$0 Down · No PMI · Veteran-Owned
VA Loans in Maryland
Maryland concentrates an extraordinary share of national-security infrastructure: Fort Meade and NSA, Joint Base Andrews and Air Force One, Aberdeen Proving Ground, NAS Patuxent River's naval aviation test community, the Naval Academy, Walter Reed, and Fort Detrick. Some 360,000 veterans live here, many working in uniform-adjacent federal and contractor roles.
360K
Maryland Veterans
7
Military Installations
$0
Down Payment
$832,750
2026 Baseline Limit
Why Maryland
A VA team that knows Maryland’s military markets
Maryland prices run above the national median, which is precisely where $0-down and no-PMI matter most — VA buyers in Odenton or Waldorf keep tens of thousands in cash that conventional buyers surrender at closing.
Fort Meade's cyber workforce drives Odenton, Severn, Crofton, and Laurel — one of the East Coast's most reliable housing markets. Andrews supports Clinton, Waldorf, and Upper Marlboro in Prince George's and Charles counties. Aberdeen and Bel Air serve APG's test community, Lexington Park and California grow with Pax River's flight-test mission, and Annapolis, Bethesda, and Frederick round out the footprint.
Beyond the Loan
More Maryland benefits you earned
The VA loan is one piece of what Maryland owes its veterans. Here’s the rest of the stack — worth real money every year:
Income Tax
Retirement exclusion
Maryland excludes a growing portion of military retirement income from state tax.
Vehicle
Plates & fees
Veteran and DV plates; registration-fee exemption on one vehicle for qualifying disabled veterans.
Recreation
Licenses & parks
Complimentary hunting/fishing licenses for 100% disabled veterans; day-use park admission accommodations for holders of DV credentials.
Education
Conroy scholarship
The Edward T. and Mary A. Conroy program covers tuition for dependents of qualifying disabled or deceased Maryland veterans.
Benefit rules and amounts change with each legislative session — confirm current details with the Maryland Department of Veterans & Military Families. When you work with us, we walk through which of these apply to your purchase and your budget.
Official VA Data
Maryland VA lending, by the numbers
12,488
VA Loans Closed (FY2025)
$6.2B
VA Dollars Guaranteed (FY2025)
$497K
Average VA Loan
360,098
Veterans in MD
Maryland veterans closed 12,488 VA loans in fiscal year 2025 — 7,177 of them home purchases — and the VA paid $2.8 billion in disability compensation and pension to Maryland 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.
Bases We Serve
Military installations in Maryland
Every installation below anchors a housing market our team lends in — PCS moves, first purchases on BAH, and buy-then-rent strategies included.
Army
Fort George G. Meade
Serving Odenton · Laurel · Severn
VA loan guide →
Joint
Joint Base Andrews
Serving Clinton · Camp Springs
VA loan guide →
Army
Aberdeen Proving Ground
Serving Aberdeen · Bel Air
VA loan guide →
Navy
NAS Patuxent River
Serving Lexington Park · California
VA loan guide →
Joint
Walter Reed NMMC
Serving Bethesda
VA loan guide →
Navy
U.S. Naval Academy
Serving Annapolis
VA loan guide →
Army
Fort Detrick
Serving Frederick
VA loan guide →
2026 BAH Rates
Compare BAH across Maryland’s installations
BAH is set per housing area, not per state — and it counts as qualifying income on a VA loan. Here’s how Maryland’s duty stations compare at key pay grades.
| Installation | E-4 | E-5 | E-6 | E-7 | O-3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort George G. Meade | $2,739 | $2,901 | $3,276 | $3,327 | $3,411 |
| Joint Base Andrews | $3,096 | $3,132 | $3,759 | $3,855 | $4,020 |
| Aberdeen Proving Ground | $2,268 | $2,478 | $2,742 | $2,862 | $3,072 |
| NAS Patuxent River | $2,268 | $2,406 | $2,547 | $2,625 | $2,769 |
| Walter Reed NMMC | $3,096 | $3,132 | $3,759 | $3,855 | $4,020 |
| U.S. Naval Academy | $2,757 | $2,928 | $3,228 | $3,303 | $3,438 |
| Fort Detrick | $2,466 | $2,682 | $3,063 | $3,132 | $3,255 |
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 Maryland
$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 Maryland
| 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 Maryland
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
Maryland cities we serve
From base-gate communities to the metros veterans choose after service, these are the Maryland markets where our VA lending is most active.
- Odenton~$477K
- Severn~$523K
- Laurel~$481K
- Columbia~$518K
- Crofton~$500K
- Clinton~$446K
- Waldorf~$439K
- Upper Marlboro
- Aberdeen~$350K
- Bel Air~$470K
- Lexington Park~$392K
- California~$403K
- Annapolis~$633K
- Bethesda~$1168K
- Frederick~$470K
Typical home values: Zillow Home Value Index, 2026-06.
Straight Answers
Maryland VA loan questions, answered
Is there a VA loan limit in Maryland?
Not with full entitlement. With reduced entitlement, Maryland's DC-area counties (Montgomery, Prince George's, Frederick, Calvert, Charles) share the capital region's elevated 2026 limit of $1,249,125, while the rest of the state uses $832,750.
Where do Fort Meade families buy?
Odenton and Severn for proximity, Crofton for schools, Laurel and Columbia for the BW-corridor commute. Meade's NSA-driven stability makes this one of the safest buy-and-hold markets in the region.
Is Pax River worth buying for a three-year test tour?
Lexington Park and California, MD have grown steadily with the flight-test mission, and rental demand from incoming testers is dependable — a classic buy-then-rent VA pattern.
How do Maryland taxes treat veterans?
100% P&T disabled veterans pay zero property tax on their homes, and Maryland now exempts a growing portion of military retirement income. The property-tax exemption alone is worth hundreds monthly in Maryland's tax environment.
Can I use a VA loan for an Annapolis condo or townhome?
Yes — townhomes are standard inventory, and condos work in VA-approved projects. Anne Arundel's inventory is deep in both; we verify project approval before you write.
Ready When You Are
Start your Maryland 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.