VA Home Loans in Georgia
Fort Moore, Fort Eisenhower, Fort Stewart, Robins, Moody, Kings Bay and Hunter: Georgia is a military state, with more than 600,000 veterans, and a VA loan is one of the most valuable benefits most of them can use. Nothing down, no monthly mortgage insurance, and a Georgia lender who closes VA loans every week.
Georgia Mortgage Lender License/Registration, NMLS #1925352.
VA in Georgia, 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
Disabled veteran homestead exemption
$126,526 off assessed value (2026)
Closing
Georgia attorney, as state law requires
$0
Down payment with full entitlement
0.5%
Funding fee on an IRRRL streamline
$126,526
2026 Georgia homestead exemption for 100% disabled veterans
159
Georgia counties, licensed statewide
Why a VA loan is the right first question for a Georgia veteran.
Columbus, Augusta, Hinesville, Warner Robins, Valdosta, St. Marys and Savannah all have housing markets shaped by the bases beside them, and metro Atlanta has one of the largest veteran populations of any city in the country. A VA loan lets a Georgia veteran buy with nothing down and no monthly mortgage insurance, often at a competitive rate compared with conventional financing, on a home anywhere from a Columbus starter to a $700,000 house in Alpharetta, because there is no loan limit with full entitlement.
Georgia adds its own layers. The closing is conducted by a Georgia attorney. The state’s intangible recording tax, $1.50 per $500 borrowed, applies to a VA loan like any other. The VA requires a wood-destroying insect inspection on Georgia homes. And after closing, Georgia gives veterans with a 100 percent rating, or compensated at that rate for unemployability, a homestead exemption of $126,526 off assessed value for 2026, indexed every year, which can remove most of the property tax bill.
This page covers the VA program as it works in Georgia. For the state as a whole, see our Georgia page; for the benefit itself in depth, see the VA hub. If you are comparing, FHA in Georgia is the usual alternative, and for a veteran it is often the more expensive one.
Three ways to use the benefit in Georgia.
Buying, dropping the rate on a VA loan you already have, or pulling equity out. The funding fee differs for each, and Georgia’s intangible tax applies to all three.
Buying
VA purchase
Nothing down with full entitlement and no loan limit. The funding fee is 2.15 percent on first use or 3.3 percent after, financed into the loan and waived for veterans receiving disability compensation. Sellers can pay your closing costs, including the Georgia attorney fee and intangible tax; items the VA counts as concessions, such as prepaids and the funding fee, are capped at 4 percent of the loan.
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. Georgia charges the intangible tax again on the new loan and the closing runs through an attorney, so we put both in the break-even 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. Georgia veterans use it to clear debt, renovate, or move from an FHA loan and drop the mortgage insurance for good.
The funding fee, and what applies in Georgia.
The fee is set by federal law and fixed through November 2031. The last column is what a Georgia veteran should know about each row.
| Your situation | First use | Subsequent use | In Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|
| No down payment | 2.15% of the loan | 3.3% of the loan | The seller can pay the attorney fee and intangible tax as 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 intangible tax, which is $1.50 per $500 of the loan |
| 10% or more down | 1.25% | 1.25% | Rarely worth it; the tax saving is small and VA charges no mortgage insurance anyway |
| IRRRL streamline refinance | 0.5% | 0.5% | Intangible tax applies to the new loan; the closing attorney’s fee is the other cost |
| Exempt | Receiving VA disability compensation, or eligible and taking retirement pay instead; Purple Heart recipients on active duty; surviving spouses receiving DIC | Same | The same rating that waives the fee usually qualifies you for Georgia’s disabled veteran homestead exemption after closing |
Lenders set credit and income rules; the VA sets none. Most want a 580 to 620 score and residual income after the payment. Georgia property taxes, billed in arrears, and any HOA dues go into that payment.
Georgia’s homestead exemption for disabled veterans.
Veterans rated 100 percent service-connected, or compensated at the 100 percent rate for individual unemployability, receive a Georgia homestead exemption that removes $126,526 of assessed value for 2026, a figure indexed every year. It applies to state, county, school and municipal taxes on the home you live in, and it passes to an unremarried surviving spouse. The amount and the eligibility rules are set by Georgia law and change each year; the county tax commissioner confirms the current figure.
You apply with the county tax office after closing. We estimate your escrow with the exemption you qualify for, so the approved payment is the real one, and the same rating that earns it usually waives the VA funding fee.
Columbus to Savannah
VA loans closed at a Georgia attorney’s office near you, wherever in the state the home is.
Six Georgia details on a VA file.
The VA rules are national. These are the parts that are particular to Georgia.
01
Attorney closing
Georgia law requires a Georgia attorney to conduct the closing and disburse the funds. You choose the attorney and pay the fee, usually $500 to $1,500, unless the seller pays it, which the VA allows for ordinary closing costs.
02
Termite inspection
The VA requires a wood-destroying insect inspection on homes in Georgia, with any active infestation or damage treated before closing. The seller commonly pays for the inspection.
03
The intangible tax
$1.50 per $500 of the loan, paid by the borrower, capped at $25,000. A VA loan is not exempt, and an IRRRL pays it again on the new loan. On a $350,000 loan it is $1,050.
04
Disabled veteran homestead exemption
For veterans rated 100 percent or compensated at that rate for unemployability: $126,526 off assessed value for 2026, indexed annually, applied for with the county tax office and passing to a surviving spouse. It stacks with the standard homestead exemption.
05
Condos need VA approval
A condo must be on the VA’s approved list before you can use the benefit on it. Most established metro Atlanta buildings are; we confirm before you offer.
06
Buying near base
Homes around Fort Moore, Fort Eisenhower, Fort Stewart, Robins and Kings Bay change hands often between service members, and lenders and appraisers there see VA loans every day. The funding fee is charged once per loan, not per move.
What would a VA payment be in Georgia?
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 insurance 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 Georgia.
Four steps, one licensed pro who closes VA loans every week, and a closing at a Georgia attorney’s office 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 Georgia homestead exemption.
2
Pre-approval with real numbers
Income, credit and residual income verified, with Georgia taxes, insurance, HOA dues and the intangible tax already in the estimate.
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 with your attorney
Signing happens at a Georgia closing attorney’s office near you. We coordinate the closing package and the wire; the funding fee, if any, and the intangible tax are on the statement exactly as quoted.
Ready to use your VA benefit in Georgia?
A licensed pro confirms your eligibility, your funding fee and any exemption, and quotes your rate with Georgia’s taxes and attorney fee in the numbers. Free, and it starts without a hard credit pull.
VA in Georgia, answered.
The questions Georgia 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 Georgia?
Not if you have full entitlement: the VA guarantees a quarter of any loan amount a lender will approve, so a $750,000 home in Milton can be financed with nothing down. If part of your entitlement is tied up in another home you still own, the county conforming limit of $832,750 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. It is usually financed into the loan.
What is Georgia’s homestead exemption for disabled veterans?
Veterans rated 100 percent service-connected, or compensated at the 100 percent rate for individual unemployability, receive a homestead exemption that removes $126,526 of assessed value for 2026, a figure indexed each year. It applies to state, county, school and municipal taxes on the home you live in and passes to an unremarried surviving spouse. You apply with your county tax office after closing.
Does the VA require a termite inspection in Georgia?
Yes. Georgia 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 commonly pays for the inspection.
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 happens in Georgia at your attorney’s office, as Georgia law requires.
Talk to a Georgia-licensed pro about VA loans.
Tell us what you are looking to do and where in Georgia. 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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248-416-1361
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880 W. Long Lake Rd, Suite 300
Troy, Michigan 48098, just off I-75. Free parking.
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