VA Loan Limits: Full Entitlement, Remaining Entitlement, and Lender Approval
Since 2020, borrowers with full entitlement have no VA county loan limit, but lender approval and property value still apply. With remaining entitlement, the county one-unit limit feeds the guaranty math — it is not a hard price cap.
Starting January 1, 2020, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act removed VA county loan limits for borrowers with full entitlement. That does not mean any price is approved: the lender still reviews credit, income, assets, debts, and the appraised value.
Full entitlement
You generally have full entitlement if you have never used the benefit, or if earlier entitlement was restored (for example, after the prior home was sold and the loan paid off). With full entitlement there is no VA county loan limit, and a lender may approve a zero-down loan above the conforming figure if your file and the appraisal support it.
Remaining (partial) entitlement
If entitlement is still charged to another VA loan, the county one-unit limit is used to estimate how much guaranty you have left. It is not a hard purchase-price cap. An illustrative estimate:
- Find the entitlement already charged on your Certificate of Eligibility (COE).
- Remaining guaranty ≈ 25% of the county one-unit FHFA limit − entitlement already charged.
- Illustrative zero-down amount ≈ remaining guaranty × 4.
- Borrowing more may be possible with a down payment. Your lender must confirm the actual figures.
Hypothetical illustration only. Assumes full entitlement, a $1,200,000 purchase price supported by the appraisal, a borrower who qualifies on credit and income, and no funding-fee exemption: a first-use funding fee of 2.15% financed into the loan gives a $1,225,800 balance with 0% down and no monthly PMI. Closing costs, prepaid taxes and insurance, escrows, discount points, and inspections may still require cash. Actual figures vary by lender and file.
If a lender asks for a down payment
A down-payment request can reflect the appraisal, your qualification, remaining entitlement, or the lender's own requirements. Ask the lender to explain the reason in writing, and compare offers if it doesn't match your COE and file.
Sources
Sources checked September 25, 2026 (editorial source check, not professional signoff). Professional review pending for this revision.
About the author
Prepared by the Bolt Home Loans LLC editorial team (NMLS #2784913) for general education. Pages list their sources and a source-check date only where sources were actually checked; a source check is not legal, underwriting, or licensed-professional review. This is general education, not individual loan advice.