VA Home Loans on Long Island and Across Downstate New York

I help veterans and service members get VA home loans on Long Island and across downstate New York, comparing VA options from the lenders I work with.

A VA loan is a home loan made by a lender and backed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Eligible veterans, service members and certain surviving spouses can use one to buy a single-family home of up to four units, or a condo in a VA-approved project. You show you're eligible with a Certificate of Eligibility, and the lender still has to approve the loan.

VA loan requirements and who qualifies

VA eligibility is based on your service history. VA.gov gives these examples of the minimums:

• Current service members: at least 90 continuous days of active duty.
• Veterans: the minimum depends on when you served, and VA.gov lists the requirements by service era.
• Current National Guard and Reserve members: at least 90 days of non-training active-duty service, or 6 creditable years, and you continue to serve. Also a police officer, firefighter or EMT? See how lenders count police and fire pay.
• Surviving spouses: certain surviving spouses of veterans also qualify.

If your service doesn't match these examples, check VA.gov's eligibility page; your COE settles the question. Beyond eligibility, VA.gov says you must meet VA's and your lender's standards for credit, income and other requirements, and live in the home. The rules are federal, the same in Suffolk as in Queens.

On Long Island, a VA loan tends to fit eligible buyers shopping for a house, a two- to four-family home or a condo in a VA-approved building. It's a harder fit for a co-op or a house in rough condition (more on both below). If VA isn't open to you, see how FHA loans work on Long Island.

Getting your Certificate of Eligibility

The Certificate of Eligibility (COE) shows lenders that you meet VA's service requirements. It is not a loan approval. VA.gov says you can request it online yourself, or ask your lender to submit an online request for you.

Get it handled before you tour houses. When we work together, I coordinate the request with the lender handling your file so a missing record surfaces early. Meanwhile, start your paperwork with the document checklist for home buyers.

Entitlement and loan size at Long Island prices

VA.gov says that if you have full entitlement, you don't have a loan limit, as long as you can afford the loan and the appraisal supports the purchase price. The lender still has to approve the loan. For loans over $144,000, VA guarantees up to 25% of the loan amount to the lender. That guaranty is what VA would pay the lender if the loan isn't repaid; it isn't an amount you borrow or receive. These rules took effect for loans closed on or after January 1, 2020.

In August 2026 the median single-family sale price was $911,000 in Nassau and $760,000 in Suffolk, per OneKey MLS. For comparison, the 2026 one-unit conforming loan limit is $1,209,750 (FHFA) and the FHA limit is $1,249,125 (HUD), the same in both counties and across New York City, Westchester, Rockland and Putnam; my New York loan limits by county page has both for every county. With full entitlement, a VA-backed loan isn't capped by either figure.

Used your VA benefit before? If part of your entitlement is still tied up in another VA loan, VA uses the county's conforming limit to work out what's left, and a lender may ask for a down payment on a larger loan. Bring me your COE and I'll walk through it before you shop.

The VA funding fee, and who doesn't pay it

The VA funding fee is a one-time payment on a VA-backed or VA direct home loan. VA's funding fee page has the current figures, and your Loan Estimate will show your exact amount. Per VA.gov, you won't pay it if any of these apply:

• You receive VA compensation for a service-connected disability.
• You're eligible for that compensation but receive retirement or active-duty pay instead.
• You receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) as the surviving spouse of a veteran.
• You're a service member with a proposed or memorandum rating, issued before closing, saying you're eligible for compensation because of a pre-discharge claim.
• You're an active-duty member of the Armed Forces and provide evidence, on or before closing, that you received a Purple Heart.

VA appraisals and the 2026 property standards

Every home financed with a VA-backed loan must meet VA's Minimum Property Requirements (MPRs), the standards a property must meet to be eligible, and the VA appraisal is where they're checked. On June 25, 2026, VA announced updates to that appraisal process, now in effect in Chapter 12 of the VA Lenders Handbook (Pamphlet 26-7). They include:

• Removing the full radon gas requirement (Topic 34).
• Revised standards for homes built before 1978 and for homes built in 1978 or later (Topic 32).
• Updated guidance on non-vented heaters (Topic 23).

If you're eyeing an older house or one that needs work, ask me how these standards could apply before you bid.

VA.gov ties its purchase-loan terms to the home's appraised value, so a low appraisal matters. Prices are still rising (OneKey MLS reported August 2026 medians up 7.0% year over year in Suffolk and 4.7% in Nassau), so plan with your attorney for what happens if the appraisal comes in below your contract price.

Condos, multi-family homes and co-ops

VA purchase loans can be used to buy a single-family home of up to 4 units, buy a condo in a VA-approved project, buy a manufactured home or lot, or build a new home.

• Condos. The project has to be VA-approved. Ask me to check the building before you sign a contract, not after.
• Two- to four-family homes. Be careful with “mother-daughter” listings: in the Town of Hempstead, that permit allows a second kitchen only for the owner's children or parents. It isn't a rental-apartment permit, so don't plan on rent from that space.
• Co-ops. Co-ops, common in Manhattan, Queens and Westchester, aren't among the property types on VA.gov's purchase-loan page. If you're set on one, call me before you make an offer so we can look at what financing fits. My guide to co-op loans on Long Island explains VA, FHA and the conventional co-op share loan.

Long Island closing costs to plan for

Whatever loan you choose, New York charges a mortgage recording tax when the mortgage is recorded, and some buyers also owe other state or local taxes at closing. Your Loan Estimate and closing attorney show the exact amounts for your purchase, so confirm them there. This is general information, not tax advice.

Local help for veterans on Long Island, in NYC and in Westchester

Nassau and Suffolk each run a Veterans Service Agency, and so do Westchester, Rockland and Putnam. Nassau's says its mission is to advocate for veterans, their spouses and dependents with VA, New York State and the county.

• Nassau County Veterans Service Agency: 2201 Hempstead Turnpike, Building “Q,” East Meadow, NY 11554.
• Suffolk County Veterans Service Agency: H. Lee Dennison Building, 100 Veterans Memorial Highway, 3rd Floor, Hauppauge, NY 11788, with additional offices in Riverhead, Brookhaven and Stony Brook.
• New York City: the NYC Department of Veterans' Services.
• Westchester, Rockland and Putnam: the Westchester County, Rockland County and Putnam County Veterans Service Agencies, in White Plains, New City and Carmel.

Once you own, ask your assessor about New York's alternative veterans exemption, a local option that can cut part of your property tax where it's offered.

If you are also looking at down payment assistance, I offer private down payment assistance programs available through lenders I work with. They are not New York State, county or town programs and are not affiliated with or endorsed by VA or any other government agency. Whether one can be paired with a VA loan depends on the program and the lender. Terms, eligibility and availability vary by program and lender, are subject to credit, income, property and underwriting guidelines, and can change or end without notice; not everyone will qualify. Read how down payment assistance programs work before counting on one.

Step by step: buying with a VA loan on Long Island

I'm a mortgage loan originator at Scott Capital Group. I don't lend the money; I compare VA loan options from the lenders I work with and manage your file through closing. County details are on my Nassau County mortgage broker and Suffolk County mortgage broker pages.

1. Confirm eligibility. Request your COE, and flag any funding fee exemption you think applies.
2. Gather documents. Pay stubs, tax returns, bank statements and ID. My mortgage document checklist opens with the VA items already checked, including the Certificate of Eligibility.
3. Get pre-approved. A lender reviews your income, assets and credit, subject to its underwriting. The credit check at this stage is only a soft one, so it won't affect your credit score.
4. Shop with VA in mind. Check condo approval, the home's condition and whether a multi-family or mother-daughter setup is what the listing claims.
5. Sign the contract and order the appraisal. After attorney review, the VA appraisal checks value and condition.
6. Underwriting and closing. The lender decides; your attorney handles title and closing taxes.
7. After closing. If you're eligible, register for New York's STAR credit. The STAR exemption is no longer available to new homeowners.

Ready to start? Send me a message through the contact form and I'll tell you what you need for your COE and pre-approval.

Already have a VA loan? The IRRRL

If you already own a home with a VA-backed loan, an Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan (IRRRL) replaces that loan with a new one. VA.gov lists three requirements: you already have a VA-backed home loan, you're using the IRRRL to refinance that loan, and you can certify that you currently live in or used to live in the home it covers. Lender approval still applies. My guide to refinancing a mortgage on Long Island covers how to weigh the decision.

Frequently asked questions

About the author Kevin deNeergaard Mortgage Loan Originator, NMLS #2450179 · Scott Capital Group (NMLS #876527) Founder, The Loan Home Team. I started out as a real estate investor. Now I help buyers, homeowners and investors find the right loan. I work with clients on Long Island, in New York City and in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam. 631-250-6930 · Kevin@scottcapitalgroup.com