Know Before You Own Free Guide Calculator
Home buyer help · Virginia

Buying a home in Virginia: the help you may qualify for.

Down payment assistance, property tax exemptions and veteran benefits in Virginia, gathered from official state sources and explained in plain English. Every program has its own rules, so check with the agency before you count on it.

See my monthly cost Check my exemptions
Last checked November 11, 2026Sources state agencies

Down payment and closing cost help

From the Virginia Housing.

  • Down Payment Assistance Grant

    2% (conventional) or 2.5% (FHA) of the loan

    A grant you never repay, used for the down payment with a Virginia Housing bond loan. You put in at least 1%.

  • Community Heroes Grant Military and heroes

    $10,000

    For first-time buyers who are educators, healthcare workers, first responders and other qualifying professions.

    Community Heroes Grant details

Who qualifies: First-time buyers (or repeat buyers in certain areas), credit score 620 (FHA) or 640 (conventional), income and price limits, through a Virginia Housing lender.

Property tax exemptions and credits

Exemptions lower your home’s taxable value or your bill. Most aren’t automatic: you apply with your local Commissioner of the Revenue. Virginia’s official exemptions information.

No exemption for every homeownerVirginia doesn’t have a statewide property tax exemption for every homeowner. Its benefits are for the groups below. Some cities and counties add their own, so ask your local Commissioner of the Revenue.

For homeowners 65 and older

  • Local relief for seniors and people with disabilities

    Varies by city or county

    Virginia has no statewide homestead exemption, but most cities and counties offer tax relief or deferral for homeowners 65 or older or permanently disabled, with local income and net worth limits.

    How to apply: With your local Commissioner of the Revenue or treasurer. (Code of Virginia §58.1-3210)

For veterans

  • Disabled veteran exemption

    Full exemption on your home (and up to one acre)

    For veterans rated 100% service-connected, permanent and total (including individual unemployability rated permanent and total). It continues for an unremarried surviving spouse, who can move within Virginia and keep it.

    How to apply: With your local Commissioner of the Revenue. (Virginia Constitution, Art. X, §6-A)

For surviving spouses and other situations

  • Surviving spouse of a service member killed in action

    Full exemption on your home

    For the surviving spouse of a member of the armed forces who died in the line of duty. Ask your locality about surviving spouses of first responders too.

    How to apply: With your local Commissioner of the Revenue. (Virginia Constitution, Art. X, §6-A)

Want to see which ones fit you? Answer a few questions in the property tax exemptions checker.

If you serve or served

  • VA home loan: available in every state, often with no down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance. You’ll need a Certificate of Eligibility. See VA home loans.
  • Community Heroes Grant: $10,000. For first-time buyers who are educators, healthcare workers, first responders and other qualifying professions.
  • Property tax: veterans in Virginia may qualify for Disabled veteran exemption. See the details above.

Your next steps

  1. Work out a monthly cost you’re comfortable with in the home cost calculator. It also lists Virginia’s programs with the loans you may qualify for.
  2. Talk with a free or low-cost HUD-approved housing counselor. Find one near you.
  3. Ask each lender which of these programs they work with, and compare Loan Estimates from at least three.
  4. Follow the step-by-step home buyer’s guide from budget to keys.

Common questions

Does Virginia have down payment help for home buyers?

Yes. Programs from Virginia Housing include Down Payment Assistance Grant, Community Heroes Grant. First-time buyers (or repeat buyers in certain areas), credit score 620 (FHA) or 640 (conventional), income and price limits, through a Virginia Housing lender. Funding and rules change often, so check with the agency or a participating lender.

Does Virginia have a homestead or property tax exemption for homeowners?

Virginia doesn't have a statewide exemption for every homeowner. Its property tax benefits are for groups such as seniors, veterans and people with disabilities. Ask your local Commissioner of the Revenue about local programs.

Is there help for veterans buying a home in Virginia?

VA home loans are available in every state, often with no down payment. Virginia also has a program with benefits for military, veterans or other public servants: Community Heroes Grant. Veterans may also qualify for property tax benefits such as Disabled veteran exemption.

Sources: Virginia Housing and Virginia’s property tax office, linked above. Last checked November 11, 2026. Programs, amounts, income limits and funding change often, sometimes every year. Know Before You Own doesn’t recommend lenders or take referral fees. This page is general education, not legal, tax or lending advice. See other states.