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PCSing to JBSA, retiring here, or already a San Antonio Veteran? Here’s what a VA loan looks like in Military City USA: where people live near each gate and VA care, your 2026 BAH, what Bexar 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 San Antonio and the surrounding counties with a VA loan and no down payment. Your BAH counts as income, and my team grosses it up because it isn’t taxed. There’s no minimum credit score on a standard VA purchase. The two San Antonio details that change your payment most are the property tax rate on the specific address and any HOA, MUD or PID fees in newer subdivisions.
JBSA is one joint base spread across separate installations, so “close to base” depends on which gate you’ll use every day. Traffic on Loop 410, Loop 1604 and I-35 matters as much as the miles.
Air Force basic training, tech schools, Wilford Hall
Popular areas: Westover Hills, Alamo Ranch, Far West Side, Southwest side along Loop 1604 and Hwy 90
Newer subdivisions with HOAs and some special districts. Check the full tax rate, not just the price.
Army medicine, Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC), Army North
Popular areas: Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills, Windcrest, Northeast side, near-downtown neighborhoods
More older homes. VA appraisers look closely at roofs, chipping paint and foundations on pre-1978 houses.
Air Education and Training Command, pilot instructor training
Popular areas: Universal City, Schertz, Cibolo, Converse, Live Oak, Selma
Much of this area sits in Guadalupe County or the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD, so tax rates differ from Bexar.
Field training, and a quick drive for many Fort Sam families
Popular areas: Helotes, Leon Springs, Fair Oaks Ranch, Stone Oak, Boerne (Kendall County)
Larger lots and Hill Country acreage. A good fit for VA one-time-close construction.
San Antonio has one of the largest VA medical centers in Texas, which is a big reason so many Veterans retire here. Medical Center, Leon Valley, Oak Hills and Helotes put you closest.
South Texas Medical Center, northwest San Antonio
The main hospital for the South Texas Veterans Health Care System, with clinics across the metro.
JBSA-Fort Sam Houston
For military retirees and families with TRICARE.
Locations from VA.gov. Services change, so confirm with the VA before you count on a specific clinic.
All three JBSA installations use the San Antonio housing allowance. These are the monthly 2026 rates, effective January 1. See every grade on the Texas BAH page.
| Pay grade | With dependents | Without dependents |
|---|---|---|
| E-4 | $1,728 | $1,359 |
| E-5 | $1,869 | $1,500 |
| E-6 | $2,094 | $1,596 |
| E-7 | $2,112 | $1,731 |
| E-8 | $2,121 | $1,920 |
| W-2 | $2,118 | $1,917 |
| O-2 | $2,091 | $1,827 |
| O-3 | $2,127 | $2,007 |
| O-4 | $2,307 | $2,088 |
| O-5 | $2,457 | $2,100 |
BAH is tax-free, so when my team qualifies you we gross it up by 25%. A $1,869 allowance counts like about $2,336 of taxable pay. Run your numbers with the residual income calculator.
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 Bexar County, homeowners pay about 1.73% 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 San Antonio: on a $350,000 to $400,000 home in Bexar County at the county’s average 1.73% effective rate, a 100% rating eliminates about $6,100 to $6,900 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.
San Antonio is one of the most popular places in the country to retire from the military, largely because the support system stays close after you leave active duty.
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 San Antonio. 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 San Antonio 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
PCSing out later? You can keep your San Antonio home as a rental and keep its VA loan and rate in place.
Homes near Salado Creek, Leon Creek, the San Antonio River and their tributaries can fall in a FEMA flood zone. If so, flood insurance is required and adds to your payment. Check the map before you write an offer.
Many newer subdivisions on the far west and northeast sides carry HOA dues, and some add a municipal utility district or public improvement district assessment. Those count in your payment and your budget.
On new construction, the builder or seller can pay all your normal closing costs, plus up to 4% of the price in concessions, which can pay down your other debts. Seller-paid costs on a VA loan
Near Fort Sam and inside Loop 410, many homes are decades old. The VA appraisal checks roof life, peeling paint, heating and safety items, so plan for repairs before closing. VA property requirements
Boerne, Fair Oaks Ranch, Helotes and the Hill Country toward Bandera draw a lot of JBSA families who want land. 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. With PCS orders to JBSA you can be pre-approved, shop remotely and close before you arrive, as long as you intend to move in and make it your primary residence, usually within about 60 days. Your orders can document your income for the new duty station.
Yes. BAH and BAS count as income. Because BAH is not taxed, my team grosses it up when we qualify you, which helps your numbers. San Antonio BAH for 2026 ranges from $1,728 for an E-4 with dependents to $2,457 for an O-5 with dependents.
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 San Antonio 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.
VA construction loan
Shirley and her team were an absolute pleasure to work with. They helped my wife and I obtain a VA Construction Loan which gave us the ability to build our dream home.
Agent referral · VA purchase in Houston
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
Agent referral · VA purchase
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!
Switched from another lender
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!
VA purchase
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.
VA purchase
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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