Can I use a VA loan twice?

Yes. VA says there is no limit on how many times you can use the benefit, as long as each home is one you will live in and the earlier loan is paid off or the home is sold. VA also allows a one-time restoration of entitlement if you paid off a VA loan but kept the home. With enough remaining entitlement, you may even hold two VA loans at once.

Do VA loans need a down payment?

Usually not. VA says no down payment is required as long as the sales price is not higher than the appraised value. Putting 5% or 10% down does lower the VA funding fee.

Can the seller pay VA closing costs?

Yes. Sellers can pay a buyer's normal closing costs. Separately, VA caps seller concessions, such as paying the funding fee or paying off a buyer's debts, at 4% of the home's reasonable value from the VA Notice of Value.

How much is the VA funding fee in 2026?

For a purchase, it is 2.15% of the loan on first use with less than 5% down, and 3.3% on later use with less than 5% down. With 5% down it is 1.5%, and with 10% or more it is 1.25%. Veterans who receive VA disability compensation, and certain others, are exempt. The fee can be financed into the loan.

Buying a home with a VA loan in Maryland

VA loans in Maryland: eligibility and the COE, the 2026 funding fee, VA appraisal rules, PCS timing near Fort Meade and Andrews, and offers that win.

By Stephen Wilson, REALTOR®, Real Estate Salesperson, MD #5006976

Published October 26, 2026 · 6 min read

Brick colonial home with lit windows at dusk

A VA loan lets eligible veterans, service members and some surviving spouses buy a Maryland home with no down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance. You need a Certificate of Eligibility, a VA-approved lender, a house that passes the VA appraisal, and the plan to live in it. Most buyers pay a one-time funding fee, which can be rolled into the loan.

We work with a lot of military buyers around Fort Meade in Anne Arundel County and Joint Base Andrews in Prince George’s County. This is how the process works here, as of October 2026, with links to VA’s own pages. The general buying steps are on our buyer page.

This is general information, not loan advice. Your lender and VA decide eligibility and terms.

Who is eligible and the COE

Eligibility depends on your service. Active duty, veterans, Guard and Reserve members, and some surviving spouses can qualify, with time-in-service rules for each group on VA’s eligibility page.

The proof is a Certificate of Eligibility (COE). VA’s quick reference for real estate professionals says an experienced VA lender can usually pull a COE in minutes with basic information from you. Do that first, before you tour.

A few points from that same VA guide that buyers often don’t know:

VA has no minimum credit score. The lender may set one.
If you have full entitlement, VA has no loan limit, as long as the loan doesn’t exceed the appraised value.
No monthly mortgage insurance.
You can use the benefit more than once.

Funding fee and exemptions

The funding fee is VA’s charge for the guarantee. For purchase loans, VA’s funding fee page (updated October 5, 2026) lists:

Down payment	First use	After first use
Less than 5%	2.15%	3.3%
5% or more	1.5%	1.5%
10% or more	1.25%	1.25%

On a $400,000 loan with nothing down on first use, that’s $8,600. You can finance the funding fee into the loan. It’s the only closing cost you can finance on a purchase.

You don’t pay it at all if you receive VA compensation for a service-connected disability, are eligible for it but get retirement or active duty pay instead, receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation as a surviving spouse, have a proposed or memorandum disability rating before closing, or are on active duty and show a Purple Heart on or before closing. Check your COE. It shows whether you’re exempt.

VA appraisal and minimum property requirements

Before the loan is approved, a VA appraiser values the home and checks it against VA’s minimum property requirements (MPRs). The result is a Notice of Value (NOV). VA’s Chapter 12 lists the MPR topics, including roof covering, attics, crawl spaces, basements, lead-based paint, and wood-destroying insects and rot. The broad standard: the house has to be safe, sanitary and structurally sound.

The appraisal is not an inspection, and VA doesn’t require one, though it strongly recommends you get one. See what a Maryland home inspection costs and finds.

Cost and timing in Maryland: VA’s fee schedule effective May 1, 2026 caps a single-family VA appraisal at $700 in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Charles, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, with a 7 business day standard.

If the appraisal looks low

VA has two tools other loans don’t. Under the Tidewater process, if the appraiser thinks the value will come in under the price, they contact the point of contact on the order (usually your agent or lender) so you can send more sales before the report is final. After the NOV, you can ask the lender to request a reconsideration of value. If that doesn’t work, you can renegotiate or pay the difference in cash. More on appraisals in home appraisals in Maryland.

VA’s guide notes that 90% of initial VA purchase appraisals met or exceeded the contract price in fiscal 2023.

Closing costs on a VA loan

VA loans still have closing costs. The funding fee is the VA-specific one, and the rest are the usual Maryland costs: lender fees, title insurance, prepaid taxes and insurance, and the state and county transfer and recordation taxes. VA’s closing costs page lists items that buyers and sellers commonly negotiate, such as origination fees, discount points, title insurance and recording fees.

Two ways to bring less cash:

Ask the seller to pay some or all of your closing costs in the offer.
Add state help. Veterans can use the Maryland Mortgage Program’s assistance loans with a VA first mortgage (more below).

First-time Maryland buyers also get a break on the state transfer tax. The numbers by county are in Maryland closing costs for buyers.

Condos and VA loans

You can use a VA loan on a condo, but VA says the project needs VA approval or a waiver. Ask your lender to check the project before you write an offer, not after. More on condo documents in buying a condo in Maryland.

PCS timing near Fort Meade and Andrews

Orders don’t care about the housing market. A few things that help:

Start the COE and pre-approval before you arrive: You can tour by video and write an offer from out of state.
Line up your closing with your report date: Tell the lender your timeline on the first call. VA’s guide says VA loans averaged 32 days to close in 2023, compared with 45 for conventional loans, per ICE Mortgage Technology data it cites. Plan for that, plus some padding.
Know the commute: Fort Meade is in Anne Arundel County and Joint Base Andrews is in Prince George’s County. Check the drive at the time of day you’ll actually make it before you pick an area. The Seven Oaks homes search is one place to start near Fort Meade.
Ask about temporary lodging overlap: If your closing slips, know your options before you need them.

Making a VA offer competitive

Some sellers still think VA loans are slow or fussy. VA’s own data argues otherwise, and a good offer helps:

Send a strong pre-approval from a lender who closes VA loans regularly.
Keep the closing timeline realistic and firm.
Ask for closing cost help only where you need it. Sellers can pay normal closing costs, and VA allows separate seller concessions of up to 4% of the reasonable value, per VA. A big ask on a house with several offers can lose it.
Limit repair requests to MPR items and true safety issues.
Shorten your inspection period if you can get an inspector quickly.

MMP and VA

You can combine a VA loan with the Maryland Mortgage Program. MMP’s 1st Time Advantage fact sheets list VA among the eligible first mortgages, and honorably discharged veterans get a one-time exemption from MMP’s first-time buyer rule. That can add a 0% deferred loan for closing costs. Details are in the Maryland Mortgage Program guide. The county programs that stack with MMP are in down payment assistance in Maryland.

Renting the home out after a move

VA loans are for homes you’ll live in. VA says you must live in the home you buy with the loan, and your lender will have you certify that you intend to. Life in the military means many owners move later and keep the house. VA’s guide notes you may be able to own more than one home at a time if you have enough entitlement, qualify, occupy the new one, and follow VA rules.

If you plan to keep the house as a rental after your next set of orders, think about it now. Buy something that would also rent well, and keep records of repairs and updates. When the time comes, our property management team can help with the rent price, the tenant and the Maryland rental rules.

Bottom line

For eligible buyers, a VA loan is usually the strongest way to buy in Maryland with little cash. Get your COE early, use a lender who closes VA loans often, write a clean offer, and plan your closing around your orders. If you want help near Fort Meade, Andrews or anywhere in Central Maryland, talk to The Wilson Home Team of Samson Properties or call Stacey at (240) 913-5221.

Sources

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VA funding fee and loan closing costs, updated October 5, 2026
VA, Purchase loan, updated January 7, 2026
VA, Eligibility requirements for VA home loan programs, checked October 2026
VA Loan Guaranty Service, Quick Reference for Real Estate Professionals, checked October 2026
VA, Lender’s Handbook Chapter 12, Minimum Property Requirements, checked October 2026
VA, Appraisal fees and timeliness, effective May 1, 2026
Maryland Mortgage Program, Program fact sheets, checked October 2026

Quick answers

Can I use a VA loan twice?: Yes. VA says there is no limit on how many times you can use the benefit, as long as each home is one you will live in and the earlier loan is paid off or the home is sold. VA also allows a one-time restoration of entitlement if you paid off a VA loan but kept the home. With enough remaining entitlement, you may even hold two VA loans at once.
Do VA loans need a down payment?: Usually not. VA says no down payment is required as long as the sales price is not higher than the appraised value. Putting 5% or 10% down does lower the VA funding fee.
Can the seller pay VA closing costs?: Yes. Sellers can pay a buyer's normal closing costs. Separately, VA caps seller concessions, such as paying the funding fee or paying off a buyer's debts, at 4% of the home's reasonable value from the VA Notice of Value.
How much is the VA funding fee in 2026?: For a purchase, it is 2.15% of the loan on first use with less than 5% down, and 3.3% on later use with less than 5% down. With 5% down it is 1.5%, and with 10% or more it is 1.25%. Veterans who receive VA disability compensation, and certain others, are exempt. The fee can be financed into the loan.

Topics: VA loans, veterans, military, Fort Meade, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland Mortgage Program

This post is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules, rates and programs change and vary by county; confirm the details for your situation with the agency or source linked above, a tax professional or an attorney.