Veterans, VA loans and military moves

Realtor for Veterans & Military Retirees in Jacksonville and Northeast Florida

Joey Larsen is a REALTOR® with La Rosa Realty North Florida (Retire Me To Florida) and a U.S. Army veteran who helps veterans, military retirees and military families buy and sell homes in Jacksonville, St. Johns County, Clay County and across Northeast Florida. Joey holds the Military Relocation Professional (MRP) certification and works often with buyers using VA home loans, from PCS moves to retirement homes.

By Joey Larsen, REALTOR® with La Rosa Realty North Florida. Updated October 2026.

1 in 6Homes sold in Duval, St. Johns, Clay and Nassau counties in the past year were bought with a VA loan (4,200 of 25,720)
27%Share of Clay County home sales financed with a VA loan
140,000+Veterans living in Duval, Clay, St. Johns and Nassau counties
$0Florida state income tax on military retirement pay

VA share: realMLS closed residential sales, October 2025 to October 2026, analyzed by Joey Larsen. Veterans: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, 2020 to 2024.

Why do veterans and military retirees choose Northeast Florida?

  • Five military installations within an hour or so. Naval Air Station Jacksonville is the largest installation in Navy Region Southeast, Naval Station Mayport is the third largest fleet concentration area in the United States, and Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island, Camp Blanding Joint Training Center near Starke and Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, just over the Georgia line, are close by.
  • VA health care close to home. Jacksonville has three VA clinics, including the Jacksonville North VA Clinic and Domiciliary that opened in April 2024. There are VA clinics in St. Augustine and Middleburg, and VA medical centers in Lake City and Gainesville.
  • No state income tax. Florida has no personal income tax, so military retirement pay, Social Security and VA benefits aren't taxed by the state.
  • Property tax help for disabled veterans. Florida offers exemptions from $5,000 off assessed value up to a full exemption on a homestead, depending on the disability rating.
  • A big veteran community. More than 140,000 veterans live in Duval, Clay, St. Johns and Nassau counties, and Jacksonville National Cemetery serves the region.

How many homes in Northeast Florida are bought with VA loans?

About 1 in 6 homes sold in Duval, St. Johns, Clay and Nassau counties over the past 12 months was bought with a VA loan. In Clay County, which borders NAS Jacksonville and is home to Camp Blanding, it was more than 1 in 4. For sellers, that means a home that's ready for a VA appraisal reaches a large share of buyers.

County Homes bought with a VA loan All homes sold VA share
Clay 977 3,583 27.3%
Nassau 275 1,506 18.3%
Duval (Jacksonville) 2,201 13,534 16.3%
St. Johns 747 7,097 10.5%
All four counties 4,200 25,720 16.3%

Source: realMLS closed residential sales (single-family homes, townhomes and condos) from about October 20, 2025 to October 20, 2026, where the buyer's financing was recorded as VA, analyzed by Joey Larsen.

How do VA home loans work in Florida?

  • No down payment and no mortgage insurance. With a VA-backed purchase loan you can buy with no down payment as long as the price isn't above the appraised value, and there's no private mortgage insurance.
  • Loan limits. If you have full entitlement, there's no VA loan limit. If part of your entitlement is still tied up in another VA loan, the 2026 county limit of $832,750 in Duval, St. Johns, Clay and Nassau counties sets how much you can borrow with no down payment.
  • The funding fee. For a purchase, it's 2.15% of the loan on first use with less than 5% down, 3.3% after first use, and 1.5% or 1.25% with 5% or 10% down. Veterans who receive VA disability compensation don't pay it, and neither do surviving spouses who receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation or active-duty Purple Heart recipients.
  • Seller help. A seller can pay normal closing costs, and can also pay concessions such as your funding fee or paying off a debt, up to 4% of the home's VA reasonable value.
  • The VA appraisal. The home has to meet VA's Minimum Property Requirements for a safe, sound and sanitary home, so some repairs may need to be made before closing.
  • Assumable loans. A qualified buyer can take over an existing VA loan with the lender's approval, which can be valuable when the seller's rate is lower than today's.
  • Your Certificate of Eligibility. You can request it online at VA.gov, through your lender or with VA Form 26-1880.

Florida Hometown Heroes: active-duty service members, reservists, Coast Guard and Florida National Guard members, and veterans employed full-time by a Florida employer may qualify for down payment and closing-cost help of 5% of the first mortgage, from $10,000 to $35,000, as a 0% deferred loan. The first-time-buyer rule is waived for them, but income and other limits apply, and funding is first-come, first-served and has run out before. Ask a participating lender whether funds are available.

Where do military families live near each base?

Where you live usually comes down to the commute, schools and how long you expect to stay. These are the areas many military families compare for each installation:

Installation Where it is Areas families often compare
Naval Air Station Jacksonville Southwest Jacksonville on the St. Johns River Orange Park, Fleming Island, Oakleaf and Argyle, Mandarin, Riverside and Avondale
Naval Station Mayport Mayport, east Jacksonville Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Arlington, the Intracoastal West area
Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island North Jacksonville on the St. Johns River Northside, Arlington, Yulee
Camp Blanding Joint Training Center Near Starke, Clay County Middleburg, Keystone Heights, Green Cove Springs
Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay St. Marys, Georgia Yulee, Fernandina Beach and Callahan in Nassau County, Florida

What Florida property tax benefits do veterans get?

  • Homestead exemption: Florida homeowners who own the home and make it their permanent residence by January 1 can take up to $51,411 off its assessed value for 2026.
  • Disabled veterans: a $5,000 exemption for an honorably discharged veteran with a disability rating of 10% or more.
  • Total and permanent disability: a full property tax exemption on the homestead for a veteran with a service-connected total and permanent disability.
  • Combat-disabled veterans 65 and older: a property tax discount equal to the percentage of a permanent, combat-related disability.
  • Deployed service members and surviving spouses of service members who died on active duty have their own exemptions.

Apply with your county property appraiser by March 1. For the full list and requirements, see the Florida Department of Revenue's property tax guide for veterans in the sources below.

Moving here on PCS orders or retiring from service?

  • PCS moves: start with your Basic Allowance for Housing from the Defense Travel Management Office's BAH calculator, then decide whether to buy or rent based on how long you expect to stay. Joey can do most of the search by video before you arrive.
  • Keeping the home after you move: VA loans are for a home you'll live in, but many service members keep the home as a rental after their next PCS. Ask your lender how that affects your remaining entitlement.
  • Retiring from service: military retirees often choose St. Johns County or a 55+ community near VA care. See retiring to St. Augustine and St. Johns County and 55+ communities in Northeast Florida.
  • Selling when you PCS out: with so many buyers using VA loans, Joey checks for common VA appraisal issues before the home is listed, so a contract doesn't fall apart over repairs.

How does Joey Larsen help veterans and military families?

  • Has worn the uniform. Joey is a U.S. Army veteran and knows the PCS timeline and the VA loan process from the buyer's side.
  • MRP certified. Joey holds the National Association of REALTORS® Military Relocation Professional certification, which focuses on serving active-duty service members, veterans and their families.
  • Gets VA deals to the closing table. Joey works with lender partners who close VA loans on time, negotiates seller help within VA's 4% concession limit, and flags likely appraisal repairs before you're under contract.
  • Knows the whole region. From the beaches near Mayport to Clay County near NAS Jacksonville and Nassau County near Kings Bay, Joey compares drive times, flood zones and insurance for each home.
  • Plans for the next move. Whether you'll rent the home out after your next PCS or retire here, Joey helps you buy with resale and rental in mind.

Joey has been licensed in Florida since 2014, has been the #1 listing agent in the La Rosa Realty North Florida office for the past three years and holds a 4.9-star rating from 103 Google reviews. More about Joey Larsen.

Questions veterans ask about buying in Northeast Florida

Who is a good realtor for veterans and military families in Jacksonville?

Joey Larsen, a REALTOR® with La Rosa Realty North Florida (Retire Me To Florida), is a U.S. Army veteran with the Military Relocation Professional (MRP) certification who helps veterans, military retirees and military families buy and sell homes in Jacksonville and Northeast Florida, including buyers using VA home loans. Joey has been licensed in Florida since 2014 and holds a 4.9-star rating from 103 Google reviews.

Do I need a down payment for a VA loan in Florida?

No, as long as the price isn't above the appraised value and you have full entitlement. If part of your entitlement is in use on another VA loan, the 2026 county limit of $832,750 in Duval, St. Johns, Clay and Nassau counties sets how much you can borrow with no down payment.

Can the seller pay closing costs on a VA loan?

Yes. A seller can pay normal closing costs, plus concessions such as the VA funding fee or paying off a buyer's debt, up to 4% of the home's VA reasonable value.

Do disabled veterans pay property taxes in Florida?

It depends on the rating. Veterans with a disability rating of 10% or more get a $5,000 exemption, and veterans with a service-connected total and permanent disability can get a full exemption on their homestead. Combat-disabled veterans 65 and older can get a discount equal to their disability percentage.

Does Florida tax military retirement pay?

No. Florida has no personal income tax, so military retirement pay, Social Security and VA benefits aren't taxed by the state.

How common are VA loans in Northeast Florida?

Very common. Over the past 12 months, about 1 in 6 homes sold in Duval, St. Johns, Clay and Nassau counties (4,200 of 25,720) was bought with a VA loan, and in Clay County it was 27%, according to Joey Larsen's review of realMLS sales.

Talk with Joey about your move

PCS orders, a VA loan question or a retirement plan: tell Joey your timeline and your base or the area you're considering, and you'll get a straight answer about where to look and what it will cost.

Call or text (904) 863-6679Email Joey

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