Veterans Day 2026: An Ohio Veteran's Guide to Buying a Home

Before anything else: thank you. To every veteran, active-duty service member, Guard and Reserve member, and military family reading this, our whole team is grateful for what you've given. Veterans Day is a day to say that out loud, and we mean it.

We also want to do something useful with the day. Veterans have earned some of the strongest home buying benefits available anywhere, and a lot of them never use them, or use them without knowing the full picture. So here's a plain-English guide to what Ohio veterans should know before buying a home.

Thank you for your service

We work with buyers and sellers all over Ohio, and some of our favorite clients have been veterans and military families. They tend to be organized, direct and ready to make a decision once they have the facts. Our job is to give them those facts clearly, without the sales pitch.

If you served, you've earned these benefits. Using them isn't taking a handout. It's collecting on a promise.

The VA home loan in plain English

The VA doesn't usually lend the money itself. It guarantees part of a loan made by a private lender, and that guarantee is what makes the terms so strong. According to the VA's purchase loan page, the big advantages are:

• No down payment for most qualified buyers, as long as the sale price isn't above the appraised value.
• No monthly private mortgage insurance. On a conventional or FHA loan with a small down payment, that monthly cost can add up to a lot over the years.
• No VA loan limit if you have full entitlement. Your lender still decides how much you qualify for based on your income and credit.
• Competitive rates and limits on certain closing costs.

The first step is your Certificate of Eligibility, or COE. Your lender can usually pull it for you in minutes, or you can request it through VA.gov.

The VA funding fee, and who doesn't pay it

VA loans have a one-time funding fee instead of monthly mortgage insurance. It can be paid at closing or rolled into the loan. Per the VA's funding fee page, on a purchase with less than 5% down it's 2.15% of the loan the first time you use the benefit and 3.3% after that. Put 5% or more down and it drops to 1.5%, and 10% or more brings it to 1.25%.

Here's the part many veterans miss: if you receive VA compensation for a service-connected disability, you're generally exempt from the funding fee entirely. Certain surviving spouses and Purple Heart recipients are exempt too. Your COE will show whether you're exempt, so check it before you assume you'll pay the fee.

Ohio Heroes: a lower rate from the state

The Ohio Housing Finance Agency runs a program called Ohio Heroes that offers a discounted interest rate to veterans, active-duty military and reserve members, including surviving spouses. It's also open to police, firefighters, EMTs, nurses and teachers, so it's worth passing along to anyone in your family who serves in those roles.

A few details from OHFA's 2026 homebuyer program overview:

• OHFA programs are normally for first-time buyers, but honorably discharged veterans are exempt from that rule, even if you own a home now.
• Ohio Heroes can be paired with down payment assistance of 3.5% of the price on a VA, FHA or USDA loan. That assistance is forgiven after seven years, but it's repaid if you sell sooner.
• OHFA requires a 640 credit score or higher for a VA loan through its programs, and there are income and purchase price limits that vary by county.

Not every lender offers OHFA loans, so ask before you apply. We covered other assistance options in our post on down payment assistance for first-time buyers.

The disabled veteran homestead exemption

Ohio gives a property tax break to veterans with a total disability rating. For the 2026 tax cycle, Lake County Veteran Services explains that qualifying veterans are exempt from taxes on the first $58,000 of their home's value, which is double the standard $29,000 homestead exemption. There's no age or income requirement.

To qualify, you need a 100% permanent and total disability rating, or a permanent and total rating based on individual unemployability. The home has to be yours and your primary residence as of January 1 of the year you apply. You'll usually need your VA award letter and your DD 214. Certain surviving spouses can qualify as well.

You apply through your county auditor, not the VA, and it isn't automatic. If you're buying, ask the auditor's office about timing so you file for the right year.

What sellers and agents should know about VA offers

Some sellers still hesitate when they see a VA offer. They've heard the appraisal is tougher or the process takes longer. In our experience, a VA buyer with a solid lender is as strong as anyone else.

Two things are worth knowing. First, the VA appraisal checks that the home meets basic minimum property requirements, meaning it's safe, sound and sanitary. Obvious issues like peeling paint on older homes, a broken handrail or a roof at the end of its life can come up. In cities with point-of-sale inspections, like the ones we covered in our Twinsburg point-of-sale post, a lot of those items may already be on the list.

Second, sellers can contribute toward a VA buyer's costs. The VA caps "concessions," like paying the buyer's funding fee or paying off a buyer's debt, at 4% of the home's appraised value. Normal closing costs a seller pays don't count toward that cap. Your lender will confirm how each item is classified.

Free help that many veterans don't use

Every county in Ohio has a Veterans Service Office that helps veterans understand and apply for benefits. If you're working on a disability rating, need your DD 214, or aren't sure what you qualify for, that office is a great first call before you start house hunting.

From there, the order we'd suggest is simple: get your COE, talk to a lender who closes VA loans regularly (and ask whether they offer Ohio Heroes), then start looking with an agent who knows how VA offers work in your area.

How the Mike Team can help

Our team has agents across Northeast Ohio and Central Ohio, and we've helped plenty of veterans and military families buy and sell. We'll help you line up the right lender, write an offer that sellers take seriously, and handle the inspection and appraisal without surprises.

To every veteran: thank you again. If buying a home is on your list for the coming year, we'd be honored to help you use the benefits you earned.

Mike Ferrante
The Mike Team at LPT Realty
www.21mike.com
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+1 (216) 373-7727