VA Home Loans in Davie, FL: 2026 Costs and Rules

What does a VA home loan cost in Davie, FL?

A VA home loan lets a qualified veteran, active service member, or eligible surviving spouse buy a Davie home with no down payment and no private mortgage insurance, backed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The main cost is a one time VA funding fee, which in 2026 runs 2.15 percent of the loan amount for a first time buyer with nothing down. On a $400,000 Davie home that is $8,600, and it can be financed into the loan or waived if you are a disabled veteran.

The reason the VA loan matters so much in Davie is the down payment math. With the Davie single family median sale price around $857,000 as of July 2026, a conventional buyer often needs tens of thousands of dollars in cash before they even reach closing costs. A VA loan removes that barrier for buyers who earned it through service, which is why it is worth understanding the real numbers before you shop.

Here is how I walk veteran buyers through it.

The VA funding fee: the one cost buyers ask about first

The funding fee is the fee the VA charges to keep the loan program running, and it replaces the mortgage insurance that conventional and FHA buyers pay every month. It is a single charge, not a recurring one, and the rate depends on two things: whether this is your first VA loan and how much you put down.

For 2026, the VA sets the fee at these levels for a purchase:

• First time use, no down payment: 2.15 percent of the loan amount.
• Subsequent use, no down payment: 3.30 percent.
• Any down payment of 5 percent or more: the fee drops, and it drops again at 10 percent down.

On a $400,000 loan with no money down, a first time user pays $8,600. You can pay that in cash at closing or roll it into the loan balance, which lowers your cash to close but raises your monthly payment and long term interest. Most Davie buyers I work with finance it, since the point of a VA loan is usually to preserve cash.

The part buyers miss is the exemption. If you receive VA compensation for a service connected disability, you pay no funding fee at all, per VA guidance on who is exempt. That same exemption applies to some veterans eligible for that compensation who take retirement pay instead, and to certain surviving spouses. On a $400,000 loan, that exemption is worth $8,600 kept in your pocket, so confirm your status with your lender before you assume you owe the fee.

No down payment and no PMI: what makes the VA loan different

Two features set the VA loan apart from every other option a Davie buyer has, and both save real money.

• No down payment. A qualified veteran can finance the full purchase price, up to the limits your entitlement supports. Conventional buyers put down 3 percent to 20 percent, and FHA requires 3.5 percent. On a $520,000 Davie home, that gap is the difference between buying this year and saving for two more.
• No private mortgage insurance. Conventional buyers who put down less than 20 percent pay PMI every month, and FHA buyers pay a mortgage insurance premium for the life of most loans. VA buyers pay neither, which often makes the monthly payment lower even when the rate is similar.

To use these benefits you need a Certificate of Eligibility, which proves your service qualifies you, and you still have to meet the lender’s credit and income standards. The VA does not set a minimum credit score, but individual lenders do. Start by requesting your Certificate of Eligibility through the VA, then get preapproved so you shop with a real number. For the full picture of what closing actually costs on top of financing, walk through the Davie closing costs breakdown before you write an offer.

The Davie appraisal and the local tax break veterans miss

Two local factors decide whether a VA purchase in Davie goes smoothly, and both are worth planning for early.

First, the VA appraisal checks condition, not just value. The appraiser measures the home against the VA Minimum Property Requirements, and in Broward’s older housing stock the common flags are a roof near the end of its life, active termite or wood destroying organism activity, and peeling paint on homes built before 1978. On a well kept Davie home this is a low risk, but on an older listing it can mean the seller has to repair or escrow before closing. Knowing this lets you target homes that will pass and write inspection terms that protect you. It is the same condition lens I apply across the buying a home in Davie process.

Second, the tax break. Florida gives service connected disabled veterans a property tax exemption that most buyers do not know to claim. A veteran with a 100 percent Permanent and Total disability rating pays zero ad valorem property tax on a homestead, and a veteran with a rating of 10 percent or higher gets a $5,000 reduction in assessed value. Because Broward carries higher tax rates than much of the state, the dollar savings here are larger. You apply through the Broward County Property Appraiser by March 1 of the tax year, and if your VA claim is still pending you can file now and have the exemption backdated when your letter arrives. That is money left on the table every year a qualifying veteran does not file.

One more point on offer strength. Some sellers still hesitate on VA offers out of an old belief that they are slower or riskier, but in a Davie market where homes sit an average of 77 days on the market in 2026, a clean VA offer with a preapproval, a Certificate of Eligibility, and a clear timeline competes well. If you are weighing whether to bring your own representation to that conversation, start with whether you need a buyer’s agent in Florida, and for the broader price and rate backdrop see the Davie real estate market outlook.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have to be an active service member to get a VA loan in Davie, FL?

No. Veterans who meet the service requirements, active duty service members, National Guard and Reserve members with qualifying service, and certain surviving spouses can all use a VA loan. You prove eligibility with a Certificate of Eligibility from the VA, then qualify with a lender on credit and income like any other buyer.

How much is the VA funding fee in 2026?

For a first time purchase with no down payment, the 2026 fee is 2.15 percent of the loan amount, which is $8,600 on a $400,000 loan. Subsequent use with no down payment is 3.30 percent. Putting 5 percent or more down lowers the fee. Veterans who receive VA compensation for a service connected disability pay no funding fee at all.

Can I buy a Davie home with no money down using a VA loan?

Yes. A qualified veteran can finance the full purchase price with no down payment, up to the amount your entitlement supports, and pay no monthly private mortgage insurance. You still owe closing costs and either the funding fee or the disabled veteran exemption, so plan for cash to close even when the down payment is zero.

What makes a Davie home fail a VA appraisal?

The VA appraiser checks the home against Minimum Property Requirements. In Broward’s older homes the frequent issues are a roof near the end of its useful life, active termite or wood destroying organism activity, and peeling paint on homes built before 1978. A well maintained home usually passes. When condition problems appear, the seller often repairs or escrows before closing.

Does a disabled veteran get a property tax break in Davie?

Yes. A veteran with a 100 percent Permanent and Total service connected disability rating pays no ad valorem property tax on a Florida homestead, and a rating of 10 percent or higher earns a $5,000 assessed value reduction. You apply through the Broward County Property Appraiser by March 1, and a pending claim can be filed now and backdated later.

Talk to a Davie Real Estate Expert

You can read the VA funding fee chart yourself. What you cannot pull up online is whether a specific Davie home will clear the VA appraisal, how your funding fee or disability exemption changes your real cash to close, and how to write a VA offer that a seller takes seriously in this market. That is the part I run with veteran buyers before they commit. If you are using your VA benefit to buy in Davie, the best next step is a direct conversation. Schedule a strategy call and we will run your specific numbers together.

Anthony Spitaleri

Living in Davie Florida

954-235-5783

Davie, Florida

livingindavieflorida.com

Written by Anthony Spitaleri, Broker Associate with Coldwell Banker and a Davie native. More about Anthony