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Live VA program change log · machine-readable

VA Program Change Tracker

Central log of major VA home loan policy, servicing, and limit changes that impact borrowers, lenders, servicers, and agents. Every entry cites an official circular, handbook section, or FHFA release and adds plain‑language impact notes.

Last manual review: Dec 18, 2026 (unchanged for 2026)
Scope: VA circulars · VA Lender’s Handbook · VA.gov · FHFA loan-limit releases
Program changes tracked
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Major updates (last 12 months)
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Most recent published change
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Program change log

Sorted with the most recent changes first. Use filters above to zero in on entitlement, fees, servicing, or other specific topics.

Published · Effective Limits & Entitlement Severity: Major

FHFA announces 2026 conforming loan limits used in VA partial-entitlement math

Impacts: Borrowers, Lenders

Baseline one-unit conforming loan limit increases to $832,750, with higher caps in designated high-cost counties. VA uses these values when calculating how much borrowers with partial entitlement can borrow with little or no down payment.

This change affects Veterans who still have an active VA loan or who had a prior VA loss. Their maximum zero-down loan in a new county depends on the local one-unit conforming limit and how much basic entitlement remains charged to existing loans.

limitsentitlementpolicy2026
Source: FHFA 2026 conforming loan limits
Published · Effective Limits & Entitlement Severity: Moderate

FHFA increases 2026 conforming loan limits, raising VA partial-entitlement room

Impacts: Borrowers, Lenders

Baseline conforming loan limit rises for one-unit homes, with higher limits in designated high-cost counties. For many Veterans with partial entitlement, this increases their maximum zero-down purchase price.

Borrowers who keep an existing VA-financed home or who experienced a prior VA loss gain more zero-down capacity when buying again. The county one-unit conforming limit is a key input when lenders calculate remaining entitlement and required down payment.

limitsentitlementpolicy2026
Source: FHFA 2026 conforming loan limits
Published · Effective Fees & Closing Costs Severity: Major

VA issues temporary local variance allowing Veterans to pay buyer-broker charges

Impacts: Borrowers, Lenders, Real estate agents

Circular 26-24-14 authorizes a temporary local variance so Veterans may pay reasonable and customary buyer-broker charges on VA-guaranteed purchases, subject to VA limits and investor requirements.

The guidance responds to changing real estate commission practices. It clarifies that Veteran-paid buyer-broker charges can be permitted without treating them as prohibited fees when they are reasonable, customary, and otherwise compliant with VA and investor rules.

policyfeesbuyer-broker2026
Source: VA Circular 26-24-14
Published · Effective Servicing & Default Severity: Major

VA announces targeted foreclosure moratorium and VA Servicing Purchase program

Impacts: Servicers, Borrowers

Circular 26-24-12 directs a targeted moratorium on certain foreclosures while VA implements the VA Servicing Purchase program, aimed at helping struggling borrowers avoid foreclosure and secure affordable payments.

The circular describes which VA-guaranteed loans fall under the moratorium, how servicers should handle pending foreclosures, and how the new VA Servicing Purchase loss-mitigation option is intended to stabilize Veteran homeowners and reduce avoidable foreclosures.

servicingdefaultloss-mitigation2026
Source: VA Circular 26-24-12
Published · Effective Eligibility & Entitlement Severity: Major

Blue Water Navy changes remove VA county loan limits for borrowers with full entitlement

Impacts: Borrowers, Lenders

After Blue Water Navy-related changes, VA no longer applies county loan limits to borrowers with full entitlement. Loan limits mainly affect borrowers with partial entitlement.

VA explains that Veterans with full entitlement can obtain loans of any size they qualify for, subject to lender approval and standard underwriting. County loan limits remain relevant when entitlement is already partially used or charged to a prior VA loss.

eligibilityentitlementpolicy2020
Source: VA loan limits explainer

How to use this tracker

This page is meant to sit alongside the rest of the VA Loan Network data hub as the “what changed and when” layer. Use it to keep your guides, pricing tools, underwriting overlays, and training content current.

  • Scan recent changes before updating internal overlays, disclosures, or training decks.
  • Link each entry to the relevant dataset page (funding fee, limits, MPRs, IRRRL, etc.) when your internal docs need examples.
  • Have loan officers and agents bookmark this page for a vetted, human‑readable explanation of breaking changes.
  • Add trend monitoring to your existing VA watch automation by consuming the embedded JSON (Download JSON) instead of scraping circular PDFs.
  • Export the CSV log and join it with your lock/pricing data to see which policy shifts actually moved pull‑through or fallout.
  • Methodology / update policy: How this tracker is maintained

Frequently Asked Questions

Short, direct answers you can use in underwriting overlays, training material, or client explanations.

What counts as a “program change” on this page?
We log changes that affect eligibility, entitlement, loan limits, fees, servicing, or appraisal/property rules and that are backed by an official VA or FHFA source.
Does this replace reading the actual VA circular or handbook section?
No. Every entry links to the governing circular, handbook chapter, or FHFA release. This page gives you a fast summary and impact notes, not legal advice.
How often is the tracker updated?
We review new VA circulars, handbook revisions, and FHFA loan-limit announcements continuously and update the tracker when a change materially affects real borrowers or lenders.
Can I rely on this page for compliance decisions?
Use it as a vetted starting point and index. For binding compliance decisions, always read the source document and follow your company’s legal and risk guidance.
Why are FHFA conforming-loan-limit changes included?
VA uses conforming loan limits when calculating how much Veterans with partial entitlement can borrow with little or no down payment, so FHFA changes ripple into VA scenarios.
What is the Blue Water Navy impact on VA loan limits?
Since 2020, a borrower with full entitlement is not capped by county loan limits. Limits mainly matter when entitlement is already charged to an active VA loan or prior loss.
Why is buyer-broker compensation on this tracker?
VA’s temporary variance on Veteran-paid buyer-broker charges directly affects fee structure, disclosures, and seller-concession math, so it belongs in a program-change log.
How does the foreclosure moratorium affect active pipelines?
The targeted moratorium directs servicers to pause many foreclosures while VA rolls out the VA Servicing Purchase option, affecting workout timelines and loss-mitigation strategies.
Can I feed this tracker into my own alerting system?
Yes. Your automation can parse the embedded JSON or exported CSV to detect new entries by published date and push Slack, email, or in‑app alerts.
Where do I find the raw circulars and handbook chapters?
Links in each row point to specific circulars or releases. You can also start from VA’s circular index, handbook index, and FHFA loan-limit pages listed below.

Sources

Primary references for the program changes currently logged on this page.

© 2026 VA Loan Network · Last verified Dec 18, 2026 (unchanged for 2026)
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Validated by: , Senior Loan Officer NMLS#1001095
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