From the Blog
The VA Loan in 2026: What San Antonio Military Buyers Should Know
The 2026 VA loan limit is $832,750 in Bexar County, and veterans with full entitlement can borrow above it with zero down. The funding fee for a first-time purchase with less than 5% down is 2.15%, it is waived entirely for veterans with a service-connected disability rated 10% or higher, and there is no monthly mortgage insurance. Here is how the loan actually works for San Antonio buyers, and the fine print that matters.
The 2026 VA loan limit is $832,750 in Bexar County, and veterans with full entitlement can borrow above it with zero down. The funding fee for a first-time purchase with less than 5% down is 2.15%, it is waived entirely for veterans with a service-connected disability rated 10% or higher, and there is no monthly mortgage insurance. Here is how the loan actually works for San Antonio buyers, and the fine print that matters.
For the PCS side of the move, this is the video I send military families before they start looking.
On my channel: Nobody Warns Military Families About Moving to San Antonio TX
The 2026 numbers, straight up
The 2026 baseline VA loan limit for a one-unit home is $832,750 in most counties, up from $806,500 in 2025, and Bexar County is at that baseline. Since the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019, veterans with full entitlement, meaning first-time use or fully restored entitlement, face no VA loan limit at all: they can borrow as much as a lender approves with zero down. County limits only apply to borrowers with reduced entitlement, such as an active VA loan still on the books, and for them the zero-down ceiling is the county limit.
The funding fee, explained
The funding fee is a one-time charge that is financed into the loan rather than paid at closing, and it replaces monthly mortgage insurance. For purchases with less than 5% down, the fee is 2.15% for first-time use and 3.30% for subsequent use. It drops to 1.50% with 5% to 9.99% down and 1.25% with 10% or more down. It is waived entirely for veterans with a service-connected disability rated 10% or higher and for qualifying surviving spouses. On a $350,000 loan at 2.15%, the fee is about $7,525, financed into the loan.
What it saves you every month
The two big savings are zero down and no mortgage insurance. Skipping mortgage insurance saves roughly $150 to $250 a month compared with a conventional loan, and the zero-down feature preserves your savings for moving costs, furniture, and the inevitable surprises of a PCS. Seller concessions of up to 4% of the purchase price can cover closing costs and prepaids, which matters when you are also paying to move a household.
The fine print that matters
The property must pass a VA appraisal and meet minimum property requirements, which is a real quality check in your favor. The loan is assumable: a future buyer can take over your VA loan at its original rate, a genuine advantage in a 7% mortgage market when you sell. You will need your Certificate of Eligibility, and you want a lender who does VA loans every day, because the paperwork has quirks that generalist lenders fumble.
Layering San Antonio help on top
The VA loan stacks with local programs. TSAHC down payment assistance and the city's Homeownership Incentive Program can layer on top of a zero-down VA loan for eligible buyers, a combination most military families do not know exists. Check current eligibility before you assume the numbers are out of reach.
Written by Phyllis Domingo
REALTOR® · TX License 745926 · 100+ homes sold · Helping families move well in San Antonio and the Hill Country since long before the hard part became normal.
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