Your VA loan in California.
High-cost county conforming limits are higher — full-entitlement VA jumbo borrowers can exceed them with $0 down.
Source: FHFA Full County Loan Limit List for 2026 (HERA-based, final). One-unit limit; applies to mortgages acquired in calendar year 2026. Source checked 2026-09-16.
Where California veterans are buying.
With the $0-down VA benefit, an eligible California buyer can move in with only closing costs and prepaids — no down payment and no monthly PMI, subject to lender approval and the VA appraisal. The VA funding fee, unless waived, may be financeable into the loan.
Veterans with full entitlement have no VA loan limit. FHFA sets conforming limits county by county, not statewide, so use the verified county figure for the property's county. That figure only matters for borrowers with reduced or partial entitlement, or when calculating remaining bonus entitlement. A borrower with full VA entitlement does not have a VA loan limit, subject to lender approval, ability to repay, and the appraised value or purchase price. The FHFA one-unit county conforming loan limit matters primarily when calculating remaining bonus entitlement for a borrower who does not have full entitlement, and it may affect whether a down payment is required.
Widows and widowers of CA veterans qualify too.
An unremarried surviving spouse of a California veteran who died in service, from a service-connected disability, or who is receiving VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) may qualify for the VA home loan — no down payment, no monthly PMI, and a funding-fee exemption (closing costs, prepaids, and escrows may still apply). Two statutory exceptions preserve eligibility after remarriage (age 57+ on/after Dec 16, 2003, or a terminated remarriage).
Many surviving spouses who may be eligible have never been told the benefit exists. The way to find out is a VA eligibility determination. Your Certificate of Eligibility (VA Form 26-1817) is issued through the Regional Loan Center that serves CA.
City-by-city VA loan guides.
County-level 2026 FHFA conforming loan limit values for every CA metro we cover. Where a tile is marked “county reference”, it names the county value we reference, not an address-based lookup — confirm the county of the property before using the figure, because city and metro boundaries can cross counties.
County-by-county conforming limits.
Source: FHFA Full County Loan Limit List for 2026 (HERA-based, final). One-unit limit; applies to mortgages acquired in calendar year 2026. Source checked 2026-09-16. Counties not listed here are not covered by our verified snapshot — look them up in the official FHFA county file. FHFA limits are not a VA borrowing cap for full-entitlement borrowers (VA).
Turn income and debts into a realistic price range.
Price a specific listing, taxes and insurance included.
What full entitlement does and does not cover.
The 41% guideline and the residual-income table.