Texas VA Loans. Done right, the first time.

Program figures verified July 2026 — details change; confirm your scenario with us.

Mike Certo · Cornerstone First Mortgage · NMLS #260555 · Updated August 17, 2026

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Texas VA loan specialists — for Veterans at every stage. Retired and settling into your forever home, or twenty years past service and using your benefit for the first time? PCS to Fort Hood or Fort Bliss in 60 days? Disabled Veteran trying to claim the new 2026 property tax exemption? VA-specific questions that civilian loan officers fumble through? We do this every day. Direct line: (480) 296-6513.

Get pre-approved → Talk to Mike first →

What makes a VA loan different

A Texas VA loan is not a separate product; it is a conventional 30-year fixed (or 15-year, or ARM) mortgage with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs guaranteeing 25% of it to the lender. That guarantee is what lets a lender extend the features below to a buyer in Killeen, El Paso, or a Houston suburb. It is also a lifetime benefit: whether you separated last month out of Fort Cavazos or back in 1985, your eligibility never expires.

• $0 down payment for Texas borrowers with full entitlement
• No PMI (private mortgage insurance): the VA guarantee replaces it
• Competitive interest terms relative to conventional 30-year financing
• Lenient credit standards: most lenders accept 580+ FICO; some go lower
• No prepayment penalty
• Assumable: a qualified buyer can take over your VA loan at its original terms, a real edge in hot Austin and Dallas markets
• VA funding fee: a one-time fee (1.25% to 3.30% of loan amount, depending on down payment and use) that goes to the VA, waived entirely for Texas Veterans with a 10%+ disability rating.

The VA layers on a few requirements no conventional loan asks for:

• Certificate of Eligibility (COE): proof of VA loan eligibility, which Mike pulls for Fort Bliss and JBSA buyers in 24-48 hours.
• Minimum Property Requirements (MPR): VA appraisers flag health and safety issues, and Texas MPR pitfalls skew local: foundation movement on North Texas clay soils, wood-destroying-insect (termite) reports, aging pier-and-beam foundations, and Gulf Coast wind and flood exposure near Corpus Christi. See the base pages for detail.
• Residual income guideline: the VA's secondary check beyond DTI, confirming a Texas family has enough left after monthly bills to cover the basics. For most Killeen and San Antonio households it is easy; for a stretch El Paso borrower it can be the deciding back-stop.

Full eligibility breakdown →

What's new in 2026

Three things changed in 2026 that affect every Texas VA buyer — covered with the local depth we bring to every file: base-by-base markets, county tax math, and the state programs that pair with a VA loan.

1. School-tax homestead exemption jumped to $140,000 (approved Nov 2025)

Texas voters approved Proposition 13, raising the school-district homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000 (a combined $200,000 for homeowners 65+ or disabled, via Proposition 11). Every Texas homestead sees it on the 2026 bill, and it stacks with the disabled-Veteran exemptions.

For disabled Veterans the bigger lever is unchanged: Tax Code §11.131 still wipes out property tax entirely for 100%-rated (or individually unemployable) Veterans, and §11.22 takes $5,000–$12,000 off assessed value for ratings of 10–90%. On a $475K home in Harker Heights, the full exemption is worth roughly $9,500 per year. Full pillar with county-by-county application instructions →

2. Houston BAH dropped 5.1%; San Antonio BAH jumped 8.5%

The 2026 DoD BAH adjustments cut Houston MHA rates and bumped San Antonio MHA rates. Why: the BAH survey caught Houston-area rent softening as new apartment supply came online, while San Antonio's modest housing stock kept rent pressure intact.

Practical implications: Fort Hood families have less BAH headroom for 2026, but home prices stabilized too, so the rent-vs-buy math actually got better for buyers. JBSA families have one of the more favorable BAH years on record.

3. 2026 VA conforming loan limit raised to $832,750 statewide

Normal VA loans follow conventional limits — $832,750 in 2026 in every Texas county. What matters more: a Veteran with full entitlement can finance any priced home with $0 down using a VA jumbo. We finance VA jumbo loans over $5M for full-entitlement Veterans with no money down. Full loan limits guide →

What we do

We run the full VA loan menu across every Texas market, from the base towns to the big metros:

• Purchase loans: active-duty, retired, and surviving-spouse buyers near Fort Cavazos, Fort Bliss, Sheppard AFB, and JBSA, $0 down standard with the funding fee waived at a 10%+ disability rating.
• VA jumbo: loans above the $832,750 conforming figure for full-entitlement borrowers, which come up most in Austin, the Dallas suburbs, and pricier Houston neighborhoods.
• IRRRL (Interest Rate Reduction Refinance): the VA streamline refi, with no income docs, no appraisal, and no funding fee for disability-waiver Veterans, handy when the market shifts or to shed PMI from a non-VA loan on your Killeen home.
• Cash-out refi: pull equity for debt consolidation, home improvement, or cash, common after several years of strong San Antonio and DFW appreciation.
• Disability rating refunds: if your VA disability rating landed after closing on a Texas home, you may be owed a funding-fee refund, processed by the VA and your servicer, starting at va.gov's funding fee page.
• Surviving spouse loans: full VA benefits for qualifying surviving spouses statewide, and we handle the COE and entitlement paperwork.

For buyers without VA eligibility, such as a military spouse or a civilian buyer in El Paso or Houston, Mike also originates conventional and FHA loans through Cornerstone's full Texas product menu.

Pick your base

Not tied to a base? A large share of the Texas Veterans we work with are retired or long-separated, buying a forever home in the Hill Country, right-sizing near San Antonio, or using the benefit for the first time. Start with the retiring-in-Texas guide instead.

Every Texas base gets its own deep page. Not a paragraph, not a templated stub. Each runs 4,500-8,000 words on BAH by rank, a neighborhood-by-neighborhood breakdown, school districts like Harker Heights and Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City, commute by gate, on-base housing waitlist reality, local MPR pitfalls, and a 45-day PCS timeline. Start with Fort Cavazos in Killeen, the largest section and the model for the rest.

Tools

The BAH calculator actually accounts for TX summer utility reality. $300-$450 a month in July-August for a Houston home — built into your number, so the house you pick is one you can comfortably afford. Run your numbers →

• BAH Calculator — Pick your base, pick your rank, see what BAH actually covers (including TX summer utility reality).
• VA Loan Limits 2026 — County-by-county limits plus VA jumbo guidance.
• Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption (Tax Code §11.131) — Full pillar including county application instructions.
• Eligibility Guide — COE process, surviving spouse rules, reservist eligibility, entitlement restoration.

How we work

A few things that should be true of working with any lending team, and aren't always:

• Direct line, real human. Call (480) 296-6513 during business hours and you reach the person who owns your Texas file, usually Mike himself; off-hours the voicemail routes to the team. No call center, no rotating reps between you and your El Paso or Houston closing.
• No pressure, no script, no monthly check-in calls. We do not pitch products you never asked about, and we never sell your contact information. Once your San Antonio or Killeen loan closes, we are here for a future refi, not a week later.
• Honest about pricing. We quote your real number for your actual Texas scenario, never a teaser. If a competing offer genuinely beats ours and the math holds up, we will tell a Dallas or Austin buyer to take it.
• Documented. Every decision in your file leaves a paper trail. If underwriting gets strange on a Fort Bliss purchase, you will know exactly why and what we are doing about it.

Frequently asked questions

How much can I borrow with a VA loan in Texas?

With full entitlement there is no VA county loan limit anywhere in Texas, so your loan amount is set by what your income and credit support. The 2026 conforming figure is $832,750 in all 254 Texas counties, from Bexar to El Paso; anything above that is a VA jumbo, common in Austin and the Dallas suburbs.

Do you need a down payment for a VA loan in Texas?

No. Eligible Texas Veterans buy with $0 down and no monthly mortgage insurance, whether the home is in Killeen, Houston, or El Paso.

How do I know if I'm eligible for a VA loan in Texas?

Eligibility requires: (a) qualifying military service (active duty 90+ days during wartime, 181+ days during peacetime, or 6+ years in the Texas National Guard or Reserve); (b) an honorable or general-under-honorable discharge; (c) sufficient remaining entitlement. The Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is the official confirmation, and Mike pulls it for Fort Cavazos and JBSA clients in 24-48 hours. Full eligibility guide →

Can I use a VA loan more than once?

Yes. VA entitlement is restorable. Once you pay off a prior VA loan on a San Antonio or Killeen home, the entitlement comes back. If you keep an active VA loan and want a second at the same time, common for active-duty members who PCS across Texas but hold the first house as a rental, partial entitlement applies, and Mike walks through the math.

Do I need a 20% down payment?

No, that is the conventional rule, not the VA rule. With VA, $0 down is standard for a full-entitlement Texas Veteran. Some El Paso and Dallas buyers still put 5-10% down to trim the monthly payment or the funding fee, and Mike will model both scenarios for you.

What's a VA funding fee and is it waived for me?

The VA funding fee is a one-time fee (1.25%-3.30% of loan amount depending on down payment and whether it is your first VA use) that keeps the program self-funding. It is waived entirely for a Texas borrower with a 10% or higher VA disability rating. On a typical San Antonio or Houston purchase that is a $5K-$15K savings, and it stacks with the Texas homestead property-tax exemption for 100%-rated Veterans.

Can I use a VA loan to buy a second home or investment property?

No. VA loans require the property to be your primary residence, occupied within 60 days of closing, so a pure El Paso rental does not qualify. The exception is a 2-4 unit property where you live in one unit and rent the others, which VA still treats as a primary residence. For a straight Texas investment property, conventional or a Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR) loan applies.

Talk to Mike

If you have read this far, you probably know whether this Texas VA site fits your situation. The next move is a free 30-minute call about your Houston, San Antonio, or Fort Cavazos plans. No pressure, no script, no follow-up sales calls.

Bring your PCS orders if you have them, your latest LES or pay stub, and any questions about a base, a Killeen or El Paso neighborhood, or the path forward. Mike walks through the actual numbers with you.

(480) 296-6513 · mcerto@cfmtg.com · NMLS #260555

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Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. This site is educational and not a commitment to lend. Loans subject to buyer and property qualification. Texas lending is conducted under Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855.

Tax, legal, and property assessment information on this site (including property-tax exemption coverage and county-by-county application notes) is provided for general information purposes only. Mike Certo is a mortgage loan originator, not a tax professional or attorney. Consult a licensed Texas CPA, enrolled agent, or attorney for tax or legal advice specific to your situation. All cited statutes, agency forms, and program rules are linked to original sources for verification.