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For veterans, reservists and service members
San Bernardino VA Home Loans
A San Bernardino VA home loan with no down payment reaches almost every house in a city that was home to a major military airfield for more than fifty years. About 5,300 veterans live here, typical values are under $500,000, and VA carries no monthly mortgage insurance. The one county figure worth learning is the $832,750 limit, which only matters if you still have another VA loan open.
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From Norton Air Force Base to the Airport
Norton began in 1941 as a municipal airport under Army control and grew into an aircraft and jet engine repair center. It was selected for closure in 1988 and closed in March 1994, taking about 10,000 jobs with it, and local reporting has called the closure the largest single factor in the city’s economic decline. The 2,221-acre site is now San Bernardino International Airport and a logistics and business complex overseen by the Inland Valley Development Agency, whose redevelopment area covers about 13,000 acres around the former base.
The nearest active installation is March Air Reserve Base in Moreno Valley, about 20 miles south in Riverside County. Part of its regional economic impact falls in San Bernardino County, and for people who serve or work there, a home here is one option to weigh against the drive.
San Bernardino VA Home Loan Rates Today, With Conventional for Comparison
Priced for San Bernardino County, October 27, 2026
$506 lender credit See every option 30-year fixed 7.125% 7.192% APR P&I $4,312/mo on $640,000
0.125 points See every option 15-year fixed 6.375% 6.436% APR P&I $5,531/mo on $640,000
$800 lender credit See every option 30-year FHA 7.250% 7.324% APR P&I $4,366/mo on $640,000
0.187 points See every option 30-year jumbo 8.125% 8.209% APR P&I $8,910/mo on $1,200,000
0.322 points See every option
Par pricing for a single-family primary residence in San Bernardino County: 20% down, 30-year term unless noted, 780+ credit, 30-day lock, escrows included. Payments are principal and interest only; taxes and insurance add to them. Rates change through the day and are not a commitment to lend. Price your own San Bernardino scenario, no credit pull.
San Bernardino Market Facts for Veterans
Sources: Redfin (August 2026); Zillow neighborhood values (September 30, 2026); FHFA 2026 limits; VA loan limit guidance.
Every neighborhood value Zillow lists here sits under the county limit, so even a veteran with some entitlement still in use can often buy with little or nothing down. The competitive pace is the bigger hurdle, which favors a VA buyer who arrives fully pre-approved.
San Bernardino VA Home Loans Reach the Whole City
With full entitlement, meaning you have never used the benefit or you sold the home and paid that VA loan off, VA sets no loan limit. VA backs a quarter of the loan, and the lender decides the amount from your income, debts, credit and savings, capped at the price or the appraisal, whichever is lower. Here that is more than enough: a VA buyer can finance any typical home in the city with nothing down if the income supports the payment.
That matters when homes sell at about 100.1% of list. A conventional buyer stretching to 3% or 5% down has little cash left if an appraisal comes in under the price. A VA buyer who kept savings intact has room to cover that gap. The funding fee can be financed, so cash at closing is mostly the usual closing costs.
San Bernardino Neighborhoods for VA Buyers
North Park
Near Cal State San Bernardino at about $563,000.
Kendall and Cimmeron
About $534,000 and $544,000, single-family streets in the north of the city.
Verdemont and Ridgeline
Newer tract homes and foothill streets near $624,000 and $635,000. Check fire hazard maps and insurance early.
Hudson
About $500,000, right at the city’s typical value, where VA’s one-time funding fee is the cost to weigh against FHA’s upfront and monthly premiums.
A North Park Purchase Three Ways
Here is a $560,000 purchase three ways at a 700 score with today’s county pricing. The VA column has no monthly mortgage insurance, often the deciding difference at this price.
| $560,000 purchase, 700 credit | Conventional, 5% down | FHA, 3.5% down | VA, 0% down |
|---|---|---|---|
| Down payment | $28,000 | $19,600 | $0 |
| Loan amount | $532,000 | $549,857 with 1.75% upfront MIP | $572,040 with 2.15% funding fee |
| Today’s rate (APR) | 7.999% (8.079%) | 7.000% (7.066%) | 6.875% (6.946%) |
| Principal and interest | $3,903/mo | $3,658/mo | $3,758/mo |
| Mortgage insurance | $346/mo PMI | $248/mo MIP | None |
| Before taxes and insurance | $4,249/mo | $3,906/mo | $3,758/mo |
| Mortgage insurance ends | At 20% equity (can be removed) | Life of the loan with under 10% down | Never charged |
Property tax, insurance and HOA dues are not shown. The VA loan amount includes the 2.15% first-use funding fee and the FHA loan amount the 1.75% upfront premium.
A Second VA Loan and the Smaller County Figure
If an earlier VA loan is still open, for example on a house you now rent out, some entitlement is tied up in it. Remaining guaranty is 25% of the county’s one-unit limit minus the amount in use. San Bernardino County uses the national baseline of $832,750, so the starting figure is $208,188, lower than in coastal ceiling counties. The lender generally needs remaining guaranty and down payment together to equal a quarter of the new loan. Because prices are moderate, a buyer with a smaller amount in use can often still buy with nothing down.
| Entitlement already in use | Remaining guaranty | Largest loan with $0 down | Down payment on $500,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| None (full entitlement) | Full | No VA limit | $0 |
| $75,000 | $133,188 | $532,750 | $0 |
| $150,000 | $58,188 | $232,750 | $66,813 |
Remaining guaranty = 25% of the 2026 San Bernardino County one-unit limit ($832,750) minus entitlement in use. VA uses the one-unit figure for two- to four-unit homes as well.
Selling the earlier home and paying off its VA loan restores full entitlement. If you live in a home with equity, a San Bernardino HELOC can fund a down payment that closes the gap. Mike requests your Certificate of Eligibility first so the numbers are exact.
What the Funding Fee Costs on a $500,000 Home
VA charges a one-time funding fee instead of monthly mortgage insurance. With less than 5% down it is 2.15% for first use and 3.3% after; 5% down lowers it to 1.5%, and 10% down to 1.25%, for any use, rates in place since April 7, 2023. No fee applies if you receive compensation for a service-connected disability, are eligible but receive retirement or active-duty pay instead, are a surviving spouse receiving DIC, have a proposed or memorandum rating before closing, or are on active duty with a Purple Heart. A later award effective before closing may bring a refund.
| $500,000 purchase | Loan before the fee | First VA loan | Later VA loans |
|---|---|---|---|
| No down payment | $500,000 | 2.15%: $10,750 | 3.30%: $16,500 |
| 5% to 9.99% down | $475,000 | 1.50%: $7,125 | 1.50%: $7,125 |
| 10% or more down | $450,000 | 1.25%: $5,625 | 1.25%: $5,625 |
| VA disability compensation | No funding fee | ||
Funding fee rates in effect since April 7, 2023, and still current on VA’s site in October 2026.
San Bernardino VA Home Loan Requirements
- Eligibility. A Certificate of Eligibility from your service record.
- Occupancy. You must intend to live in the home, which rules out a VA-financed house bought purely as a rental. Investors can look at a DSCR loan; remember the city banned short-term rentals in 2026.
- Income. Residual income and debt ratios; documented housing allowance can count for service members, and reservists combine civilian and drill pay records.
- Property. A VA appraisal for value and minimum property requirements, which older central-city homes may need repairs to meet.
- Insurance. Coverage in force at closing.
Closing While You Serve, and Foothill Insurance
Because Alameda Mortgage works from Simi Valley by phone, email and e-signature, the loan can move while you are on orders or drill weekends, with a San Bernardino County appraiser and local escrow. On Verdemont, Ridgeline or other foothill streets, check CAL FIRE’s 2025 hazard maps and get a quote before contingencies expire; the 2003 Old Fire destroyed roughly 975 to 993 homes in the region. USAA has said it will expand for military families from January 2027. Read the VA loan guide for the basics, or compare a San Bernardino FHA loan if you would rather keep your entitlement free.
Your San Bernardino VA Purchase, Step by Step
- Pull your eligibilityCertificate of Eligibility and any entitlement in use.
- Compare VA with FHA and conventionalSame house, APR and insurance side by side.
- Get pre-approvedPay records, residual income and assets reviewed.
- Offer and appraiseVA appraisal and any minimum property repairs.
- Close remotelyE-signature or mobile notary, local escrow.
VA Buyer Questions for San Bernardino
Is there a VA loan limit in San Bernardino County?
Not for a borrower with full entitlement, where the size of the loan comes down to what income, credit and assets support. If part of your entitlement is still in use, the 2026 county limit of $832,750 is used to work out how much you can borrow with nothing down.
Can I buy with no money down on a San Bernardino VA home loan?
Yes, in most cases. With full entitlement and income that supports the payment, VA can cover the full price, and typical values ran from about $399,000 to $635,000. You still pay closing costs unless the seller or a lender credit covers them.
How much can I borrow with $0 down if I still own a VA-financed home?
Your remaining guaranty is $208,188 minus what the existing loan uses. With $75,000 in use, the largest zero-down loan is about $532,750, enough for a $500,000 purchase.
I drill at March Air Reserve Base. Can I buy in San Bernardino?
Yes. VA only requires that the home be your primary residence. Send civilian pay records and military pay statements together so the lender can count both.
What happened to Norton Air Force Base?
Norton closed in March 1994, costing the area about 10,000 jobs. Its 2,221 acres became San Bernardino International Airport and a logistics complex; the Stater Bros. distribution center there employed about 2,000 people as of 2010.
Do I pay the funding fee with a disability rating?
No. Veterans receiving VA compensation for a service-connected disability are exempt, as are several other groups listed above.
Can I rent out my VA home later?
VA requires that you intend to live in the home when you buy. If orders or life change later, you can keep the loan and rent the house long term; short-term rentals are banned in the city.
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Begin a San Bernardino VA Home Loan
Send your status, whether you still have a VA loan open, and the price range you are looking at. Mike will check your eligibility, work out your entitlement against the county limit and price the loan with us and other wholesale lenders.
Prefer to talk? Call 800-801-5626.