Home / Areas we serve / San Diego / VA home loans
For Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard households
San Diego VA Home Loans
A San Diego VA home loan lets eligible service members and veterans buy with no down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance, in one of the largest military housing markets in the country. The one number to understand here is the county limit, because it comes back into play the moment you keep a VA-financed home and buy another.
Check my VA options VA rates today
San Diego VA Home Loans in a Military Housing Market
Orders shape many buying decisions here. Some households buy on arrival and rent the house out when they leave. Some buy late in a tour and plan to retire in the county. Some live in the city and commute to Camp Pendleton in north county. Each of those paths uses VA entitlement differently, and getting that right before you shop is most of what a San Diego VA home loan comes down to.
Full Entitlement: No County Cap
If you have never used your VA benefit, or you used it and sold the home and paid that loan off, you have full entitlement. With full entitlement there is no VA loan limit in San Diego County or anywhere else. VA guarantees 25% of the loan, and the lender sets the amount from your income, debts, credit and assets. The loan still cannot exceed the lower of the price or the appraised value. So a buyer qualifying on rank and housing allowance can look well above the county limit with no money down, as long as the income supports the payment.
Today’s San Diego VA Home Loan Rates
Priced for San Diego 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% 8.208% APR P&I $9,652/mo on $1,300,000
0.322 points See every option
Par pricing for a single-family primary residence in San Diego 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 Diego scenario, no credit pull.
Military Housing Market Insights
Sources: 2025 San Diego Military Advisory Council economic impact report; U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts; FHFA 2026 county limit.
The 2025 San Diego Military Advisory Council report also counted 823 Coast Guard members and 3,889 in medical commands, and tied about 357,000 regional jobs to defense. The city’s budget profile puts the military community at close to 10% of the region’s population. With a military community that size, local sellers and agents are likely to have seen VA financing before.
Neighborhoods Near the Bases for VA Buyers
Typical values are Zillow figures for September 2026. With full entitlement any of them can be bought with nothing down if the income fits; with partial entitlement, compare each price with the table further down.
Mira Mesa
About $981,000, a 1970s and 1980s suburb popular with military and tech households. It sits just under the county limit, so it also works for many buyers using partial entitlement with some money down.
Scripps Ranch
About $1.36 million, a suburban single-family area near the air station. Prices sit above the county limit, so a nothing-down purchase here generally needs full entitlement.
Clairemont
Roughly $969,000 to $1.08 million in postwar tract neighborhoods. Older homes can need repairs the VA appraiser will flag, so inspect early.
Rancho Penasquitos and Rancho Bernardo
About $1.32 million and $966,000 in the northern part of the city. Rancho Bernardo also includes 55+ communities, an option for veterans retiring in the county.
Otay Mesa and San Ysidro
About $656,000 and $706,000 in the south city, the most affordable VA purchases in this list and the easiest to fit within partial entitlement.
Partial Entitlement in San Diego County
If you still own a home financed with a VA loan, perhaps a house from an earlier tour that you now rent out, part of your entitlement is tied up in it. Your remaining guaranty is 25% of the county’s one-unit conforming limit, minus the entitlement already charged. For San Diego County in 2026 that starting figure is 25% of $1,104,000, or $276,000. Lenders generally want remaining entitlement plus any down payment to cover 25% of the new loan, so the more entitlement is in use, the smaller the loan you can take with nothing down. The table shows two common cases against a $980,000 purchase, near the city’s typical value.
| Entitlement already in use | Remaining guaranty | Largest loan with $0 down | Down payment on $980,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| None (full entitlement) | Full | No VA limit | $0 |
| $100,000 | $176,000 | $704,000 | $69,000 |
| $200,000 | $76,000 | $304,000 | $169,000 |
Remaining guaranty = 25% of the 2026 San Diego County one-unit limit ($1,104,000) minus entitlement in use. The one-unit limit applies even to two- to four-unit purchases.
A down payment fills the gap rather than ruling VA out. Selling the old home, or a HELOC on a home you live in, can fund it, and selling and paying off the old VA loan restores full entitlement. Mike pulls your Certificate of Eligibility early so the figure is real, not estimated.
The VA Funding Fee and Who Is Exempt
VA charges a one-time funding fee instead of monthly mortgage insurance, usually added to the loan. On a purchase with less than 5% down it is 2.15% the first time and 3.3% after that; 5% down brings it to 1.5% and 10% down to 1.25% for any use. These rates have applied since April 7, 2023. You pay nothing if you receive VA compensation for a service-connected disability, if you are eligible for it but receive retirement or active-duty pay instead, if you are a surviving spouse receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, if you have a proposed or memorandum rating before closing from a pre-discharge claim, or if you are on active duty and show a Purple Heart on or before closing.
| $900,000 purchase | Loan before the fee | First VA loan | Later VA loans |
|---|---|---|---|
| No down payment | $900,000 | 2.15%: $19,350 | 3.30%: $29,700 |
| 5% to 9.99% down | $855,000 | 1.50%: $12,825 | 1.50%: $12,825 |
| 10% or more down | $810,000 | 1.25%: $10,125 | 1.25%: $10,125 |
| VA disability compensation | No funding fee | ||
VA funding fee schedule effective April 7, 2023, current per VA as of October 2026.
VA vs FHA and Conventional at $800,000
VA par rates often price close to or below conventional, and with no monthly mortgage insurance the payment gap can widen further. This runs the same $800,000 purchase three ways at a 700 score with today’s county pricing.
| $800,000 purchase, 700 credit | Conventional, 5% down | FHA, 3.5% down | VA, 0% down |
|---|---|---|---|
| Down payment | $40,000 | $28,000 | $0 |
| Loan amount | $760,000 | $785,510 with 1.75% upfront MIP | $817,200 with 2.15% funding fee |
| Today’s rate (APR) | 7.999% (8.070%) | 7.250% (7.320%) | 6.875% (6.937%) |
| Principal and interest | $5,576/mo | $5,359/mo | $5,368/mo |
| Mortgage insurance | $494/mo PMI | $483/mo MIP | None |
| Before taxes and insurance | $6,070/mo | $5,841/mo | $5,368/mo |
| Mortgage insurance ends | At 20% equity (can be removed) | Life of the loan with under 10% down | Never charged |
Before property tax, insurance and HOA dues. VA includes the 2.15% first-use funding fee financed into the loan.
VA Loan Requirements for San Diego Buyers
- Certificate of Eligibility: confirms your service qualifies and shows how much entitlement is available.
- Occupancy: you must intend to live in the home. A house bought purely as a rental needs a different loan, such as a DSCR loan.
- Income: documented housing allowance can count as qualifying income, alongside base pay or civilian income. VA also applies a residual income test, the money left each month after the housing payment and debts.
- Credit: VA sets no minimum score; each lender sets its own, which is one reason to compare.
- Appraisal: a VA appraisal confirms value and checks the home meets VA’s minimum property requirements.
Buying Around Orders and Deployments
Because Alameda Mortgage works from Simi Valley by phone, email and e-signature, a loan can move forward while you are underway, in training or still at your current duty station. A San Diego County appraiser and a local escrow company handle the on-the-ground pieces. Send your orders and leave and earnings statement early. Insurance is part of the payment, too: several carriers have committed to grow in California under the state’s Sustainable Insurance Strategy, and USAA has said it will expand for military families starting in January 2027.
How a San Diego VA Home Loan Closes
- Eligibility firstMike requests your Certificate of Eligibility and works out entitlement against the county limit.
- Pre-approval on your real incomeBase pay, housing allowance or civilian income, documented so the approval survives underwriting.
- Shop and offerYour agent writes the offer with VA financing; Mike prices it with us and, when it helps, with other wholesale lenders.
- VA appraisalThe appraiser confirms value and minimum property requirements while the lender clears conditions.
- Close from anywhereSign electronically or with a mobile notary, even if you are still at your last duty station.
For program basics, see our VA loan guide. If you are weighing VA against a low-down-payment alternative, the San Diego FHA page covers that side.
VA Loan Questions From San Diego Service Members
Is there a limit on a San Diego VA home loan?
Not if you have full entitlement. Borrowers with full entitlement have no VA loan limit; the lender sets the amount from income, credit and assets. If part of your entitlement is still tied up in another VA loan, the 2026 San Diego County limit of $1,104,000 is used to work out how much you can borrow with no down payment.
I am stationed at Camp Pendleton. Can I buy in the City of San Diego?
Yes. VA does not require the home to be in a particular city or close to your base, only that you intend to live in it as your primary residence. The same county limit applies throughout San Diego County, so the entitlement math is identical in the city and in north county.
Can I keep my current VA-financed home as a rental and buy another?
Usually, yes, with partial entitlement. In San Diego County your remaining guaranty is $276,000 minus what the current loan uses. If $100,000 is in use, the largest loan with no money down is about $704,000. Above that, you cover 25% of the difference with a down payment. You must still plan to live in the new home.
Who is exempt from the VA funding fee?
Veterans receiving VA compensation for a service-connected disability, or eligible for it but receiving retirement or active-duty pay instead; surviving spouses receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation; service members with a proposed or memorandum rating issued before closing; and active-duty members who show a Purple Heart on or before closing. A later award with an effective date before closing can lead to a refund.
Does a VA loan have mortgage insurance?
No. VA loans have no monthly mortgage insurance at any down payment. The funding fee replaces it as a one-time charge, usually added to the loan, and it is waived for veterans receiving disability compensation. That is the main reason a VA payment is often lower than an FHA or low-down conventional payment on the same house.
Can I use a VA loan on a San Diego duplex?
Yes, for two to four units as long as you live in one of them. For partial entitlement, the one-unit county limit is still the figure used, even on a multi-unit property. Lenders may count rent from the other units toward qualifying under their own rules.
Can my housing allowance help me qualify?
Yes. Documented housing allowance can count as qualifying income on a VA loan. Lenders use the figure on your leave and earnings statement, so send a current one with your orders when you apply.
What Clients Say About Working With Mike
★★★★★
The process went smoothly and very quickly
★★★★★
Everthing was explained in detail and answered all my questions.
★★★★★
Mike had great communication and knows how to get things done.
More San Diego Home Loan Guides
Nearby San Diego County Cities
Start Your San Diego VA Home Loan
Send your status, whether you still own a home with a VA loan, and the price range you are looking at. Mike will pull your eligibility, work out your entitlement against the county limit and price the loan as a direct lender that can also broker.
Prefer to talk? Call 800-801-5626.