Tools · Run the numbers

VA entitlement & affordability

Keeping a VA loan and buying again? See what your remaining entitlement and income can support — and which one is the real ceiling.

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Keeping a VA loan and buying again with the same benefit? This estimates the home price your remaining entitlement and income can support — with $0 down and with a down payment — and shows which one is the real ceiling.

County loan limit $ (2026 baseline for most counties — high-cost counties run up to $1,249,125; check yours on the VA/FHFA county table)

Original amount of the VA loan you're keeping $ (entitlement stays charged at the original amount until that loan is paid off and, in most cases, the home is sold — it's on your COE)

Annual income (gross — before taxes; lenders figure DTI on gross income, not take-home)

Monthly debts (minimum monthly payments on your credit report — car, cards, student loans; not utilities or living costs)

Rate %

Term (years)

Est. monthly tax + insurance

Down payment $

Funding-fee status (subsequent = you've used the benefit before; exempt = veterans receiving VA disability compensation, surviving spouses receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, and active-duty Purple Heart recipients)

Qualifying DTI % (VA's guideline benchmark is 41% — lenders regularly approve higher when residual income is strong; set it to match your scenario)

No down payment

$582,750

limited by your entitlement

With $40,000 down

$725,840

limited by income / DTI

County loan limit$832,750

Entitlement charged (25% of the original loan)$62,500

Remaining entitlement$145,688

Max loan with $0 down (remaining × 4)$582,750

A $40,000 down payment lifts that ceiling to$742,750

Max price your income supports at 60% DTI ($0 down)$673,889

Max price your income supports with $40,000 down$725,840

Est. funding fee at $0 down (financed)$19,231

Est. funding fee with $40,000 down (financed)$10,288

With full entitlement there's no VA loan limit and no down payment required — the cap is income, credit, and the appraisal. With partial entitlement, a down payment of 25% of any amount above the $0-down ceiling unlocks more. VA also qualifies on residual income, not just DTI. A second simultaneous VA loan requires occupying the new home as your primary residence. The funding fee is usually financed and higher for subsequent use unless you're exempt.

Estimates only — not a quote, pre-approval, or offer of credit. Your actual terms come from a lender's Loan Estimate. What you can borrow depends on full underwriting, residual income, and the terms a lender offers.

Terms on this page

VA loanA government-backed loan for eligible veterans and service members, often no down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance.
VA entitlementThe amount VA guarantees for your loans; what's not tied up in a kept VA loan determines your next $0-down ceiling.
Residual incomeThe income left over each month after housing costs and debts; VA sets regional minimums by family size, and it's the test that can approve a file a plain DTI number would flag.
VA funding feeA one-time VA charge — typically 1.25% to 3.3% of the loan on a purchase — that keeps the program running; usually financed into the loan, higher on repeat use, and waived for veterans receiving VA disability compensation, surviving spouses receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, and active-duty Purple Heart recipients.
Certificate of eligibility (COE)The VA document proving your entitlement — how much you have, what's charged to a kept loan, and whether you're funding-fee exempt; lenders usually pull it electronically in minutes.
Debt-to-income ratio (DTI)Your monthly debt payments divided by gross monthly income; lenders use it to judge what you can afford.

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