Did you know you may be eligible for a zero-down loan without any maximum limit if you are a veteran or military service member in Texas? In 2020, the VA eliminated all limits for VA loans in Texas VA loans for most borrowers. This means that first-time VA homebuyers and those with full entitlements can borrow as much money as the lenders will allow. The amount of your Texas VA home loan will now depend more on your financial status than the local housing market. VA loan limits are also still available for homebuyers with VA loans or partial entitlement. You may qualify if you are one of the 1,453,450 veterans living in Texas, active-duty servicemember or eligible surviving spouse of a military member.

There’s no Texas VA loan limits in 2022 for those with full entitlement

The Department of Veterans Affairs eliminated TX VA home loan limits for fully-qualified borrowers in 2020. That means you can borrow more because you don’t have to worry about finding a house within your local limits. As such, VA home loans now have increased appeal since removing the loan limit requirement. This is especially true when compared to other government mortgage loans. FHA loans, also government-backed, have loan limitations that are based on local housing prices. In most areas across the country, the FHA limit for 2022 is $420,680. Loan limits also apply to conforming conventional mortgages, which are insured by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac rather than a government agency. All that being said, it’s important to remember that just because qualified applicants don’t have to meet any VA loan limit in Texas doesn’t mean that you can purchase a home at any price.

Lenders now decide how much loan you can afford

Your ability to repay the loan now depends on on the private mortgage lender that issues your VA-backed loan. Along with some general VA loan requirements, the lender will consider several factors.

  • Applicant Credit Score: VA borrowers usually need to have a credit score of 620 or better, although some lenders are rumored to lend down to a 580 from time to time. Additionally, Texas VA loan rates often depend on an applicant’s credit score.
  • Income: Lenders will verify your income for the past 2 years to ensure you are earning enough to pay your monthly mortgage payment. VA loans employ two methods of evaluating applicant income to determine how much mortgage they can afford, known as the Debt-to-Income Ratio and the Residual Income method. Of course, you should be asking yourself how much mortgage can I afford before applying for any home loan.
  • Applicant Debt-To Income Ratio (DTI): Your debt-to-income ratio compares your monthly debt payments to your monthly income. VA even allows the lender to approve them at a higher DTI if they have other compensating factors. While there’s no limit on VA loan programs for 2022, its ultimately up to your lender and your personal circumstances to determine how much you can borrow.

You can search for an approved VA lender in Texas, including in the following cities and towns here:

Abilene, Addison, Alamo, Alamo Heights, Aldine, Aledo, Alice, Allen, Alpine, Alton, Alvin, Amarillo, Andrews, Angleton, Anna, Anthony, Aransas Pass, Arlington, Atascocita, Athens, Atlanta, Aubrey, Austin, Azle, Bacliff, Balch Springs, Bastrop, Bay City, Baytown, Beaumont, Bedford, Bee Cave, Beeville, Bellaire, Bellmead, Belton, Benbrook, Big Spring, Boerne, Bonham, Borger, Bowie, Brady, Breckenridge, Brenham, Briar, Bridge City, Bridgeport, Brookshire, Brownfield, Brownsville, Brownwood, Brushy Creek, Bryan, Buda, Bulverde, Burkburnett, Burleson, Burnet, Cameron, Cameron Park, Camp Swift, Canutillo, Canyon, Canyon Lake, Carrizo Springs, Carrollton, Carthage, Cedar Hill, Cedar Park, Celina, Center, Channelview, Childress, Cibolo, Cinco Ranch, Cleburne, Cleveland, Cloverleaf, Clute, College Station, Colleyville, Commerce, Conroe, Converse, Coppell, Copperas Cove, Corinth, Corpus Christi, Corsicana, Crockett, Crowley, Crystal City, Cuero, Dalhart, Dallas, Dayton, Decatur, Deer Park, Del Rio, Denison, Denton, DeSoto, Diboll, Dickinson, Doffing, Donna, Dripping Springs, Dumas, Duncanville, Eagle Pass, Edinburg, Edna, Eidson Road, El Campo, Elgin, El Paso, Elsa, Ennis, Euless, Everman, Fabens, Fair Oaks Ranch, Fairview, Farmers Branch, Fate, Floresville, Flower Mound, Forest Hill, Forney, Fort Bliss, Fort Hood, Fort Stockton, Fort Worth, Four Corners, Fredericksburg, Freeport, Fresno, Friendswood, Frisco, Fulshear, Gainesville, Galena Park, Galveston, Garland, Gatesville, Georgetown, Giddings, Gilmer, Gladewater, Glenn Heights, Gonzales, Graham, Granbury, Grand Prairie, Granite Shoals, Grapevine, Greenville, Groves, Gun Barrel City, Haltom City, Harker Heights, Harlingen, Heath, Helotes, Hempstead, Henderson, Hereford, Hewitt, Hidalgo, Highland Park, Highlands, Highland Village, Hillsboro, Hitchcock, Homestead Meadows North, Homestead Meadows South, Hondo, Horizon City, Hornsby Bend, Houston, Hudson, Humble, Huntsville, Hurst, Hutchins, Hutto, Ingleside, Iowa Park, Irving, Jacinto City, Jacksonville, Jasper, Jersey Village, Joshua, Katy, Kaufman, Keene, Keller, Kennedale, Kermit, Kerrville, Kilgore, Killeen, Kingsland, Kingsville, Kirby, Krum, Kyle, Lackland AFB, Lacy-Lakeview, La Feria, Lago Vista, La Homa, Lake Dallas, Lakehills, Lake Jackson, Lakeway, La Marque, Lamesa, Lampasas, Lancaster, Lantana, La Porte, Laredo, League City, Leander, Leon Valley, Levelland, Lewisville, Liberty, Lindale, Little Elm, Littlefield, Live Oak, Livingston, Lockhart, Longview, Los Fresnos, Lubbock, Lucas, Lufkin, Luling, Lumberton, Manor, Mansfield, Manvel, Marble Falls, Marlin, Marshall, McAllen, McGregor, McKinney, Melissa, Mercedes, Mesquite, Mexia, Midland, Midlothian, Mila Doce, Mineral Wells, Mission, Mission Bend, Missouri City, Monahans, Mont Belvieu, Mount Pleasant, Murillo, Murphy, Nacogdoches, Navasota, Nederland, New Braunfels, Nolanville, North Richland Hills, Oak Point, Odessa, Olivarez, Orange, Palestine, Palmview, Palmview South, Paloma Creek South, Pampa, Paris, Parker, Pasadena, Pearland, Pearsall, Pecan Acres, Pecan Grove, Pecan Plantation, Pecos, Perryton, Pflugerville, Pharr, Pinehurst, Plainview, Plano, Pleasanton, Port Arthur, Port Isabel, Portland, Port Lavaca, Port Neches, Post, Prairie View, Primera, Princeton, Progreso, Prosper, Providence Village, Raymondville, Red Oak, Rendon, Richardson, Richland Hills, Richmond, Rio Grande City, River Oaks, Roanoke, Robinson, Robstown, Rockdale, Rockport, Rockwall, Roma, Rosenberg, Round Rock, Rowlett, Royse City, Rusk, Sachse, Saginaw, San Angelo, San Antonio, San Benito, San Elizario, Sanger, San Juan, San Leon, San Marcos, Sansom Park, Santa Fe, Savannah, Scenic Oaks, Schertz, Seabrook, Seagoville, Sealy, Seguin, Selma, Seminole, Sherman, Silsbee, Sinton, Slaton, Snyder, Socorro, South Houston, Southlake, Spring, Stafford, Stephenville, Sugar Land, Sulphur Springs, Sunnyvale, Sweetwater, Taylor, Temple, Terrell, Terrell Hills, Texarkana, Texas City, The Colony, The Woodlands, Timberwood Park, Tomball, Trophy Club, Tyler, Universal City, University Park, Uvalde, Vernon, Victoria, Vidor, Waco, Wake Village, Watauga, Waxahachie, Weatherford, Webster, Wells Branch, Weslaco, West Livingston, West Odessa, West University Place, Wharton, Whitehouse, White Oak, White Settlement, Wichita Falls, Willis, Willow Park, Wilmer, Windcrest, Wolfforth, Woodway, Wylie, Yoakum, Zapata

How do I determine my entitlement level?

The VA Certificate of Eligibility, or COE, is what informs lenders of an applicant’s eligibility for a VA loan. It also indicates your level of entitlement. The COE helps the VA and your lender to communicate. Your COE may not make much sense at first glance. As an example, if a COE reflects a basic entitlement of $36,000, that number shows how much loan insurance the VA offers through the VA guarantee, rather than your potential borrowing potential. This VA insurance reduces the risk for the lender and eliminates the need to make a down payment or monthly mortgage insurance payments. The VA covers 25% of the amount you borrow on your home loan, regardless of how much it is approved by the lender. You may also want to refer to a VA loan calculator to help figure out your entitlement and potential borrowing power.

What does full entitlement refer to?

The maximum VA home loan benefits you’re eligible for is known as full entitlement. If you’re a first-time home buyer or it’s you’re first time using a VA loan, you’re likely to have a full entitlement. If you’ve used your VA benefits before, you may still be eligible for a full entitlement if the loan is fully repaid and your benefit is restored. Otherwise, you may be a borrowers that’s eligible for partial entitlement. That may be the case for someone who used an Texas VA loan to purchase a home a few years back and is still paying that loan off. With a partial entitlement, an applicant may still be eligible for a VA loan but the mortgage must not exceed their local max loan amount for VA financing. There are other caveats that may apply related to your VA home loan entitlement eligibility. As an example, current VA loan holders or former borrowers who have been foreclosed will not be eligible for their full entitlement. You won’t get your full entitlement if you’ve short-sold a VA-backed loan which the VA had to reimburse. In fact, if you’ve had a foreclosure or short-sale in your past, you might not be eligible to receive another VA loan at all.

What is the maximum amount I can borrow if I have partial eligibility?

Since 2020, specific TX VA loan limits only apply to partial entitlement. Those mortgage limits are identical to the conventional conforming loan limit for a particular area. Conventional loan limits are set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) each year. The loan limits will depend on where you live and the property you purchase. They are determined based on local home prices. This FHFA map will show you the loan limits for your county. It’s not difficult to determine your county’s loan limit. However, it can be complicated to calculate how this limit will affect your home loan. To determine if you will need a downpayment on the VA loan, lenders use a complex equation. You can read our guide on buying an additional house with a VA loan. Talk to a VA lender if you only want to find out how much house you could afford using a VA loan. In just a few minutes, they can calculate your home’s potential price and look up your COE.

Texas VA Home Loan Limits 2022 Map (for partial eligibility applicants)

Texas VA County Loan Limits 2022 (for partial eligibility applicants)

County Name
Limit
ANDERSON$424,100
ANDREWS$424,100
ANGELINA$424,100
ARANSAS$424,100
ARCHER$424,100
ARMSTRONG$424,100
ATASCOSA$424,100
AUSTIN$424,100
BAILEY$424,100
BANDERA$424,100
BASTROP$424,100
BAYLOR$424,100
BEE$424,100
BELL$424,100
BEXAR$424,100
BLANCO$424,100
BORDEN$424,100
BOSQUE$424,100
BOWIE$424,100
BRAZORIA$424,100
BRAZOS$424,100
BREWSTER$424,100
BRISCOE$424,100
BROOKS$424,100
BROWN$424,100
BURLESON$424,100
BURNET$424,100
CALDWELL$424,100
CALHOUN$424,100
CALLAHAN$424,100
CAMERON$424,100
CAMP$424,100
CARSON$424,100
CASS$424,100
CASTRO$424,100
CHAMBERS$424,100
CHEROKEE$424,100
CHILDRESS$424,100
CLAY$424,100
COCHRAN$424,100
COKE$424,100
COLEMAN$424,100
COLLIN$424,100
COLLINGSWORTH$424,100
COLORADO$424,100
COMAL$424,100
COMANCHE$424,100
CONCHO$424,100
COOKE$424,100
CORYELL$424,100
COTTLE$424,100
CRANE$424,100
CROCKETT$424,100
CROSBY$424,100
CULBERSON$424,100
DALLAM$424,100
DALLAS$424,100
DAWSON$424,100
DE WITT$424,100
DEAF SMITH$424,100
DELTA$424,100
DENTON$424,100
DICKENS$424,100
DIMMIT$424,100
DONLEY$424,100
DUVAL$424,100
EASTLAND$424,100
ECTOR$424,100
EDWARDS$424,100
EL PASO$424,100
ELLIS$424,100
ERATH$424,100
FALLS$424,100
FANNIN$424,100
FAYETTE$424,100
FISHER$424,100
FLOYD$424,100
FOARD$424,100
FORT BEND$424,100
FRANKLIN$424,100
FREESTONE$424,100
FRIO$424,100
GAINES$424,100
GALVESTON$424,100
GARZA$424,100
GILLESPIE$424,100
GLASSCOCK$424,100
GOLIAD$424,100
GONZALES$424,100
GRAY$424,100
GRAYSON$424,100
GREGG$424,100
GRIMES$424,100
GUADALUPE$424,100
HALE$424,100
HALL$424,100
HAMILTON$424,100
HANSFORD$424,100
HARDEMAN$424,100
HARDIN$424,100
HARRIS$424,100
HARRISON$424,100
HARTLEY$424,100
HASKELL$424,100
HAYS$424,100
HEMPHILL$424,100
HENDERSON$424,100
HIDALGO$424,100
HILL$424,100
HOCKLEY$424,100
HOOD$424,100
HOPKINS$424,100
HOUSTON$424,100
HOWARD$424,100
HUDSPETH$424,100
HUNT$424,100
HUTCHINSON$424,100
IRION$424,100
JACK$424,100
JACKSON$424,100
JASPER$424,100
JEFF DAVIS$424,100
JEFFERSON$424,100
JIM HOGG$424,100
JIM WELLS$424,100
JOHNSON$424,100
JONES$424,100
KARNES$424,100
KAUFMAN$424,100
KENDALL$424,100
KENEDY$424,100
KENT$424,100
KERR$424,100
KIMBLE$424,100
KING$424,100
KINNEY$424,100
KLEBERG$424,100
KNOX$424,100
LA SALLE$424,100
LAMAR$424,100
LAMB$424,100
LAMPASAS$424,100
LAVACA$424,100
LEE$424,100
LEON$424,100
LIBERTY$424,100
LIMESTONE$424,100
LIPSCOMB$424,100
LIVE OAK$424,100
LLANO$424,100
LOVING$424,100
LUBBOCK$424,100
LYNN$424,100
MADISON$424,100
MARION$424,100
MARTIN$424,100
MASON$424,100
MATAGORDA$424,100
MAVERICK$424,100
MCCULLOCH$424,100
MCLENNAN$424,100
MCMULLEN$424,100
MEDINA$424,100
MENARD$424,100
MIDLAND$424,100
MILAM$424,100
MILLS$424,100
MITCHELL$424,100
MONTAGUE$424,100
MONTGOMERY$424,100
MOORE$424,100
MORRIS$424,100
MOTLEY$424,100
NACOGDOCHES$424,100
NAVARRO$424,100
NEWTON$424,100
NOLAN$424,100
NUECES$424,100
OCHILTREE$424,100
OLDHAM$424,100
ORANGE$424,100
PALO PINTO$424,100
PANOLA$424,100
PARKER$424,100
PARMER$424,100
PECOS$424,100
POLK$424,100
POTTER$424,100
PRESIDIO$424,100
RAINS$424,100
RANDALL$424,100
REAGAN$424,100
REAL$424,100
RED RIVER$424,100
REEVES$424,100
REFUGIO$424,100
ROBERTS$424,100
ROBERTSON$424,100
ROCKWALL$424,100
RUNNELS$424,100
RUSK$424,100
SABINE$424,100
SAN AUGUSTINE$424,100
SAN JACINTO$424,100
SAN PATRICIO$424,100
SAN SABA$424,100
SCHLEICHER$424,100
SCURRY$424,100
SHACKELFORD$424,100
SHELBY$424,100
SHERMAN$424,100
SMITH$424,100
SOMERVELL$424,100
STARR$424,100
STEPHENS$424,100
STERLING$424,100
STONEWALL$424,100
SUTTON$424,100
SWISHER$424,100
TARRANT$424,100
TAYLOR$424,100
TERRELL$424,100
TERRY$424,100
THROCKMORTON$424,100
TITUS$424,100
TOM GREEN$424,100
TRAVIS$424,100
TRINITY$424,100
TYLER$424,100
UPSHUR$424,100
UPTON$424,100
UVALDE$424,100
VAL VERDE$424,100
VAN ZANDT$424,100
VICTORIA$424,100
WALKER$424,100
WALLER$424,100
WARD$424,100
WASHINGTON$424,100
WEBB$424,100
WHARTON$424,100
WHEELER$424,100
WICHITA$424,100
WILBARGER$424,100
WILLACY$424,100
WILLIAMSON$424,100
WILSON$424,100
WINKLER$424,100
WISE$424,100
WOOD$424,100
YOAKUM$424,100
YOUNG$424,100
ZAPATA$424,100
ZAVALA$424,100

VA Loan FAQs

Can closing costs be included in a VA Loan?

If you don’t have enough funds to cover closing costs on your new home, you can include certain costs in your VA loan. You also have the option to roll your funding fee into your total mortgage amount. As for the fees that can’t be rolled into your mortgage per VA loan qualifications, you may still be eligible for seller or lender concessions that will lower the upfront cash cost.

What are the closing costs for a VA loan?

Borrowers generally pay different closing costs depending on where they live and the particulars of their transaction you have. Closing costs are often within the range of 3% and 5% of the total mortgage amount.

Who pays the closing costs of a VA loan?

The closing costs of a VA loan are generally split between the seller and buyer, however the seller costs must not exceed 4% of the total loan amount. The seller’s share usually includes the commission for real estate agents.

You, as the buyer, are responsible for the VA funding fee, origination fee and discount points, VA appraisal fee, title fees, and other costs, some of which can be financed. Fortunately, VA home loan requirements establish limitations on costs for home buyers, and also help you keep costs down by limiting the origination fee.

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