VA loan guide for North Carolina
The VA home loan rules are federal. What changes in North Carolina is the property tax relief for disabled veterans, the county loan limits that apply if you have used entitlement, and the state housing programs. Every figure below links to its primary source.
Facts as of September 2026.
The VA funding fee table
The funding fee is a one-time charge on VA-guaranteed loans, set by statute and the same in North Carolina as everywhere else. On a purchase it is a percentage of the loan amount and depends on your down payment and whether you have used the benefit before. Rates below have been in effect since April 7, 2023 (va.gov).
| 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% |
- Cash-out refinance: 2.15% first use, 3.3% subsequent use
- Interest Rate Reduction Refinancing Loan (IRRRL): 0.5%
- Loan assumption: 0.5%
- Manufactured home loan (not permanently affixed): 1%
Who is exempt from the funding fee
- Veterans receiving VA compensation for a service-connected disability
- Veterans eligible for that compensation who receive retirement or active-duty pay instead
- Surviving spouses of Veterans who receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
- Service members with a proposed or memorandum disability rating issued before the loan closes
- Active-duty service members who provide evidence, on or before closing, of having received the Purple Heart
VA also describes a refund of the funding fee if you are later awarded compensation for a service-connected disability with an effective date before your closing (va.gov).
VA loan limits in North Carolina
With full entitlement, there is no VA loan limit. Since January 1, 2020, VA does not cap the loan amount for a borrower with full entitlement, as long as the lender approves the amount and the appraisal supports the price (va.gov; VA Circular 26-19-30).
With remaining entitlement, county limits apply. If part of your entitlement is tied up, for example in a VA loan you have not paid off, VA uses the county conforming loan limit to work out how much it will guarantee. VA’s limits match FHFA’s conforming loan limits, which are published for every North Carolina county and updated each January (FHFA county values; VA Circular 26-25-10 for the 2026 limits).
Your lender and your Certificate of Eligibility determine your actual entitlement. This page explains the rule; it is not a determination of what you can borrow.
Seller credits and the 4% concession cap
VA says the buyer and seller can negotiate who pays closing costs, and it does not limit seller credits for a loan’s closing costs. It does limit seller concessionsto 4% of the home’s reasonable value. Concessions are things of value beyond normal closing costs, such as a credit for the VA funding fee, paying off the buyer’s debt, or prepaying hazard insurance (va.gov).
On a purchase, only the funding fee can be financed into the loan. Other fees are paid at closing, and VA regulations limit which charges the veteran may pay (38 CFR 36.4313).
For how agent commissions fit into these rules, including VA’s 2024 buyer-broker variance, read VA loan commission rules, explained.
North Carolina: disabled veteran homestead exclusion
North Carolina excludes the first $45,000 of appraised value of a qualifying disabled veteran's permanent residence from property tax, for a veteran discharged under honorable conditions. It is set out in N.C. General Statute § 105-277.1C. It is a partial exclusion, not a full exemption as in Virginia and Maryland.
- A qualifying veteran's character of service at separation was honorable or under honorable conditions, and the veteran has a VA certification of a service-connected, permanent, and total disability, or has received VA specially adapted housing benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 2101.
- The statute sets no income limit for this exclusion.
- A surviving spouse of a qualifying disabled veteran who has not remarried may also claim it.
How to apply: Applications go to your county tax assessor, generally on NCDOR Form AV-9 with the veteran's disability certification (Form NCDVA-9).
Sources: N.C. General Statute § 105-277.1C: Disabled veteran property tax homestead exclusion; NCDOR Form AV-9: Application for property tax relief (2026); NCDOR Form NCDVA-9: Certification for disabled veteran's property tax exclusion
First-time home buyer and down payment programs in North Carolina
The North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA) is the state's housing finance agency and the primary source for North Carolina first-time home buyer loans and down payment assistance. Eligibility, income limits, and availability are set by NCHFA, so check its pages directly.
NC Home Advantage Mortgage
NCHFA's home loan with down payment assistance for eligible first-time and move-up buyers.
North Carolina Housing Finance Agency →NC 1st Home Advantage Down Payment
NCHFA describes this as down payment help for eligible first-time buyers and military veterans; amounts and eligibility are on NCHFA's page.
North Carolina Housing Finance Agency →VroomBrick does not administer these programs or determine eligibility. We list them so you can go straight to the source.
Using VroomBrick with a VA loan
We’re a technology platform, not a brokerage. Your VA loan comes from a VA-approved lender. VroomBrick gives you a licensed closing attorney, showing agents, a transaction dashboard, and remote closing and power of attorney support, which matters if you are buying or selling around a PCS move.
VroomBrick charges a 1% technology fee for the platform, paid by the seller at closing. You don’t pay a buyer’s agent commission. On a $400,000 home, a 1% technology fee is $4,000. If a buyer’s agent charged 3%, that would be $12,000, a difference of $8,000. Commissions are negotiable, so your number depends on what you’d have paid.
On a VA purchase, VA rules decide which charges the veteran may pay. Your lender confirms how each charge appears on the Closing Disclosure before you close.
VA loan questions in North Carolina
How much is the VA funding fee in North Carolina?
The VA funding fee is set federally, so it is the same in every state. For a purchase loan with less than 5% down it is 2.15% of the loan amount on first use and 3.3% on subsequent use; with 5% or more down it is 1.5%, and with 10% or more down it is 1.25%. The fee can be financed into the loan. Source: va.gov, rates effective April 7, 2023.
Who does not have to pay the VA funding fee?
Per va.gov: Veterans receiving VA compensation for a service-connected disability (or eligible for it but receiving retirement or active-duty pay instead), surviving spouses receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, service members with a proposed or memorandum rating before closing, and active-duty members who show before closing that they received the Purple Heart. VA also describes a funding fee refund when a disability award is later made retroactive to before closing.
Is there a VA loan limit in North Carolina?
With full entitlement, VA says there is no VA loan limit; the lender still decides how much you can borrow, and the appraisal must support the price. If you have remaining (partial) entitlement, for example because a prior VA loan is still active, the county conforming loan limit published by FHFA is used to calculate how much VA will guarantee without a down payment.
Can the seller pay my closing costs on a VA loan?
VA says buyers and sellers can negotiate who pays closing costs and does not cap seller credits for normal closing costs. Separately, seller concessions (such as paying the VA funding fee, paying off the buyer's debts, or prepaying hazard insurance) are limited to 4% of the home's reasonable value. See our explainer on VA loan commission rules for detail.
What property tax relief do disabled veterans get in North Carolina?
North Carolina excludes the first $45,000 of appraised value of a qualifying disabled veteran's permanent residence from property tax, for a veteran discharged under honorable conditions. It is set out in N.C. General Statute § 105-277.1C. It is a partial exclusion, not a full exemption as in Virginia and Maryland. Applications go to your county tax assessor, generally on NCDOR Form AV-9 with the veteran's disability certification (Form NCDVA-9).
Does VroomBrick work with VA loans?
Yes. VA loans are made by VA-approved lenders; VroomBrick is a technology platform, not a lender and not a brokerage. You bring your VA lender (or use one you find through the platform), and your transaction runs on the VroomBrick dashboard with a licensed closing attorney handling your contracts and closing. VroomBrick charges a 1% technology fee for the platform, paid by the seller at closing. You don't pay a buyer's agent commission. Which fees a veteran may pay on a VA purchase is set by VA rules, and your lender confirms how each charge appears on the Closing Disclosure.
Is Fort Liberty now called Fort Bragg?
Yes. Fort Liberty was renamed Fort Bragg in March 2025 (announced February 2025), now honoring Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, a World War II Battle of the Bulge veteran. The Army held the redesignation ceremony on March 7, 2025.
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Primary sources
- VA.gov: VA funding fee and loan closing costs
- VA.gov: VA home loan limits
- VA Circular 26-19-30: Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 (loans closed on or after Jan. 1, 2020)
- VA Circular 26-25-10: 2026 conforming loan limits (benefits.va.gov)
- FHFA: Conforming loan limit values (county limits)
- eCFR: 38 CFR 36.4313, charges and fees on VA-guaranteed loans
- N.C. General Statute § 105-277.1C: Disabled veteran property tax homestead exclusion
- NCDOR Form AV-9: Application for property tax relief (2026)
- NCDOR Form NCDVA-9: Certification for disabled veteran's property tax exclusion
- North Carolina Housing Finance Agency: Home buyers
Facts on this page checked against the sources above as of September 2026. Rules and program terms change; the linked source is the authority.
This page explains how VA and North Carolina rules work. It is not mortgage, tax, or legal advice. VroomBrick is a technology platform, not a lender or a licensed brokerage.
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