VA loans in Des Moines.
Des Moines offers a city address lookup for jurisdiction and zoning research plus a separate public portal for permit, inspection and licensing records. The Polk County figure on this page is a county reference only, not an address-based lookup for Des Moines. Confirm the property's county, and which local offices serve the address, before relying on it.
Polk County reference value. County reference, not an address-based lookup. Confirm the county of the property before using this value; city and metro boundaries can cross counties.
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. · Polk County (FIPS 19153)
County reference, not an address-based lookup. Confirm the county of the property before using this value; city and metro boundaries can cross counties. Look the property's county up at FHFA.
What the county figure means here.
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.
Polk County carries a $832,750 one-unit conforming loan limit value for 2026, and that is the county figure we reference for Des Moines. County reference, not an address-based lookup. Confirm the county of the property before using this value; city and metro boundaries can cross counties. Whichever county your property is in, the value is used in remaining-entitlement calculations — including on a 2–4 unit property — and is not a cap on what a fully-entitled buyer can finance.
Planning around BAH? Rates vary by pay grade, dependency status, and ZIP-based Military Housing Area — verify yours on the official DoD BAH calculator.
This site does not publish current rates or APRs. Your rate and terms depend on your credit profile, income and assets, the property, market conditions, lock timing, points or lender credits, underwriting, and final lender approval. Request a personalized quote from Bolt Home Loans LLC.
Estimate a payment with your own rate assumptionConfirm Des Moines jurisdiction before checking a home's zoning
The Des Moines Permit and Development Center directs property researchers to Show Me My House before applying city zoning rules. Enter the full street address, including any directional prefix and street suffix, and establish whether the property falls within the city's jurisdiction. Next, record the zoning district and follow the city's reference to Municipal Code Chapter 134 for the applicable district information. This is useful when a purchase depends on a future addition or a particular use of the property. The city also links both Polk County and Warren County assessor resources, so use the office appropriate to the parcel. Show Me My House cautions that its information can be approximate or incomplete; confirm unresolved parcel or zoning questions with the underlying office.
Review Des Moines permit information without opening an application
Des Moines' Customer Self Service portal brings permitting, inspection and licensing information into one system. The city states that public information can be accessed without creating an account, while submitting applications and conducting other transactions require one. For a home with reported improvements, use the public records to assemble questions about the work before deciding whether to request more documents from the seller. If an older record is missing, the Permit and Development Center separately provides an archive permit research request route. Direct questions about permits or building inspections to the building staff contact listed on the portal page; use Planning for a proposed use or zoning question. Keeping those inquiries distinct can help you obtain the relevant answer before committing to renovation costs.
- FHFA — Conforming loan limit values
- City of Des Moines — Permit and Development Center
- City of Des Moines — Show Me My House
- City of Des Moines — Customer Self Service
- VA — Home loan entitlement and limits
Sources checked 2026-10-10. Educational information only, not legal, tax or underwriting advice.
VA loan programs available in IA.
$0 down in Des Moines. No PMI.
Lower your rate. Minimal paperwork.
Up to 100% LTV — conventional caps at 80%.
$0 down above conforming.
Finance repairs into your purchase.
Roll energy upgrades into the loan.
Widows and widowers of IA veterans qualify.
Zero down, no PMI, and a 100% funding-fee waiver on a home in Des Moines, subject to eligibility verification and Certificate of Eligibility issuance.
Surviving spouse guideDisabled veteran? Stack the SAH grant on your Des Moines purchase.
Up to $126,526 in FY 2026 toward a VA-approved plan to acquire, construct, or adapt a suitable home. VA approves eligibility and use; the grant is separate from your VA home loan.
SAH grant guideVA loans in Des Moines — answered.
FHFA sets conforming loan limit values by county, not by city, and there is no single published figure for a city as such. The county we reference for Des Moines is Polk County (FIPS 19153), whose official 2026 one-unit value is $832,750 per the FHFA Full County Loan Limit List. County reference, not an address-based lookup. Confirm the county of the property before using this value; city and metro boundaries can cross counties. The figure only matters for remaining-entitlement calculations — with full entitlement there is no VA loan limit, subject to lender approval, ability to repay and appraised value.
BAH varies by pay grade, dependency status, and ZIP-based Military Housing Area, and DoD updates rates annually. Check your exact rate on the official DoD BAH calculator. Lenders may count BAH as qualifying income, subject to underwriting.
A VA-eligible borrower with full entitlement may be able to pursue a primary-residence purchase in Des Moines with no down payment and no monthly PMI. Eligibility, credit, income, the VA appraisal, and final lender approval all apply, and closing costs and prepaids are still due.
An unremarried surviving spouse of a veteran who died in service or from a service-connected disability may qualify for the full VA benefit in Des Moines — zero down, no PMI, and a 100% funding-fee waiver, subject to eligibility verification.