VA Home Loans in Florida
Florida has the third-largest veteran population in the country, and a VA loan is still one of the most valuable benefits most of them can use: no down payment, no monthly mortgage insurance, and lenders competing on rate. We are licensed as a Florida mortgage broker and lender and close VA loans from Pensacola to Key West.
Florida Mortgage Broker License MBR3694 and Mortgage Lender License MLD2100. NMLS #1925352.
VA in Florida, 2026
Down payment
$0 with full entitlement
Loan limit
None with full entitlement
Funding fee, first use
2.15% with less than 5% down; exempt if you receive VA disability compensation
Property tax break
$5,000 exemption with a qualifying service-connected disability; total exemption possible at 100% permanent and total
Termite inspection
Required by the VA in Florida
$0
Down payment with full entitlement
0.5%
Funding fee on an IRRRL streamline
3rd
Largest veteran population of any state
67
Florida counties, licensed statewide
Why a VA loan is the right first question for a Florida veteran.
From MacDill in Tampa and NAS Jacksonville to Pensacola, Eglin, Patrick and Key West, Florida is home to more than 1.4 million veterans and a large active-duty population that buys near base and keeps the home after PCS. A VA loan lets them buy with nothing down, without the monthly mortgage insurance an FHA or low-down conventional loan carries, and with a rate that is usually a little lower than conventional for the same borrower.
Florida adds its own layers. The state’s documentary stamps and intangible tax apply to a VA loan like any other, so they are part of your closing costs, though the seller can pay them for you as ordinary closing costs. The VA requires a wood-destroying insect inspection on Florida homes. And Florida gives disabled veterans real property tax relief: a $5,000 exemption from a 10 percent rating, and a full exemption from ad valorem taxes at 100 percent permanent and total.
This page covers the VA program as it works in Florida. For the state as a whole, see our Florida page; for the benefit itself, the funding fee and eligibility in depth, see the VA hub. If you are comparing, FHA in Florida is the usual alternative, and for a veteran it is often the more expensive one.
Three ways to use the benefit in Florida.
Buying, dropping the rate on a VA loan you already have, or pulling equity out. The funding fee differs for each.
Buying
VA purchase
Nothing down with full entitlement and no loan limit, so a $700,000 home in Naples or Palm Beach is as financeable as a $300,000 one in Ocala. The funding fee is 2.15 percent on first use or 3.3 percent after, financed into the loan, and waived entirely for veterans receiving disability compensation.
Lower payment
VA IRRRL streamline
Replace a VA loan with a lower rate, usually with no appraisal and no income verification, for a 0.5 percent funding fee. Florida charges doc stamps and intangible tax on the new note, so the break-even is a little longer here than in a no-tax state; we run it before you commit.
Use equity
VA cash-out refinance
Replace any loan, VA or not, with a VA loan for up to 100 percent of the value under VA rules, though most lenders cap it at 90. Florida veterans use it to clear debt, pay for a roof or impact windows that cut the insurance bill, or move from an FHA loan and drop the mortgage insurance for good.
The funding fee, and what applies in Florida.
The fee is set by federal law and fixed through November 2031. The last column is what a Florida veteran should know about each row.
| Your situation | First use | Subsequent use | In Florida |
|---|---|---|---|
| No down payment | 2.15% of the loan | 3.3% of the loan | The seller can pay your closing costs; the funding fee and prepaids count as concessions, capped at 4% of the loan |
| 5% to 9.99% down | 1.5% | 1.5% | A down payment also lowers the doc stamps and intangible tax, which are figured on the loan amount |
| 10% or more down | 1.25% | 1.25% | Rarely worth it in Florida, where insurance, not the loan balance, drives the payment |
| IRRRL streamline refinance | 0.5% | 0.5% | Documentary stamps at $0.35 per $100 and intangible tax at 0.2% apply to the new loan |
| Exempt | Receiving VA disability compensation, or eligible and taking retirement pay instead; Purple Heart recipients on active duty; surviving spouses receiving DIC | Same | A qualifying service-connected disability can also earn the $5,000 Florida property tax exemption, or a total exemption at 100% permanent and total, under Florida law |
Lenders set credit and income rules; the VA sets none. Most want a 580 to 620 score and a residual income cushion after the payment, which Florida’s insurance costs make more important.
Florida’s property tax breaks for disabled veterans.
Florida gives veterans with a service-connected disability real property tax relief: a $5,000 exemption from assessed value with a qualifying service-connected disability of 10 percent or more, an additional discount for combat-related disability at 65 and older, and a complete exemption from ad valorem taxes at 100 percent permanent and total. All of it stacks with the standard homestead exemption and its 3 percent cap on assessment increases. Each exemption has its own conditions under Florida law, and the county property appraiser confirms what you qualify for.
You apply with the county property appraiser after closing. We estimate the escrow with the exemption you qualify for, so the payment you are approved on is the one you will actually pay, and the same rating that earns it usually waives the VA funding fee.
Pensacola to Key West
VA loans closed at a Florida title company near you, or by remote online notarization.
Six Florida details on a VA file.
The VA rules are national. These are the parts that are particular to Florida.
01
Termite inspection
The VA requires a wood-destroying insect inspection on homes in Florida, and the report has to be clear or the damage treated before closing. The seller often pays for it, and it can be negotiated.
02
Insurance in the residual income test
VA underwriting checks what you have left after the payment. Florida homeowners and flood premiums are escrowed into that payment, so an insurance quote early on tells us where your file stands.
03
Doc stamps and intangible tax
$0.35 per $100 of the loan on the note and 0.2 percent of the loan as intangible tax, on purchases and refinances. A VA loan is not exempt; the seller may pay them as ordinary closing costs, separate from the 4 percent cap the VA places on concessions such as prepaids and the funding fee.
04
Condos need VA approval
A condo must be on the VA’s approved list before you can use the benefit on it. Florida’s reserve and inspection laws have made approval harder for older coastal buildings; we check the building first.
05
Disabled veteran exemptions
Apply with the county property appraiser after closing: $5,000 off assessed value from a 10 percent rating, a full ad valorem exemption at 100 percent permanent and total, and homestead on top of either. The savings can run to thousands a year.
06
Buying near base
Homes around MacDill, Jacksonville, Mayport, Pensacola, Eglin and Patrick change hands often between service members. VA appraisals there are routine, and the funding fee is charged once per loan, not per move.
What would a VA payment be in Florida?
Choose VA as the loan type and set the down payment to zero. The mortgage insurance line stays at zero, which no other loan can match; add your county tax rate and a realistic Florida insurance figure to see the whole payment.
The U.S. VA market right now.
National average rates from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis FRED database: the Freddie Mac survey for conventional and the Optimal Blue indices for FHA and VA, shown as third-party market benchmarks, not MortgagePros pricing. VA loans often price competitively against conventional loans, depending on the borrower, lender and market, and there is no monthly mortgage insurance in the payment, so compare the whole payment rather than the rate alone.
VA 30-year fixed, U.S. average
7.09%
Conventional 30-year fixed, U.S. average
7.40%
FHA 30-year fixed, U.S. average
7.18%
Sources: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (conventional, 30-year national average, week of Oct 8, 2026) and Optimal Blue Mortgage Market Indices (FHA and VA, 30-year national averages as of Oct 8, 2026), distributed through FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; the figures and dates refresh automatically from the source. These are third-party market benchmarks, not MortgagePros rates and not an offer of credit. Your rate and APR depend on your credit, loan type, property and lock date. MortgagePros is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Department of Veterans Affairs or any government agency.
How a VA loan works with us in Florida.
Four steps, one licensed pro who closes VA loans every week, and a Florida closing near you.
1
Eligibility and the COE
We pull your Certificate of Eligibility, confirm your entitlement, and check whether you are exempt from the funding fee and qualify for the Florida property tax exemption.
2
Pre-approval with real numbers
Income, credit and residual income verified, with Florida insurance and taxes in the payment.
3
Property and building checks
Termite inspection ordered, condo approval confirmed, and likely appraisal items flagged, so the VA appraisal does not surprise anyone.
4
Close in Florida
At a title company near you, with a mobile notary, or by remote online notarization. The funding fee, if any, and Florida’s taxes are on the closing statement exactly as quoted.
Ready to use your VA benefit in Florida?
A Florida-licensed pro confirms your eligibility, your funding fee and any exemption, and quotes your rate with insurance and taxes in the numbers. Free, and it starts without a hard credit pull.
VA in Florida, answered.
The questions Florida veterans ask us most. If yours is not here, a licensed pro will answer it directly, with no obligation.
Is there a VA loan limit in Florida?
Not if you have full entitlement: the VA guarantees a quarter of any loan amount a lender will approve, so a $900,000 home in Naples can be financed with nothing down. If you have used part of your entitlement on another home you still own, a county limit applies to the remainder and a down payment may be needed; we work it out from your Certificate of Eligibility.
How much is the funding fee, and can I avoid it?
2.15 percent of the loan on first use with nothing down, 3.3 percent on later uses, 1.5 percent with 5 percent down and 1.25 percent with 10 percent down; 0.5 percent on an IRRRL. It is waived if you receive VA disability compensation, are eligible for it but take retirement pay instead, received a Purple Heart on active duty, or are a surviving spouse receiving DIC. The fee is usually financed into the loan.
What property tax breaks do disabled veterans get in Florida?
A $5,000 exemption from assessed value with a service-connected disability of 10 percent or more; a discount for combat-related disability for veterans 65 and older; and a full exemption from ad valorem property taxes with a 100 percent permanent and total rating. All stack with the regular homestead exemption. You apply with the county property appraiser after closing.
Does the VA require a termite inspection in Florida?
Yes. Florida is one of the states where the VA requires a wood-destroying insect inspection on the home, with any active infestation or damage treated before closing. The seller often pays for the inspection, and either party can pay for treatment by agreement.
Do I have to come to Michigan?
No. Your licensed pro handles everything by phone, email and e-signature, pulls your Certificate of Eligibility for you, and the closing is at a Florida title company near you, with a mobile notary, or by remote online notarization.
Talk to a Florida-licensed pro about VA loans.
Tell us what you are looking to do and where in Florida. A licensed pro will call back, usually the same business day. Asking does not start a loan or require a hard credit pull.
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880 W. Long Lake Rd, Suite 300
Troy, Michigan 48098, just off I-75. Free parking.
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