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Living between Dallas and Fort Worth, retiring in the Mid-Cities, or already an Arlington-area Veteran? Here’s what a VA loan looks like in Arlington, Mansfield and Grand Prairie: where Veterans live, the closest VA care, what Tarrant County taxes really cost, and every benefit that stacks if you have a disability rating.
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Short answer: Yes, you can buy anywhere in Arlington, Mansfield, Grand Prairie and the rest of the Mid-Cities with a VA loan and no down payment. There’s no minimum credit score on a standard VA purchase. Here, the details that change your payment most are the property tax rate, which changes with the county and school district, and hail and homeowners insurance.
Arlington sits right between Dallas and Fort Worth, so you’re within reach of both downtowns, NAS JRB Fort Worth and the Dallas VA Medical Center. Mansfield spans three counties, so taxes can change across the street.
Near I-30, UT Arlington and the entertainment district
Popular areas: North Arlington, central Arlington, the neighborhoods around UTA
Older, established homes and a quick drive to both downtowns. Plan for the VA appraisal on older systems.
Along I-20 and US-287
Popular areas: South Arlington, the Southwest Arlington neighborhoods off Bowman Springs Road
Newer homes and good access to the Grand Prairie VA Clinic and to Mansfield.
Tarrant, Johnson and Ellis counties
Popular areas: Mansfield and its newer subdivisions to the south and east
Popular for schools and newer homes. Which county the home sits in changes the tax bill.
Between Arlington and Dallas
Popular areas: Grand Prairie, the neighborhoods near Joe Pool Lake
Home to the Grand Prairie VA Clinic. Lake-area homes can carry higher prices and HOA dues.
Nearest VA care: Dallas VA Medical Center (South Lancaster Road, Dallas, about 20 miles east), plus VA clinics nearby.
Sherman Street, Grand Prairie
South Lancaster Road, Dallas, about 20 miles east
Southeast Loop 820, Fort Worth
Locations from VA.gov. Services change, so confirm with the VA before you count on a specific clinic.
Texas has no state income tax, so local property taxes carry more of the load. Your bill is the sum of the county, city, school district and any special districts for that exact property. In Tarrant County, homeowners pay about 1.65% of their home’s value in property tax each year on average. A newly purchased home often runs higher, because its value isn’t yet held down by the 10% yearly homestead cap, and two homes a mile apart can differ a lot.
| VA disability rating | Off your home’s taxable value |
|---|---|
| 10% to 29% | $5,000 |
| 30% to 49% | $7,500 |
| 50% to 69% | $10,000 |
| 70% to 99% | $12,000 |
| 100% or individual unemployability | Full homestead exemption |
What that’s worth in Arlington: on a $325,000 to $375,000 home in Tarrant County at the county’s average 1.65% effective rate, a 100% rating eliminates about $5,400 to $6,200 a year in property taxes, and often more on a home you just bought.
You apply with the appraisal district once you own and live in the home. How the exemptions work
Average effective rates are median property taxes paid divided by median home value for owner-occupied homes, from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. They include exemptions current owners already receive.
Arlington and Mansfield put Veterans in the middle of everything: two downtowns, DFW Airport, VA care in Grand Prairie and Dallas, and base privileges at NAS JRB Fort Worth.
Disabled Veterans can combine federal and Texas benefits that most buyers never hear about. Together they can lower your cash to close, your rate and your yearly taxes.
Waiting on a claim? Tell my team. Your expected rating can change your funding fee and your taxes, so we plan around it.
You can earn VA loan eligibility through six years of Guard or Reserve service, or through qualifying active-duty time such as a federal activation. Your Certificate of Eligibility confirms it, and my team can pull it for you. Reservists and VA loans in Texas
If your spouse died in service or from a service-connected disability, you may be eligible for a VA loan with the same $0 down benefit. Surviving spouses who receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) don’t pay the funding fee, and a Texas disabled Veteran property tax exemption can continue for a surviving spouse who hasn’t remarried. We handle these files with extra care and can walk you through the paperwork.
You don’t have to sell it to buy in Arlington. Your remaining entitlement can often buy your next home with $0 down while the first one stays a rental. Second VA loan calculator
A VA streamline refinance (IRRRL) can lower the rate on your current VA loan with less paperwork. A VA cash-out refinance lets you use your equity for repairs or debts.
Some Arlington sellers have older VA loans with low rates you may be able to take over. The seller’s loan servicer handles the assumption itself. My team can finance the second loan that covers the gap between the loan balance and the price. VA assumable loans
Moving again later? You can keep your Arlington home as a rental and keep its VA loan and rate in place.
Mansfield and Grand Prairie each span more than one county, and the school district matters too. Two homes a mile apart can carry very different tax bills, so we price the exact address.
North Texas is hail country, and insurers price that in. Ask how old the roof is, get an insurance quote early, and expect the VA appraisal to check the roof’s remaining life. VA property requirements
Mid-Cities clay swells and shrinks with the weather, so foundation movement is common. A foundation check during your option period is money well spent.
New communities around south Arlington and Mansfield often offer incentives. The builder or seller can pay all your normal closing costs, plus up to 4% of the price in concessions. Seller-paid costs on a VA loan
Johnson and Ellis counties south of Mansfield have land and new communities for Veterans who want a new home. A VA one-time-close construction loan covers the land and the build in one loan: $0 down up to $1 million, with a 620 minimum credit score. In Texas, a Texas Vet loan can also pay off a separate construction loan once the home is finished. It’s treated as a purchase of a never-occupied home, and my team can handle that too.
The Texas Vet loan from the Texas Veterans Land Board is available to eligible Texas Veterans and can be paired with a VA loan. Its rate is set weekly, and Veterans rated 30% or more disabled get a lower rate. My team prices both and shows them side by side so you can pick on total cost, not a headline rate. Texas Vet vs. VA loan
Nothing, if you have full VA entitlement. There is no VA loan limit with full entitlement and no monthly mortgage insurance. The VA funding fee can be rolled into the loan, and Veterans who receive VA disability compensation are exempt from it.
Yes. You can be pre-approved, shop remotely and close before you arrive, as long as you intend to move in and make the home your primary residence, usually within about 60 days. Retirement pay, VA disability pay and Social Security all count as income.
There is no minimum credit score on a standard VA purchase or refinance with my team. We look first at your residual income, the money left each month after your housing payment and bills. VA construction loans start at a 620 score.
Texas Veterans rated 100% disabled, or paid at the 100% rate for individual unemployability, can get a total exemption on their homestead. Veterans rated 10% to 99% get a partial exemption off the home’s taxable value: $5,000 at 10% to 29%, $7,500 at 30% to 49%, $10,000 at 50% to 69% and $12,000 at 70% to 99%.
Often, yes. If you keep your current VA home as a rental, your remaining entitlement can usually buy your Arlington home with $0 down up to a certain price. Above that, you put 25% down on the difference. My team checks your exact numbers from your Certificate of Eligibility.
Yes, if you are an eligible surviving spouse, for example of a service member who died in service or from a service-connected disability. Surviving spouses who receive DIC are exempt from the VA funding fee.
Often both. The Texas Vet loan from the Texas Veterans Land Board can be paired with a VA loan, and its rate is set weekly. My team compares your options side by side so you can see which costs less over the time you plan to own.
The Grand Prairie VA Clinic on Sherman Street is closest for most of Arlington. The Fort Worth VA Clinic on Southeast Loop 820 is close for west Arlington, and the Dallas VA Medical Center is about 20 miles east.
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It was great working with Shirley Mueller and team on my buyer’s home purchase in Houston, TX. The VA home loan process isn’t always easy so, it was great to work with someone who specializes in VA loans. Shirley made the process easy. I highly recommend her. Jamie Terry- Priority One Real Estate
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Shirley was excellent to work with on our client’s VA home loan. VA loans can be tricky and it is so important to work with a loan officer that knows them well. Shirley did an excellent job!
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We had a nightmare of an experience with a previous lender but Shirley and Karolina went above and beyond to not only get us into our home, but provide the best customer service possible! They fought hard for us and thanks to them, we are finally living in our dream home. I highly recommend valoanstexas!
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Working with the VALoansTx team to purchase our home in Texas was an amazing experience. Shirley, Angie, Ashley, and their team were in constant communication with us, making sure that we knew what to expect with every step of the complicated process. In today’s crazy housing market, it was comforting to know that we had an entire team that was only a phone call away. They were quick to answer calls, emails and always very friendly and personable. We could not have achieved this dream without VALoansTx on our team. We will highly recommend to everyone we know buying a home with a VA loan.
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Ms. Shirley and her team are the BEST. Clear communication, specialized VA knowledge, responsiveness, and reduced stress. Thank you all for your help .
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