VA Loans in Fort Lauderdale: Entitlement, Fees and Broward Tax Breaks

Short answer

Yes. With full VA entitlement there is no VA loan limit, so an eligible veteran may buy a Fort Lauderdale home at the $762,500 Q2 2026 median house price with $0 down, subject to the lender's credit and income approval. Veterans with entitlement still tied up in another VA loan use Broward's $832,750 county limit to figure their zero-down maximum. Broward veterans with a service-connected disability rating can also cut property taxes, from a $5,000 exemption up to a full exemption at a total and permanent rating.

Entitlement at Fort Lauderdale prices

Eligibility, the Certificate of Eligibility and how entitlement works are covered in our Florida VA loan guide. Here is what the math looks like in Fort Lauderdale, as of October 2026.

Full entitlement. VA sets no loan limit. The lender decides how much you can borrow from your credit, income, debts and assets, and the loan cannot exceed the lower of the price or the appraised value. VA guarantees 25% of the loan. At the city's Q2 2026 median house price of $762,500, or a median condo at $483,263, a buyer with full entitlement may qualify with no down payment.

Remaining entitlement. If you still have a VA loan on another home, VA uses the county's one-unit conforming limit. Broward's 2026 limit is $832,750, so the starting figure is 25% of that, $208,187.50, minus the entitlement already charged on your COE.

• Example: $50,000 already charged leaves $158,187.50. Lenders typically want their 25% covered, so $158,187.50 × 4 = $632,750 is about the most you could borrow with no down payment.
• Buying the $762,500 median house in that case, the gap is $129,750 of loan amount, and the lender would typically ask for 25% of that gap, about $32,438, as a down payment.

That is much less than 5% down on a conventional loan at the same price, which is why veterans with a VA loan elsewhere in Broward still use VA for the next home.

The VA funding fee on a Fort Lauderdale purchase

As of October 2026, VA's funding fee rates (effective April 7, 2023) for purchase loans are:

• Less than 5% down: 2.15% first use, 3.3% after first use.
• 5% or more down: 1.5% first or later use.
• 10% or more down: 1.25% first or later use.
• Cash-out refinance: 2.15% first use, 3.3% after. IRRRL: 0.5%.

On a $762,500 Fort Lauderdale house with $0 down and first use, the fee is about $16,394. Put 5% down ($38,125) and the fee on the $724,375 loan drops to about $10,866. On a $483,263 condo with $0 down, first use, it is about $10,390. The fee can be financed into the loan; all other closing costs on a purchase must be paid at closing, by you or through seller concessions, which VA caps at 4% of the reasonable value.

You pay no funding fee if you receive VA compensation for a service-connected disability, are eligible for it but receive retirement or active-duty pay instead, are a surviving spouse receiving DIC, or are an active-duty service member who shows a Purple Heart at or before closing. More in what the VA funding fee is.

Property tax exemptions for veterans in Broward County

These benefits are filed with the Broward County Property Appraiser, not with your lender, but they change your monthly escrow, which changes what you qualify for. As of October 2026:

• Homestead exemption (everyone who lives in the home): removes the first and the third $25,000 of assessed value. The timely filing window for 2027 runs from March 3, 2026 through March 1, 2027; late filing for 2027 closes September 20, 2027. File online at bcpa.net.
• $5,000 disability exemption (s. 196.24): for an honorably discharged veteran with a service-connected disability of 10% or more. A surviving spouse who has not remarried may keep it.
• Total exemption (ss. 196.081 and 196.091): for a veteran with a service-connected total and permanent disability, or a disabled veteran confined to a wheelchair: no ad valorem taxes on the homestead. Broward asks for a certificate from the U.S. Government or the VA; if your rating goes up to 100% after you filed, send the new certificate to the appraiser's exemptions office.
• Combat-disabled discount, age 65+ (s. 196.082): a percentage discount equal to your permanent, service-connected disability percentage, if the disability is combat-related. Filed with Form DR-501DV and VA proof of combat relation by March 1.
• Deployed servicemember exemption (s. 196.173): for service members deployed outside the U.S. on a designated operation, filed each year with Form DR-501M.

What it means in dollars: Fort Lauderdale's combined 2025 proposed operating millage is roughly 18 mills, so the $5,000 exemption saves about $90 a year, while a total exemption on a home assessed near the $762,500 median removes roughly $13,800 a year of ad valorem tax. Tell us about your rating early; we can show a lender the lower escrow once the exemption is documented.

VA and Fort Lauderdale condos

Condos and townhouses were 473 of Fort Lauderdale's sales in Q2 2026, more than the 429 houses. For a VA loan, the condo project must be approved by VA, as of October 2026. There is no single-unit shortcut like FHA's.

Your lender searches VA's WebLGY system for the project. If it is not there, the lender can open a new condo record and upload the association's package: declaration, bylaws, amendments, plat map, rules, meeting minutes, budget, a special assessment letter, a litigation letter and a presale letter if it is new. Older beach buildings with open assessments or litigation take longer.

Ask the association early for the budget, the latest milestone inspection and any special assessment. If the building cannot get VA approval in time, we can compare a conventional loan with your exemption savings in the payment.

Already own in Fort Lauderdale with VA? The IRRRL

If you already have a VA-backed loan on a Fort Lauderdale home, the VA IRRRL refinances it into a new VA loan. You must certify that you live in, or used to live in, the home, and any second mortgage holder must agree to stay in second place. The funding fee is 0.5%, and closing costs can be rolled into the new loan. See what an IRRRL is.

Veterans who work full time for a Florida employer may also be eligible for Florida Hometown Heroes on a purchase: up to 5% of the first mortgage ($10,000 to $35,000) as a 0% deferred second mortgage, and VA first mortgages are eligible. It is for first-time, income-qualified buyers; see our Hometown Heroes page.

QMS Lending is an independent mortgage broker in Miami, FL, with 100+ lenders, so we can place a VA file with a lender whose credit and condo overlays fit yours. Call 305-425-1990, in English or Spanish. Rates vary daily; call for today's pricing. Subject to credit approval. NMLS #1781090. Equal Housing Opportunity. QMS Lending is not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs.