Arizona VA Loans. Done right, the first time.
Mike Certo · Cornerstone First Mortgage · NMLS #260555 ·
Phoenix-based VA loan specialist. PCS to Luke AFB or Davis-Monthan in 60 days? Disabled Veteran trying to claim the new 2026 property tax exemption? VA-specific questions that civilian loan officers fumble through? Mike's done it. Direct line: (480) 296-6513.
Get pre-approved → Talk to Mike first →
Which situation fits you?
The right starting point depends on where you are.
What you get here
You get Arizona-specific VA answers built around how the loan actually works at Luke, Davis-Monthan, Yuma, and Fort Huachuca — the BAH, the neighborhoods, the property-tax breaks, and the PCS timeline. Here's what's waiting for you:
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A deep playbook for your base. Pick your installation and you get BAH by rank, neighborhood-by-neighborhood breakdowns, school districts, commute by gate, the on-base housing waitlist reality, the appraisal pitfalls that trip up Arizona homes, and a 45-day PCS timeline. Start with Luke AFB →
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The HB 2792 tax break, mapped to your county. If you're rated 100% service-connected, Arizona's 2026 law can erase the property tax on your primary residence — often $2,000 to $8,000 a year back in your pocket. You get the exact steps to claim it. See if you qualify →
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A BAH calculator that knows Arizona summers. Most calculators ignore the $300 to $450 July-August utility bill on a Phoenix home and hand you a payment you can't actually carry. Yours won't. Run your numbers →
Pick your base
Tap your installation for the full local playbook — BAH by rank, the neighborhoods that fit your commute, schools, and a step-by-step PCS timeline.
What's new in 2026
Three things changed in 2026 that affect every Arizona VA buyer:
1. HB 2792 — Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption (effective Feb 12, 2026)
The single biggest change in Arizona Veteran benefits in a decade. 100% service-connected disabled Veterans now get a full property tax exemption on their primary residence — no assessed-value cap. Partial-disability Veterans get a proportional exemption against an expanded baseline ($4,873 of assessed value).
For a 100% rated Veteran buying a $475K home in Surprise, this is roughly $2,613/year in cash flow that didn't exist under the old law. Over a 10-year hold, $26,000+ in retained income. Full pillar with county-by-county application instructions →
2. Phoenix BAH dropped 5.1%; Sierra Vista BAH jumped 8.5%
The 2026 DoD BAH adjustments cut Phoenix MHA rates and bumped Sierra Vista MHA rates. Why: the BAH survey caught Phoenix-area rent softening as new apartment supply came online, while Sierra Vista's modest housing stock kept rent pressure intact.
Practical implications: Luke families have less BAH headroom for 2026, but home prices stabilized too, so the rent-vs-buy math actually got better for buyers. Fort Huachuca families have one of the more favorable BAH years on record.
3. 2026 VA conforming loan limit raised to $832,750 statewide
Normal VA loans follow conventional limits — $832,750 in 2026 across all 15 Arizona counties. But here's what most lenders don't say: a Veteran with full entitlement can finance any priced home with $0 down using a VA jumbo. Other lenders cap VA jumbos at $1M or $2M. We don't. We finance VA jumbo loans over $5M for full-entitlement Veterans with no money down. Full loan limits guide →
What I do
Mike handles the full VA loan menu across the Arizona market:
- Purchase loans — Active-duty, retired, surviving spouse. $0 down standard, funding fee waived for Veterans with a 10% or higher service-connected disability rating.
- VA jumbo — Loans above $832,750 for full-entitlement borrowers. Common in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Litchfield Park.
- IRRRL (Interest Rate Reduction Refinance) — VA streamline refi. No income docs, no appraisal, no funding fee for disability waiver Veterans. Useful when rates drop or to remove PMI from a non-VA loan.
- Cash-out refi — Tap equity for debt consolidation, home improvement, or to free up cash. Common after several years of strong AZ appreciation.
- Disability rating refunds — If your VA disability rating came through after closing, you may be entitled to a refund of the funding fee. I handle the paperwork.
- Surviving spouse loans — Full VA benefits available to qualifying surviving spouses. Often misunderstood by national lenders.
For non-VA borrowers (military spouses without VA eligibility, civilian buyers), I also handle conventional and FHA loans through Cornerstone's full product menu.
What makes a VA loan different
A VA loan isn't a different mortgage — it's a conventional 30-year fixed (or 15-year, or ARM) mortgage with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs guaranteeing 25% of the loan to the lender. That guarantee is what lets lenders offer the VA loan's key features:
- $0 down payment For borrowers with full entitlement
- No PMI (private mortgage insurance) — the VA guarantee replaces it
- Competitive interest rates Relative to conventional 30-year financing
- No credit-score minimum — the VA sets none; Cornerstone works down to a 500 FICO where most lenders stop at 580 or 620
- No prepayment penalty
- Assumable — a qualified buyer can take over your VA loan at the original rate (huge value when rates rise)
- VA funding fee — a one-time fee (1.25% to 3.30% of loan amount, depending on down payment and use) that goes to the VA. Waived entirely for Veterans receiving VA service-connected disability compensation and other VA-defined exemption categories.
The VA also imposes some unique requirements:
- Certificate of Eligibility (COE) — proof of VA loan eligibility. Mike pulls this for you in 24-48 hours.
- Minimum Property Requirements (MPR) — VA appraisers will flag properties with health/safety issues. AZ-specific MPR pitfalls include old tile roofs, evap coolers, pool fencing compliance, solar lease assumability. See base pages for details.
- Residual income guideline — the VA's secondary qualification check beyond DTI. Confirms you have enough left over after monthly obligations to cover family basics. For most AZ families this is easy; for stretch borrowers it can be the back-stop check.
Tools
- BAH Calculator — Pick your base, pick your rank, see what BAH actually covers (including AZ summer utility reality).
- VA Loan Limits 2026 — County-by-county limits plus VA jumbo guidance.
- Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption (HB 2792) — Full pillar including county application instructions.
- Eligibility Guide — COE process, surviving spouse rules, reservist eligibility, entitlement restoration.
The Mike approach
A few things that should be true of working with any loan officer, and aren't always:
- Direct line, real human. When you call (480) 296-6513 during business hours, Mike answers. Off-hours, voicemail goes straight to his cell. No call center, no rotating representatives.
- No pressure, no script, no monthly check-in calls. I don't sell you anything you didn't ask about. I don't sell your contact information. When the loan closes, I'm here if you need a refi or a rate drop — not before.
- Honest about pricing. VA pricing moves daily and depends on your credit, loan amount, and the day you lock — so you get your actual numbers on a real Loan Estimate, not a "starting at" teaser. If another lender genuinely beats it and the math holds up, I'll tell you to take it.
- Documented. Every decision in your file gets a paper trail. If something gets weird at underwriting, you'll know exactly why and what we're doing about it.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if I'm eligible for a VA loan?
Eligibility requires: (a) qualifying military service (active duty 90+ days during wartime, 181+ days during peacetime, or 6+ years National Guard/Reserve); (b) honorable or general-under-honorable discharge; (c) sufficient remaining entitlement. The Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is the official confirmation — Mike can pull it from the VA in 24-48 hours. Full eligibility guide →
Can I use a VA loan more than once?
Yes. VA entitlement is restorable. If you've paid off a prior VA loan, the entitlement comes back. If you have an active VA loan and want a second simultaneous one (common for active-duty members who relocate but want to keep the original home as a rental), partial entitlement applies — Mike will walk through the math.
Do I need a 20% down payment?
No — that's the conventional loan rule, not the VA rule. With VA, $0 down is the standard for borrowers with full entitlement. Some buyers put 5-10% down anyway to lower their monthly payment, reduce their funding fee, or shape the monthly payment differently. Mike will model both scenarios for you.
What's a VA funding fee and is it waived for me?
The VA funding fee is a one-time fee paid to the VA to keep the loan program self-funding. On a first-use purchase with no money down it runs 2.15% of the loan amount; it drops if you make a down payment and rises to 3.30% for subsequent zero-down use. It is waived entirely for any Veteran with a 10% or higher service-connected disability rating. That's a $5,000 to $15,000 savings on a typical Arizona purchase.
Can I use a VA loan to buy a second home or investment property?
No. VA loans require the property to be your primary residence (which you must occupy within 60 days of closing). The exception is multi-unit properties (2-4 units) where you live in one unit and rent the others — that's still a primary residence in VA's eyes. For investment properties, conventional or DSCR loans apply.
Do disabled Veterans pay property tax in Arizona?
A Veteran rated 100% service-connected disabled by the VA qualifies for a full property tax exemption on their Arizona primary residence under HB 2792, signed in February 2026 and effective for tax year 2026. Veterans with a partial rating receive a proportional exemption. The benefit also passes to a non-remarried surviving spouse. File the exemption affidavit with your county assessor. Full HB 2792 pillar →
What is the VA loan limit in Arizona for 2026?
There is no VA loan limit if you have full entitlement — you can buy at any price with $0 down, including VA jumbo. The 2026 conforming figure of $832,750 only applies when your entitlement is partial, for example when you already have another active VA loan. 2026 loan limits guide →
What are the 2026 BAH rates for Arizona military bases?
Each Arizona base sets its own Basic Allowance for Housing. For 2026, Phoenix-area rates at Luke AFB dropped about 5.1% from 2025, while Fort Huachuca (Sierra Vista) rose about 8.5%; Davis-Monthan and MCAS Yuma fall in between. Use the BAH calculator to see what your rank and base actually cover after Arizona summer utilities. BAH calculator →
Talk to Mike
If you've gotten this far, you've probably figured out whether this is the right site for your situation. The next move is a free 30-minute call. No pressure, no script, no follow-up sales calls.
Bring your orders (if PCSing), your latest LES or pay stub, and any questions about base, neighborhood, rate, or the path forward. I'll walk through actual numbers.
(480) 296-6513 · mcerto@cfmtg.com · NMLS #260555
Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. This site is educational and not a commitment to lend. Loans subject to buyer and property qualification. AZ Mortgage Brokers License #0910407 retired 2026-05-11; current AZ activity under Cornerstone's national license.
Tax, legal, and property assessment information on this site (including HB 2792 coverage and county-by-county application notes) is provided for general information purposes only. Mike Certo is a mortgage loan originator, not a tax professional or attorney. Consult a licensed Arizona CPA, enrolled agent, or attorney for tax or legal advice specific to your situation. All cited statutes, agency forms, and program rules are linked to original sources for verification.