Guide № 12 · State programs
A few states run their own veteran loan programs. Here they are.
These are separate from the federal VA loan: state-run programs with their own money, their own rates, and sometimes their own perks. Only a handful of states genuinely have one. If yours does, it’s worth pricing against the federal benefit before you commit to either.
Texas
Veterans Land Board (VLB) home loans
State-bond-funded home loans up to $832,750 (2026) on 15 to 30 year fixed terms, usable alongside or instead of a federal VA loan. The VLB also runs a land-loan program unique in the country: financing for buying acreage itself.
Worth knowing: Veterans with a VA disability rating of 30% or higher get a discounted interest rate. Note: the VLB's separate home-improvement loan program paused new applications effective April 30, 2026, while the program is re-evaluated.
California
CalVet home loans
California's Department of Veterans Affairs acts as the lender itself, offering below-market rates with low or no down payment. CalVet technically buys the home and contracts it to you, a structure that comes with its own insurance package.
Worth knowing: Because CalVet is the lender, its rates and terms move independently of the market. Some years it beats a federal VA loan, some years it doesn't. Price both before choosing.
Official: CalVet home loans
Oregon
ODVA home loans
The Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs is a direct lender and servicer exclusively for Oregon veterans, historically at reduced rates. It's one of only a few state-run mortgage operations in the country.
Worth knowing: A state-constitution-backed program; eligibility rules differ slightly from the federal VA loan, so check both.
Official: Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs
Mississippi
Veterans' Home Purchase Board (VHPB)
A state mortgage program offering advantageous rates for the purchase of an existing or recently built home. Open to veterans, current active-duty personnel, and Mississippi Guard/Reserve members with over six years of service.
Worth knowing: One of the oldest state programs, and one of the least known even inside Mississippi.
Official: Mississippi VHPB
Other states:a few more (Wisconsin and Alaska among them) have run veteran loan funds in various forms, and many states offer down-payment assistance that stacks with a federal VA loan without being veteran-specific. We list programs here only after verifying they’re active; your state’s veterans affairs office is the authoritative source for what exists today.
And in every state, the property-tax exemptions for disabled veterans are separate from all of this and worth checking regardless of which loan you use.
However you finance it, the affordability math comes first.
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