Zero down, no monthly mortgage insurance and no loan limit with full entitlement. Here is how to use your benefit in Ponce Inlet.
Reviewed and updated October 3, 2026 by Ryan and Megan Winslow, Winslow Homes
Ryan and Megan are a military family. Ryan is U.S. Army retired, so they know the VA process from both sides of the table. He and Megan are Mortgage Bankers with The Federal Savings Bank and licensed real estate brokers, so one team can help you find a Ponce Inlet home, structure the VA loan and keep the contract on track through the VA appraisal.
The VA guarantees part of the loan, which lets a lender offer financing with no down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance. Read our full Florida VA loan guide for more detail.
Minimum service rules published by the VA. Discharge must generally be under conditions other than dishonorable.
At least 90 continuous days of active service.
Generally 24 continuous months, or the full period ordered to active duty of at least 90 days.
90 days of non-training active duty, or 6 creditable years with an honorable discharge, retirement or continued service.
May qualify when receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, among other cases.
Shorter service can qualify when discharged for a service-connected disability.
The Certificate of Eligibility shows your entitlement. Ryan and Megan can request it for you, usually online.
With typical Ponce Inlet values near $521,000, the VA rules below decide how much you can borrow with nothing down.
The VA does not set a loan limit. You can borrow with no down payment as long as you qualify and the loan does not exceed the price or appraised value.
If part of your entitlement is still tied to another VA loan, the county conforming limit sets your zero down amount.
Published by the VA. It can be paid at closing or financed into the loan.
| Purchase loan | First use | After first use |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 5% down | 2.15% | 3.3% |
| 5% or more down | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| 10% or more down | 1.25% | 1.25% |
| Other VA loan types | Funding fee |
|---|---|
| Cash-out refinance, first use | 2.15% |
| Cash-out refinance, after first use | 3.3% |
| Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan (IRRRL) | 0.5% |
| Loan assumption | 0.5% |
Veterans receiving VA disability compensation do not pay the funding fee. If your claim is pending, tell Ryan and Megan early, because a rating issued before closing can remove the fee.
On a purchase, the funding fee is the only closing cost that can be financed. The VA limits what a lender may charge, and a seller can pay your normal closing costs on top of up to 4% in concessions.
Florida adds veteran property tax exemptions on top of the regular homestead exemption. You file with the Volusia County Property Appraiser by March 1 of the year after you own and live in the home on January 1.
The VA Orlando Healthcare System serves east Central Florida with the Orlando VA Medical Center and clinics in places such as Daytona Beach, Deltona, Port Orange, Kissimmee, Orlando and Winter Park. The Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs and your county veteran services office can help with claims and benefits.
Veterans and active military are also eligible occupations for Florida Hometown Heroes down payment help when funds are available.
A VA assigned appraiser sets value and checks Minimum Property Requirements: safe access, a sound roof, working systems and no peeling paint on older homes.
The VA caps concessions at 4% of reasonable value, and normal closing costs paid by the seller do not count toward that cap.
Not if you have full entitlement. The VA removed loan limits for borrowers with full entitlement. If part of your entitlement is tied to another VA loan, the county conforming limit ($832,750 baseline in 2026) is used to figure your no down payment amount.
For a first use purchase with less than 5% down it is 2.15% of the loan. It drops to 1.5% with 5% down and 1.25% with 10% down. Subsequent use with less than 5% down is 3.3%.
Veterans receiving VA compensation for a service-connected disability, surviving spouses receiving DIC, and some others listed by the VA, including active duty Purple Heart recipients.
Yes, if the condo project is VA approved. Check the VA condo report before you write an offer.
A veteran with a 10% or greater service-connected disability gets a $5,000 exemption. A veteran with a total and permanent service-connected disability can have a full exemption on the homestead. Others apply for veterans 65 and older with combat related disabilities.
Veterans and active military are eligible occupations for Florida Hometown Heroes, which pairs with Florida Housing first mortgages including VA. Funding is first come, first served.
Ryan and Megan will pull your Certificate of Eligibility, price the loan and help you shop Ponce Inlet homes.
Ryan and Megan Winslow are licensed real estate brokers in Florida, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island and Mortgage Bankers with The Federal Savings Bank. Ryan Winslow NMLS 2426605. Megan Winslow NMLS 2692933. Email [email protected].
Sources: VA.gov home loan eligibility, VA.gov funding fee and closing costs, VA.gov loan limits, FHFA 2026 conforming loan limits, Florida Department of Revenue, exemptions for veterans (PT-109), VA Orlando Healthcare System, Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs, Florida Housing Hometown Heroes, Volusia County Property Appraiser homestead filing, Zillow Home Value Index, U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts. Updated October 2026. Rules change; confirm with Ryan and Megan before you act.
Instant answers on programs, payments, towns and homes, any time, in English or Spanish. Ryan and Megan follow up personally.
Estimates from your inputs only. Not a loan offer, rate quote or approval. Ryan and Megan, Mortgage Bankers with The Federal Savings Bank (NMLS #411500), confirm real numbers.
