and 3.30% after first use. Putting 5.00% down cuts both rates to 1.50%, and 10.00% down cuts them to 1.25%. On a purchase loan, you can finance only the funding fee into the loan, and seller concessions are limited to 4.00% of the home's reasonable value, which appears on the VA Notice of Value.
Video walkthrough
A 3½-minute walkthrough of how a VA loan guaranty is worked out: basic and bonus entitlement, your county limit, the cash a lender may ask for and the funding fee.
Read the transcript
What the VA guarantees
0:00 How much will the VA guarantee on your home loan, and how much cash will your lender still ask for?
0:06 On the page's example purchase, the VA guarantees $175,000.
0:12 A lender that measures on the price would ask for $12,500 down.
0:18 The page works that out from your loan, your county's loan limit, and the entitlement you have already used.
0:24 The rules it follows are those in force on November 1, 2026.
Basic and bonus entitlement
0:30 Your entitlement comes in parts.
0:32 Basic entitlement is $36,000 at most, and it backs smaller loans.
0:38 Bonus entitlement backs larger loans.
0:40 VA says that on a larger loan, such as $1,200,000, with full entitlement, the guaranty is up to a quarter of the loan.
0:50 That is $300,000, and no cash is needed.
Entitlement you already used
0:54 But if an earlier loan still uses some of your entitlement, the law caps the guaranty.
1:00 It is a quarter of the Freddie Mac conforming loan limit, less what you have used.
1:05 Start with the county limit, and take a quarter of it.
1:08 Subtract the entitlement you have used.
1:10 What is left is $175,000 of bonus entitlement.
1:15 VA works this same example and gets the same bonus entitlement left.
1:20 Multiply it by 4, and you get the largest loan with nothing down: $700,000.
When the loan is larger
1:27 Our purchase is above that ceiling.
1:30 So the guaranty stops growing, covering only about 23% of the price, and the cash gap opens.
1:37 Most lenders want your guaranty and your cash together to cover a quarter of the price.
1:42 A quarter of this purchase is $187,500.
1:47 The guaranty falls short of that, so you bring $12,500.
1:52 Here is the catch.
1:53 VA words that quarter in different ways.
1:56 One is the lesser of the price and the appraised value.
2:00 The other is your total loan amount.
2:02 Which your lender uses is up to your lender.
2:05 The page offers both choices.
2:07 Measured on the price, you need $12,500.
2:11 Measured on the loan after your down payment, you need $10,000.
2:15 Confirm with your lender which it uses.
2:18 The loan measure gives the smaller number, because your cash also shrinks the loan that the quarter is taken from.
County limits and the fee
2:25 In a county at the national baseline limit, announced November 25, 2025, the cash grows to about $29,300.
2:35 In the highest-cost counties, at $1,249,125, this purchase needs none.
2:43 Borrowers who are not exempt also pay a one-time VA funding fee, and more cash down means a smaller fee.
2:51 It is charged on the loan left after your down payment.
2:54 The first-use fee falls from about $15,900 to about $8,400, at rates effective April 7, 2023.
Try your own numbers
3:04 To try your own numbers, enter your loan, your county limit, and the entitlement your certificate of eligibility shows you have used.
3:13 With full entitlement, set the entitlement used to zero.
3:17 The guaranty on this loan becomes $187,500, and no cash is needed.
3:23 So remember: your bonus entitlement sets the largest loan with nothing down.
3:29 Your lender decides how to measure its quarter.
3:31 Confirm the details with your lender, and try your own numbers at fastcalc.us.
VA guaranty and bonus entitlement formulas (38 U.S.C. 3703)
Loan > $144,000.00, full entitlement (used = $0.00): guaranty = round_cents(0.25 × loan) [38 U.S.C. 3703(a)(1)(C)(i)] Loan > $144,000.00, partial entitlement (used > $0.00): bonus left = max($0.00, round_cents(0.25 × county limit) − used); guaranty = min(round_cents(0.25 × loan), bonus left) [38 U.S.C. 3703(a)(1)(C)(ii)] Loan ≤ $144,000.00: basic left = max($0.00, $36,000.00 − used); band = round_cents(0.50 × loan) (≤ $45,000.00), $22,500.00 ($45,000.01–$56,250.00), or min($36,000.00, round_cents(0.40 × loan)) ($56,250.01–$144,000.00); guaranty = min(band, basic left) [38 U.S.C. 3703(a)(1)(A)(i)(I)–(III), (B)] Zero-down loan ceiling (used > $0.00): 4 × bonus left if 4 × bonus left > $144,000.00, else 4 × basic left Cash for 25.00% coverage D = smallest down payment on the entered price with guaranty(price − D) + D ≥ T, where T = round_cents(0.25 × price) on the price basis or round_cents(0.25 × (price − D)) on the loan basis; break-even county limit (loan > $144,000.00, used > $0.00) = 4 × (round_cents(0.25 × loan) + used)
Worked examples from VA's guaranty calculation guide
Examples 1 and 2 from VA's Maximum VA Guaranty Calculation guide (effective January 1, 2020). In Example 1, full entitlement on a $1,200,000.00 loan gives a $300,000.00 guaranty (25.00%) with no cash down, and no county limit enters the math. In Example 2, $70,000.00 used in a $600,000.00 county ($150,000.00 quarter-limit) leaves $80,000.00 of bonus left. A $200,000.00 loan needs $50,000.00 of guaranty, so VA backs the full quarter.
Examples 3, 5, and 6 from the same VA guide. On Example 3's $350,000.00 loan with $5,000.00 of bonus left, VA backs 1.43% ($5,000.00). The guide does not work a cash figure. On this page's two readings of the lender's 25.00%, a buyer needs $82,500.00 (23.57%) down measured on the price, or $66,000.00 (18.86%) measured on the loan left after the down payment. In Examples 5 and 6, restoring $36,000.00 clears prior use so a $180,000.00 loan gets a $45,000.00 guaranty.
This page's own Tier 1 case, not one of VA's guide examples: take a $100,000.00 home loan with $10,000.00 of entitlement used. Basic left is $26,000.00, while the Band III ceiling is $36,000.00. VA backs $26,000.00 (26.00% of the loan). That tops the $25,000.00 quarter-loan mark and needs no cash down.
Scope, 38 CFR 36.4302 text gap, and limits
- Applies 38 U.S.C. 3703(a)(1), as amended by Pub. L. 116-23 § 6(a)(1) for purchase, construction, and cash-out loans closed on or after January 1, 2020. Cent amounts round half-up.
- Law-reading note: 38 CFR 36.4302(a)(4) and (e) still print pre-2020 caps (“The lesser of $60,000 or 25 percent” and “increased by up to $24,000”). VA has not yet updated those paragraphs under Pub. L. 116-23 § 6(e). Matching VA's Maximum VA Guaranty Calculation guide, this page follows the amended statute.
- County benchmarks use FHFA's 2026 one-unit limits announced November 25, 2025. You can enter any county limit from $1.00 to $10,000,000.00, and any loan amount up to $100,000,000.00.
- Lenders do not all measure the 25.00% the same way, and VA words it two ways. VA's VA home loan entitlement and limits page says “Most lenders require that your entitlement, down payment, or a combination of both covers at least 25% of your total loan amount.” VA's VA Home Loan Guaranty Buyer's Guide says “Most lenders require a combination of the guaranty entitlement and any cash down payment to equal at least 25 percent of the appraised value or sales price of the property, whichever is less.” The “How your lender measures the 25.00%” choice picks either basis. This page has no appraised-value field, so the price basis uses the price you entered. Confirm the basis with your lender.
- Not modeled in the guaranty solver: IRRRL loans under 38 CFR 36.4302(b), manufactured-home loans capped at $20,000.00 under 38 U.S.C. 3712, Native American Direct Loans, and vendee loans. Per VA's VA home loan entitlement and limits page, a loan also cannot top the lower of price or appraised value, and lenders set their own credit and income standards.
These figures are estimates for learning and planning, not financial, tax, legal or investment advice. Terms of use.
What to do with your entitlement numbers
Check the Entitlement Charged column on your COE before you bid. If an older VA loan was paid off at sale, or paid off while you kept the home and your one-time restoration under 38 U.S.C. 3702(b)(4) is unused, file VA Form 26-1880. Clearing $50,000.00 of prior usage on the default $750,000.00 loan removes the $12,500.00 down payment measured on the price and lifts your guaranty to $187,500.00.
Compare your coverage cash against the 5.00% funding-fee break on a repeat purchase. On a $750,000.00 home measured on the price, putting $12,500.00 down (1.67%) carries a $24,337.50 repeat-use funding fee on the $737,500.00 base loan. Stepping up to $37,500.00 down lowers that repeat-use fee by $13,650.00 to $10,687.50.
Look up the exact 2026 FHFA One-Unit limit for the county where you shop. With $100,000.00 used on a $1,200,000.00 loan, an $832,750.00 baseline county gives $108,187.50 of guaranty and takes $191,812.50 down measured on the price. A $1,249,125.00 high-cost county raises the guaranty to $212,281.25 and cuts the cash needed to $87,718.75.
Send your base loan to the mortgage payment calculator with 0.00% PMI to check monthly PITI. Then price upfront cash in the closing costs calculator. On VA's VA funding fee and loan closing costs page, VA notes you can finance the funding fee into a purchase loan, while other closing costs must be paid at closing or offset by seller credits.
VA loan entitlement questions
Is there a maximum VA loan amount if I have full entitlement?
No federal dollar cap applies above $144,000.00 when you hold full entitlement. Under 38 U.S.C. 3703(a)(1)(C)(i), effective January 1, 2020, VA backs one-quarter of the loan. For instance, VA backs $250,000.00 on a $1,000,000.00 purchase in any county. Your lender still sizes the loan to your income, debts, and credit. Per VA's VA home loan entitlement and limits page, the loan cannot top the lower of price or appraised value ($375,000.00 if a $400,000.00 home appraises at $375,000.00).
How much can I borrow with no down payment if I already have an active VA loan?
Multiply your remaining bonus entitlement by 4 whenever that product clears the Tier 2 floor. In a 2026 baseline county ($832,750.00 limit, $208,187.50 quarter-limit) with $36,000.00 tied up on an active loan, bonus left is $172,187.50. Four times $172,187.50 gives a $688,750.00 zero-down ceiling.
Why does my COE say my basic entitlement is $0.00 when I still have bonus entitlement?
Your COE prints only Tier 1 basic entitlement, which runs out once un-restored loans charge $36,000.00 or more. With $50,000.00 charged on an earlier loan, that basic line reads $0.00. Even so, a 2026 baseline county leaves $158,187.50 of Tier 2 bonus left ($208,187.50 minus $50,000.00). That backs Tier 2 loans above the Tier 1 cap up to $632,750.00 with no down payment.
Can I buy a second home with a VA loan without selling my first home?
Yes, if you qualify on income and credit for both loans and still have entitlement left. You draw on your remaining bonus entitlement, plus cash down above your zero-down ceiling. Suppose your first loan used $46,000.00 and you buy a $500,000.00 home in an $832,750.00 county. Bonus left is $162,187.50, which covers the full $125,000.00 guaranty.
Which county loan limit applies if I buy a duplex, triplex, or four-plex with a VA loan?
Always enter the FHFA One-Unit Limit for that county, even on a two- to four-unit home. Under 38 U.S.C. 3703(a)(1)(C)(iii)(II), the partial-entitlement cap uses the Freddie Mac single-family limit, such as the $832,750.00 baseline for 2026. Higher multi-unit limits never apply.
Why can a loan right above $144,000.00 qualify for more guaranty than a $144,000.00 loan?
Under 38 U.S.C. 3703(a)(1)(A)(i)(IV) and (C)(ii), Tier 2 bonus entitlement starts only on loans above $144,000.00. Once prior loans use at least the Tier 1 cap, a loan at the cutoff gets no Tier 1 guaranty. A $150,000.00 loan enters Tier 2 and unlocks up to $37,500.00 of guaranty when enough bonus left remains.
How does a down payment affect my VA funding fee on a second VA loan?
Under VA's VA funding fee and loan closing costs rate charts, a non-exempt repeat buyer pays a lower rate once the down payment reaches the first discount tier in the funding fee table above. On a $200,000.00 purchase, zero down carries a $6,600.00 repeat fee. Putting $10,000.00 down trims the loan to $190,000.00 and cuts the fee to $2,850.00.
Sources
- 38 U.S.C. 3703, basic provisions relating to loan guaranty and insurance (Cornell LII text) (last amended Jun 25, 2019)
- 38 U.S.C. 3702, basic entitlement and restoration of entitlement (Cornell LII text) (last amended Jan 5, 2021)
- 38 CFR 36.4302, computation of guaranties or insurance credits (Cornell LII text) (last amended Oct 22, 2010)
- VA, Maximum VA Guaranty Calculation (form dated Jan 1, 2020)
- VA, VA home loan entitlement and limits (page modified Aug 12, 2025)
- VA, VA Home Loan Guaranty Buyer's Guide (version Apr 2022)
- VA, Eligibility for VA home loan programs (page modified Sep 22, 2026)
- VA, How to request a VA home loan Certificate of Eligibility (COE) (page modified Sep 22, 2026)
- VA, VA funding fee and loan closing costs (page modified Oct 5, 2026)
- FHFA, FHFA Announces Conforming Loan Limit Values for 2026 (published Nov 25, 2025)
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