$0 Down · No PMI · Veteran-Owned

VA Loans in California

California has more veterans and more active-duty military than any state in the nation — over 1.5 million veterans and a base footprint that runs from Naval Base San Diego to Beale AFB north of Sacramento. It also has some of the highest home prices in the country, which is exactly where the VA loan's $0-down, no-PMI structure delivers its biggest dollar advantage.

Get Pre-Approved (888) 957-8387

1,475K

California Veterans

Military Installations

Down Payment

$832,750

2026 Baseline Limit

Why California

A VA team that knows California’s military markets

With full entitlement there is no VA loan limit — a critical fact in San Diego, Ventura, and Bay Area-adjacent markets where conventional buyers need six-figure down payments. Our team structures VA offers that compete in California's toughest markets, including jumbo-sized VA loans that most banks quietly steer veterans away from.

San Diego County alone hosts the Pacific Fleet's largest concentration — Naval Base San Diego, North Island, and MCAS Miramar — with Camp Pendleton anchoring North County from Oceanside to San Clemente. Inland, Twentynine Palms, Fort Irwin, and China Lake support desert training communities where VA buying power goes far. Northern California runs through Travis AFB in Fairfield, Beale AFB near Yuba City, and the Presidio of Monterey, while Vandenberg Space Force Base drives the Lompoc–Santa Maria market on the Central Coast.

Beyond the Loan

More California benefits you earned

The VA loan is one piece of what California owes its veterans. Here’s the rest of the stack — worth real money every year:

Education

College Fee Waiver

Waives system-wide tuition at CSU/UC/community colleges for eligible children and spouses of disabled veterans — one of the strongest dependent benefits in America.

Vehicle

DV plates & fees

Disabled-veteran plates with registration and license-fee exemptions on one vehicle for qualifying disabled veterans.

Recreation

State parks pass

Free lifetime Distinguished Veteran Pass (parking, day-use, camping discounts) for 100% disabled, former POW, or Medal of Honor recipients.

Heads-Up

Retirement pay is taxed

California currently taxes military retirement as ordinary income — worth modeling in your budget; we run those numbers with you.

Benefit rules and amounts change with each legislative session — confirm current details with the CalVet (California Department of Veterans Affairs). When you work with us, we walk through which of these apply to your purchase and your budget.

Official VA Data

California VA lending, by the numbers

26,657

VA Loans Closed (FY2025)

$16.2B

VA Dollars Guaranteed (FY2025)

$609K

Average VA Loan

1,474,934

Veterans in CA

California veterans closed 26,657 VA loans in fiscal year 2025 — 15,094 of them home purchases — and the VA paid $11.6 billion in disability compensation and pension to California veterans in FY2024. Every veteran receiving that compensation is exempt from the VA funding fee.

Sources: VA Loan Guaranty loans-by-state report, FY2025 · VetPop2023 state projections (NCVAS) · VA Geographic Distribution of Expenditures, FY2024.

Exclusive to California Veterans

CalVet Home Loans — California's state-run alternative

California operates its own veteran loan program through CalVet: typically no down payment, no PMI, flexible credit standards, and built-in home protection coverage, with 2026 limits matching the conforming caps up to $1,249,125 in high-cost counties. CalVet often layers the federal VA guaranty inside its own structure, so eligibility largely mirrors your VA benefit. On California purchases we run CalVet against your federal VA option and take whichever pencil wins.

Bases We Serve

Serving Riverside · Moreno Valley

VA loan guide →

2026 BAH Rates

Compare BAH across California’s installations

BAH is set per housing area, not per state — and it counts as qualifying income on a VA loan. Here’s how California’s duty stations compare at key pay grades.

Installation	E-4	E-5	E-6	E-7	O-3
Naval Base San Diego	$3,666	$3,975	$4,404	$4,446	$4,518
MCAS Miramar	$3,666	$3,975	$4,404	$4,446	$4,518
Naval Air Station North Island	$3,666	$3,975	$4,404	$4,446	$4,518
MCB Camp Pendleton	$3,627	$3,963	$4,398	$4,494	$4,659
MCAGCC Twentynine Palms	$1,896	$1,980	$2,550	$2,649	$2,814
Travis Air Force Base	$3,090	$3,369	$3,498	$3,516	$3,537
Beale Air Force Base	$2,733	$2,967	$3,132	$3,150	$3,165
Vandenberg Space Force Base	$3,156	$3,333	$3,642	$3,693	$3,780
Edwards Air Force Base	$2,475	$2,658	$3,156	$3,195	$3,264
Naval Air Station Lemoore	$1,944	$2,139	$2,277	$2,337	$2,451
Fort Irwin (NTC)	$1,890	$2,001	$2,430	$2,547	$2,748
NAWS China Lake	$1,524	$1,563	$1,767	$1,905	$2,154
Naval Base Ventura County	$3,378	$3,537	$4,008	$4,083	$4,212
Presidio of Monterey / NPS	$3,249	$3,465	$3,867	$4,218	$4,824
March Air Reserve Base	$3,096	$3,351	$3,549	$3,603	$3,705

2026 monthly BAH, with dependents, from official DoD (DTMO) rate data. Click any installation for all 24 pay grades, without-dependents rates, and a payment-vs-BAH estimator for that housing area.

2026 Program Facts

What the VA loan gets you in California

$0 Down Payment

Buy with no down payment on loans within your entitlement — the signature VA benefit.

No PMI

VA loans never charge monthly private mortgage insurance, keeping payments lower than FHA or low-down conventional.

Competitive Rates

The VA guaranty lets lenders price VA loans below comparable conventional rates for most borrowers.

Flexible Credit

The VA sets no minimum credit score — guidelines focus on residual income and the whole picture.

Limited Closing Costs

The VA restricts which fees veterans can be charged, and sellers may pay all of them plus concessions.

Reusable for Life

VA entitlement is a lifetime benefit — it can be restored and reused, and you can hold more than one VA loan at once.

VA loan vs. conventional in California

Feature	VA Loan	Conventional
Down payment	$0 required	3–20% (20% to avoid PMI)
Monthly mortgage insurance	Never	Required under 20% down
Minimum credit score	None set by VA	Typically 620+
Interest rates	Typically below conventional	Higher without large down payment
Upfront fee	Funding fee 2.15% first use (waived with disability rating)	None
Prepayment penalty	Never	Rare, but possible
Loan limit	None with full entitlement	$832,750 baseline (2026)
Assumable by a buyer	Yes — VA loans are assumable	Generally not

2026 VA loan limits in California

With full entitlement, the VA does not cap your loan amount — county loan limits only apply when you have reduced entitlement (an existing VA loan or a prior default). For reduced-entitlement borrowers, the 2026 baseline county limit is $832,750, and designated high-cost counties range up to $1,873,675.

The VA funding fee, plainly

First use, under 5% down: 2.15%
Subsequent use, under 5% down: 3.30%
With 5% down: 1.50% · with 10% down: 1.25%
Streamline refinance (IRRRL): 0.50%

Veterans receiving VA disability compensation at any rating are fully exempt from the funding fee, as are eligible surviving spouses and Purple Heart recipients on active duty.

Where We Lend

California cities we serve

From base-gate communities to the metros veterans choose after service, these are the California markets where our VA lending is most active.

San Diego~$1002K
Oceanside~$877K
Chula Vista~$850K
El Cajon~$816K
Escondido~$799K
Murrieta~$691K
Temecula~$767K
Twentynine Palms~$252K
Fairfield~$610K
Vacaville~$611K
Sacramento~$483K
Yuba City~$446K
Lompoc~$598K
Santa Maria~$665K
Lancaster~$468K
Palmdale~$506K
Lemoore~$387K
Hanford~$385K
Barstow~$267K
Ridgecrest~$270K
Oxnard~$766K
Camarillo~$923K
Monterey~$1180K
Riverside~$648K
Moreno Valley~$553K

Typical home values: Zillow Home Value Index, 2026-06.

Straight Answers

California VA loan questions, answered

Is there a VA loan limit in California?

Not with full entitlement — you can finance a $900K San Diego home or a $1.2M Ventura County home with $0 down if you qualify on income. With reduced entitlement, high-cost counties like Los Angeles, Orange, and Santa Clara use limits up to $1,873,675 in 2026.

Can VA offers actually compete in Southern California?

Yes — with the right structuring. Strong pre-underwriting, tight appraisal timelines, and seller education are how our VA offers win in San Diego and Riverside counties. VA appraisals now routinely close on conventional timelines.

Does BAH cover a mortgage near Camp Pendleton or Miramar?

For many ranks, yes — especially in Oceanside, Vista, and San Marcos, where E-6+ BAH with dependents can support a starter-home payment. We run the exact numbers for your rank, dependents status, and target zip.

Can I use a VA loan for a condo in California?

Yes, if the project is VA-approved — and California has thousands of approved projects. If a project isn't approved yet, we can request VA condo approval, which is often faster than buyers expect.

What about California's high property taxes?

Proposition 13 caps assessment increases, and 100% disabled veterans get a substantial exemption on top. Your effective rate is often lower than the sticker rate suggests — we walk through the full payment picture before you offer.

Ready When You Are

Start your California VA loan with a team that’s worn the uniform

Get a clear pre-approval, honest numbers, and a VA process handled by people who understand PCS timelines and military life firsthand.

Get Pre-Approved (888) 957-8387