Virginia does not use a single statewide homestead cap. Qualifying disabled veterans, and some surviving spouses, may get a real-property tax exemption on a principal residence. Localities may also offer an exemption or deferral for homeowners who are 65 or older or permanently and totally disabled.

Who qualifies for the disabled-veteran exemption?

Local programs for older or disabled homeowners often use income and net-worth limits set by the city or county. The disabled-veteran path is in the Code of Virginia, which provides an exemption from taxes on property for veterans who are rated 100 percent service-connected, permanently and totally disabled, and for eligible surviving spouses. The exemption applies to a principal residence, subject to the land and other limits in § 58.1-3219.5. The Department of Veterans Services explains the benefit and points veterans to the local government where the home is taxed. You apply through that locality, not by mailing a form only to a state office and waiting for a statewide check.

Have your VA disability documentation ready, along with proof that the property is your principal residence. Ask the Commissioner of the Revenue or the local tax office what else they need, whether a surviving spouse must file a separate application, and whether any portion of the land or a second dwelling on the parcel is treated differently. Do not assume a rental property, a vacation house, or an undeveloped lot is covered.

If you are buying a home with this exemption in mind, confirm with the locality how the exemption transfers, what happens at closing, and how the first tax bill will be issued. A listing that mentions "veteran tax relief" is not an official determination. Get the rules in writing from the office that actually bills the tax.

DVS also describes other tax-related benefits that can apply in some families, including certain surviving-spouse situations. Use the official DVS tax-exemptions page and the Code section, not a social media summary, because eligibility is specific.

What about tax relief if you are 65 or older, or disabled, but not a 100 percent disabled veteran?

That path is local. Under § 58.1-3210, a county, city, or town may provide an exemption from, or a deferral of, real-estate taxes for homeowners who are 65 or older, or who are permanently and totally disabled. Income and net-worth limits, the percentage of tax that can be relieved, and the filing deadline are set by the locality within the Code's framework. One county's program will not match the next county's.

Call or visit the Commissioner of the Revenue, treasurer, or tax-relief office where you live. Ask for:

• The current income and net-worth limits, and what income counts.
• Whether the program is an exemption, a deferral, or both, and what "deferral" means when the house is sold or the owner dies.
• The application deadline, and whether you must reapply every year.
• How a change in household members, a reverse mortgage, or a move to a new house would affect the benefit.

File on time, even if you think you filed last year. A missed annual application can put the full tax back on the next bill. If you are denied, ask how to appeal that decision under the locality's process.

When you buy or sell, tell your settlement agent about any exemption or deferral on the property. A deferral can leave a lien or a payoff item that has to be handled at closing. An exemption can change the tax proration the buyer and seller expect.

None of these programs replaces a careful review of the assessment itself. If the value looks wrong, that is a separate appeal to the assessor and the Board of Equalization. Tax relief reduces or postpones tax on a qualifying owner. An assessment appeal is about whether the value is correct. If you are new to Virginia, ask the locality whether relief is automatic or must be renewed, and start the paperwork before the first tax bill is due, because a missed filing year is hard to unwind later.

FAQ

Does Virginia have a statewide homestead exemption that caps everyone's property tax?

No. The main statewide residential relief described here is the disabled-veteran exemption, and localities may offer programs for older or disabled homeowners. There is not one cap that automatically applies to every owner-occupied house.

Where do I apply for the disabled-veteran exemption?

Apply with the local government that taxes the home, and use the Department of Veterans Services tax-exemptions page and § 58.1-3219.5 as your official starting points. Eligibility and the property that can be exempted are defined in the statute.

Are programs for seniors the same in every city and county?

No. They are local-option programs. Income limits, net-worth limits, deadlines, and whether the relief is an exemption or a deferral can differ. Ask your Commissioner of the Revenue for the current rules.

Can a tax deferral come due later?

It can. A deferral postpones tax rather than wiping it out. Ask the locality what happens at a sale, a refinance, or the owner's death, and tell your settlement agent if a deferral is on the property.

Next step

Call your local Commissioner of the Revenue, and, if you are a veteran or surviving spouse, review the Department of Veterans Services tax-exemptions page, before you assume a bill cannot be reduced. A licensed local agent can help you ask the right questions when you buy or sell, but the official determination comes from the locality.

Sources: Virginia Department of Veterans Services, tax exemptions; Code of Virginia § 58.1-3219.5; Code of Virginia § 58.1-3210.

Virginia does not set one statewide deadline for Board of Equalization appeals. The date is set by your city or county and must appear on your assessment notice. Start with the local assessing office, then the Board of Equalization, and, if needed, take the dispute to circuit court.

What should you do when the assessment arrives?

Read the notice the day it arrives. It should show the new assessed value, how the locality describes your property, and the deadline to object. That deadline is not the same in Fairfax as in a rural southwest county. Under the boards-of-equalization rules in the Code, localities set their own sitting and filing dates, and the filing deadline cannot be earlier than a statutory minimum period after the assessor's objection deadline. You do not need to memorize the Code section. You do need to treat the date on your notice as real.

If the value looks too high, or the property description is wrong, gather comparables and facts first. Useful evidence can include:

• Recent sales of similar houses in the same neighborhood, adjusted for size, condition, and lot.
• Photos and contractor estimates if the house has damage, an unfinished area, or a defect the assessor may not have seen.
• The property's own recent purchase price, if the sale was arm's length and close in time.
• A survey or plat if the acreage or improvements on the card are wrong.

Then call or visit the assessor, commissioner of the revenue, or real estate assessment office, depending on how your locality is organized. Many offices will review an informal objection first. Bring a short written summary, not a stack of unmarked printouts. Ask how to submit the informal review, whether an appointment is required, and what the next deadline is if you still disagree.

Be polite and specific. "My taxes are too high" is not as useful as "the record shows 2,800 finished square feet, and the house has 2,100, and here are three sales on this street." Taxes can go up because the rate changed even if the assessment is fair. An appeal is about value, uniformity, and the facts on the property card, not about whether you like the bill.

If the informal review does not fix it

The next formal step is usually the local Board of Equalization. The board is a local body that hears assessment appeals for that tax year. File on the form and by the method the locality requires, and do it before the deadline on the notice. Late filings are often lost for that year.

At the hearing, stick to evidence. The board can look at whether your assessment is uniform with similar properties, not only whether you can afford the tax. If you hired an appraiser, bring the report and be ready to explain the comparables. If you are representing yourself, organize the packet with a cover page, a map, a grid of sales, and photos.

If you still disagree after the board's decision, the Code provides a path to circuit court. That step has its own filing rules and is a lawsuit, not a second informal conversation. Talk with a Virginia attorney about timing, cost, and whether the remaining difference in value is worth it. Do not miss a court deadline while you wait for a phone call.

Buyers should ask for the latest assessment, the last appeal result if there was one, and any pending Board of Equalization case. A reduction after closing may belong to the new owner, the seller, or be prorated, depending on local practice and the contract. Sellers should not promise a lower tax bill. Relief and appeals are decided by the locality, not by a listing remark.

If you also hope to qualify for disabled-veteran, senior, or disability tax relief, that is a separate application. Winning an appeal can change the value. Qualifying for relief can change the tax on that value. File both, if both apply, and calendar both deadlines.

FAQ

Is there a single Virginia deadline, such as April 1, for every locality?

No. Each city or county sets its Board of Equalization filing date, and that date must appear on your assessment notice. Do not borrow a deadline from a neighboring county or from last year's calendar without checking the new notice.

Should I go to the assessor before the Board of Equalization?

In most localities, yes. An informal review can correct a simple error faster than a hearing. If it does not, you still need to file with the board before the local deadline.

What evidence helps the most?

Recent comparable sales, accurate square footage and condition, and a clear written summary. An independent appraisal can help, but it is not the only form of proof. Focus on facts about the property and the market, not on hardship alone.

Can I appeal after I buy the house?

If you own the property when the next assessment is issued, you can usually use that year's process. Ask the assessment office who may file, and tell your settlement agent if an appeal is already pending at closing.

Next step

Read the deadline on your assessment notice today, then call the local assessing office and ask how to file an informal review and a Board of Equalization appeal. A licensed local agent can help you gather comparable sales, but the official filing is with the locality.

Sources: Code of Virginia, Boards of Equalization, Title 58.1, Chapter 32, Article 14; Code of Virginia § 58.1-3378, sittings and notices.

Virginia charges a state recordation tax of 25 cents per $100 on the greater of a deed's consideration or the property's value. Localities may add one-third of that amount. A separate grantor tax of 50 cents per $500 is imposed on the seller, unless the parties agree otherwise.

How are the statewide taxes calculated?

The grantor tax applies when the consideration or value, exclusive of remaining liens, exceeds $100. The state recordation tax is in § 58.1-801. For purposes of that chapter, the "value of the property conveyed" means the most recent property tax assessment at the time the property is conveyed, a definition the General Assembly tightened for deeds recorded on or after July 1, 2024. The tax is computed on the greater of that value or the consideration. A fraction of $100 is taxed as a full $100.

The local recordation tax, if the city or county imposes it, is authorized by § 58.1-814 at one-third of the state amount. Not every conversation about "the recordation tax" distinguishes the state piece from the local piece, so ask the clerk or your settlement statement to show them separately.

The additional tax in § 58.1-802 is commonly called the grantor tax. The rate is 50 cents for each $500 or fraction of the consideration or value, whichever is greater, exclusive of the value of any lien or encumbrance remaining at the time of the sale. The legal incidence is on the grantor, or someone who signs on the grantor's behalf. The statute also says the grantor and grantee may arrange for the grantee to pay all or a portion of that tax. The clerk will not record the deed until the tax is paid, whoever writes the check. Half of the grantor tax goes to the state and half to the locality.

Here is a simple illustration, not a quote from a clerk, on a $400,000 sale with no remaining liens, if the consideration is also the value used for the tax: the state recordation tax would be $1,000, a local recordation tax at the one-third rate would be about $333, and the grantor tax would be $400. Your actual numbers can differ if the assessed value is higher than the price, if a remaining mortgage is deducted from the grantor-tax base, or if the locality adds other charges. A deed of trust or mortgage also has its own recordation tax under § 58.1-803, generally 25 cents per $100 of the amount secured, subject to the statute's rules.

What else can show up on the settlement statement?

Local clerks, regional programs, and the loan itself can add costs that are not the statewide deed tax. Confirm those add-ons with the clerk of court and your title or settlement company. Do not copy a calculator from an unofficial blog. The Department of Taxation publishes rulings that explain how the recordation and grantor taxes apply in less typical deals, including conveyances with little or no consideration.

Exemptions exist in the Recordation Tax Act. Do not assume a transfer between family members, a refinancing, or a corrective deed is free. Ask the settlement agent to cite the exemption if one is claimed, and to show the consideration and value used on the first page of the deed, which the clerk must see.

Buyers should review the closing disclosure early enough to question a tax line. Sellers should know that the grantor tax is theirs unless the contract shifts it, and that a remaining loan balance can change the grantor-tax base because remaining liens are excluded. If you are a locality selling tax-delinquent property at a judicial sale, the statute treats that grantor tax differently. Ordinary home sales do not rely on that exception.

If a figure on the statement looks wrong, ask for the math: consideration, assessed value, remaining liens, state recordation, local recordation, grantor tax, and deed-of-trust tax. A small error in the "greater of consideration or value" step can be worth hundreds of dollars.

FAQ

Who usually pays the grantor tax?

The tax is imposed on the grantor, but the buyer and seller may agree that the buyer will pay some or all of it. The clerk still must receive the tax before the deed is recorded.

Is the tax based on the sale price or the assessed value?

The state recordation tax uses the greater of the consideration or the value of the property conveyed. For this chapter, value means the most recent property tax assessment at the time of conveyance. The grantor tax also uses the greater of consideration or value, exclusive of remaining liens.

Can my city or county add its own recordation tax?

Yes. A city or county may impose a recordation tax equal to one-third of the state recordation tax. Ask the clerk whether that local tax applies, and whether any other local or regional charges will appear.

Is there also a tax on the mortgage?

Yes. Virginia imposes a recordation tax on deeds of trust or mortgages, generally at 25 cents per $100 of the amount secured, subject to § 58.1-803. Your loan closing may include that tax as well.

Next step

Ask your settlement agent, and a licensed local real estate agent or Virginia real estate attorney, to walk through the recordation, local, grantor, and deed-of-trust tax lines on your estimated closing statement before you sign. Confirm the consideration, assessed value, and remaining liens used in the math.

Sources: Code of Virginia § 58.1-801; Code of Virginia § 58.1-802; Code of Virginia, Title 58.1, Chapter 8, State Recordation Tax; Virginia Tax, recordation ruling 25-43.

Virginia's seller disclosure is mostly a buyer-beware statement, but the law still requires certain written notices. Those can include the Flood Risk Information Form in the Real Estate Board packet, building-code or zoning violations, a former methamphetamine laboratory, some septic issues, privately owned stormwater facilities, and, for new dwellings, known material building-code defects.

Which special disclosures should you look for?

The standard Residential Property Disclosure Act statement tells buyers to investigate the property and that the seller is not making general representations about condition. Alongside that notice, the Board's current packet, posted as current as of July 1, 2026, includes a Flood Risk Information Form and other consumer materials. Read the flood form, then still check FEMA maps and price a flood policy. A signed form is not coverage, and a house outside a mapped high-risk zone can still flood.

Other written disclosures arise when a specific statutory trigger is present. Depending on the facts, a seller may have to give written notice of building-code or zoning violations, pending enforcement or lis pendens, a former methamphetamine lab, privately owned stormwater facilities, or certain septic-system issues. Builders selling a new dwelling must disclose known material building-code defects. Properties in Planning District 15 may also have a mining disclosure. If a listing or a contract addendum is silent on those topics, ask. Silence is not the same as "none of these apply."

Exemptions in § 55.1-702 can remove the ordinary disclosure-statement duty on some transfers, such as certain foreclosures, estate sales, transfers between spouses or co-owners, and the first sale of a dwelling. An exemption from the standard packet does not automatically answer every other question about the house. Buyers in those deals should be even more careful with inspections, title, and flood research.

Delivery timing still matters. If the required statement arrives after ratification, the buyer may have three days after in-person or electronic delivery, or five days after a mailed postmark, to terminate in writing, subject to the earlier cutoffs in § 55.1-709. Put special disclosures in the same file as the main statement, with the date and method of delivery.

What a required disclosure does not replace

A statutory notice is not a home inspection, a septic dye test, a well-water test, a survey, or a title search. If the flood form, a septic disclosure, or a code-violation notice raises a question, hire the right specialist and ask the seller for permits, repair invoices, and any locality correspondence. In Tidewater and along rivers, price flood insurance early, because a National Flood Insurance Program policy usually has a 30-day wait unless an exception applies.

If you are selling, use the current DPOR forms and answer the specific statutory items honestly. Do not treat the buyer-beware language as a reason to leave a required notice out. If you are not sure whether a fact must be disclosed, ask a Virginia real estate attorney before you accept an offer. A missing flood form or a late packet can delay or unwind a contract, and a hidden required fact can create a dispute after closing.

Buyers should write inspection, well, septic, and flood-insurance review periods into the contract that are long enough to use. The late-disclosure termination right is a narrow statutory tool. It is not a general "I changed my mind" clause, and it can end at settlement, occupancy, a qualifying mortgage application, or a written waiver. Keep the packet, the email or envelope that delivered it, and any extra addenda together.

Planning District 15 and coastal or floodplain localities can have extra planning or building rules that are not obvious from a statewide form. Ask the local building or floodplain office about permits and mapped flood zones, even if the seller's packet looks complete. If a stormwater facility, septic drainfield, or shared driveway is mentioned in an addendum, ask who maintains it and whether an owners' association or a recorded easement controls the work. Those details affect both your inspection list and your budget after closing. If the seller cannot produce a permit for a finished basement, a deck, or a converted garage, decide whether you want a locality inspection or a contract credit before you waive your review period.

FAQ

If Virginia is a buyer-beware state, why are there still written disclosures?

The standard statement is a due-diligence notice, not a full defect questionnaire. The Code and the Real Estate Board still require certain specific written disclosures, including flood-risk information and other items that apply to the property.

Does the Flood Risk Information Form replace a flood-insurance quote?

No. Use it as a starting point, then check FEMA maps and get a quote. A standard homeowners policy does not cover flood.

Do new-construction sellers have extra duties?

Builders of new dwellings must disclose known material building-code defects. Buyers should still have the house inspected and should review permits and a final occupancy approval.

Are some transfers exempt from the standard disclosure statement?

Yes. The Code lists exemptions, including certain foreclosure, estate, spouse or co-owner, and first-sale transfers. Confirm which exemption is claimed, and still investigate the property.

Next step

Ask a licensed local agent, and a Virginia real estate attorney if you need contract advice, to review the current DPOR packet, the Flood Risk Information Form, and any special addenda before you remove contingencies. Schedule inspections and a flood-insurance quote while those dates are still open.

Sources: DPOR, residential property disclosures; Code of Virginia § 55.1-703; Code of Virginia § 55.1-709; FEMA Flood Map Service Center.

Virginia's Residential Property Disclosure Act is largely a buyer-beware notice, not a full defect questionnaire. Sellers provide the Real Estate Board's statement from DPOR. If it arrives after ratification, the buyer may have three or five days to terminate in writing.

What does the seller actually have to give you?

The statement is published on the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation website. If it is delivered after ratification, the written termination window is usually three days after in-person or electronic delivery, or five days after a mailed postmark. The statement tells buyers, in substance, that they are receiving no general representations about the property's condition and that they should do their own due diligence, including a home inspection. That is different from states that require a long seller questionnaire about every known defect. In Virginia, the standard form is a statutory notice. It is not a warranty, and it is not a substitute for inspections, a survey, a title search, or your own questions.

The current consumer packet is posted by DPOR and is identified as current as of July 1, 2026. Use the form on the Board's site, not a photocopy from an older closing. The packet also includes materials on topics such as flood risk. Read every page, and still verify the facts yourself.

Delivery should happen before ratification. If the statement is delivered later, § 55.1-709 gives the buyer a sole remedy: terminate the contract in writing within three days of in-person or electronic delivery, or within five days after the postmark if the statement is mailed. That right can end earlier at settlement, occupancy, a mortgage application that includes a disclosure that the right ends, or a separate written waiver. If you want to use the right, put the termination in writing and watch the clock. A verbal "we're walking away" is not enough.

Some transfers are exempt under § 55.1-702, including certain foreclosure sales, estate transfers, transfers between spouses or co-owners, and the first sale of a dwelling. If a listing is marketed as exempt, ask the agent or your closing attorney which exemption applies, and still consider an inspection.

What still has to be disclosed in writing?

Buyer beware does not mean the seller can stay silent on every statutory topic. Virginia still requires certain affirmative written disclosures in the situations the Code describes. Those can include building-code or zoning violations, pending enforcement or lis pendens, a former methamphetamine laboratory, privately owned stormwater facilities, certain septic issues, and the Flood Risk Information Form in the Board's packet. Builders of new dwellings must disclose known material building-code defects. Properties in Planning District 15 may have a mining disclosure.

Those required notices are specific. They are not a promise that every leak, noisy neighbor, or aging HVAC system will be listed. Hire a home inspector, and consider specialists for the roof, chimney, septic, well, pest, and, in older houses, lead paint or other environmental issues. In flood-prone areas, check FEMA maps and price a flood policy before you waive anything.

If you are selling, use the current Board forms, deliver them on time, and do not treat the buyer-beware language as permission to hide a required disclosure. If you are not sure whether a fact must be stated in writing, ask a Virginia real estate attorney or a licensed agent who works these contracts every week. A late or missing statement can unwind a contract in that short termination window, which is a problem for both sides.

Keep a copy of what was delivered, how it was delivered, and the date. If you receive the packet by email, save the message. If it arrives by mail, keep the envelope with the postmark. Those details decide whether the three-day or five-day clock, or a waiver, controls. If you are under contract now, put the delivery date on your calendar next to the inspection deadline, so you do not confuse the two timelines. An inspection contingency and the late-disclosure termination right are separate tools, and one does not automatically extend the other.

FAQ

Is Virginia a full seller-disclosure state?

Not in the sense of a mandatory room-by-room defect questionnaire. The Residential Property Disclosure Act is largely a buyer-beware statement plus a list of specific written disclosures. Buyers are expected to inspect and investigate.

What if I receive the disclosure after we ratify the contract?

You may be able to terminate in writing within three days of in-person or electronic delivery, or five days after the postmark if it was mailed, unless an earlier cutoff in the statute has already occurred. Ask a Virginia real estate attorney if you are close to the deadline.

Are some sales exempt?

Yes. The Code lists exemptions, including certain foreclosure, estate, spouse or co-owner, and first-sale-of-a-dwelling transfers. Confirm which exemption is being claimed.

Where do I get the current form?

The Real Estate Board posts the current residential property disclosure materials on DPOR's website. As of this writing, the packet is identified as current as of July 1, 2026.

Next step

Ask a licensed local agent, and a Virginia real estate attorney if you need contract advice, to confirm you have the current DPOR packet, that it was delivered on time, and that any required special disclosures are in writing. Schedule inspections before any review period ends.

Sources: DPOR, residential property disclosures; Code of Virginia § 55.1-703; Code of Virginia § 55.1-709; Code of Virginia § 55.1-702.

Virginia Housing offers a Down Payment Assistance Grant that does not have to be repaid. It is available to qualifying first-time buyers, and to repeat buyers purchasing in designated Areas of Economic Opportunity, who use an eligible Virginia Housing bond FHA or conventional loan and who meet the agency's current income and sales-price or loan limits.

What is the grant, and what do you have to use with it?

Virginia Housing, the state's housing finance agency formerly known as VHDA, describes the Down Payment Assistance Grant as a true grant. You do not pay it back if you receive it under the program rules. It can be paired with other assistance that does not come from Virginia Housing, which matters if a locality, employer, or nonprofit also has a down-payment program.

The grant is not a stand-alone check you can take to any lender. Official program pages say you must have a bond FHA or conventional loan from Virginia Housing, stay within the agency's income limits, and stay within its sales-price or loan limits. Those limits change. Do not rely on a number you saw in an old flyer or a social media post. Check the current income, sales-price, and loan limits on Virginia Housing's lender-partners page, and have a participating lender run your household income the way the agency counts it.

"First-time homebuyer" has a program meaning, and repeat buyers are considered only in Areas of Economic Opportunity. If you have owned a home before, ask the lender in writing whether your purchase address qualifies, and do not assume that a neighborhood that feels underserved is on the agency's list.

Because the first mortgage has to be a Virginia Housing product, you will also need to meet that loan's credit, occupancy, and underwriting rules. Budget for the 1 percent down payment or other borrower contribution the current guidelines require, closing costs, and prepaid items. A grant can shrink the cash you must save. It does not remove every other cost of buying a house, and it does not replace a home inspection or homeowners insurance, including flood coverage where you need it.

How do you apply without losing time?

You do not apply only on a consumer website and wait for a state mailbox to reply. You work with a participating Virginia Housing lender. Start by:

• Confirming the lender is approved to originate Virginia Housing loans.
• Asking whether your income, household size, and purchase price fit the current limits for your region, including Northern Virginia if that is where you are buying.
• Asking whether you are a first-time buyer under the program rules, or a repeat buyer in an Area of Economic Opportunity.
• Asking for the current grant amount and any other Virginia Housing products, such as a first-mortgage "loan combo," that might fit better than the grant alone.

Virginia Housing lists a toll-free line at 877-843-2123, a Richmond number at 804-782-1986, and Virginia Relay at 711. Use those numbers, or the official website, if you need to confirm a lender or a guideline. Get pre-approval in writing, and tell the listing agent you are using a Virginia Housing loan and a DPA grant so the contract can reflect the correct financing.

If you are also counting on a local down-payment program, ask both administrators whether the two can be combined, which one funds first, and whether either assistance creates a lien or occupancy requirement. "Can be paired with other non-Virginia Housing assistance" is the agency's general statement. Your particular city or nonprofit program may have its own rules.

Keep copies of the loan estimate, the grant commitment, and income documentation. Limits and product names can change at the start of a program year. If your closing is delayed, ask the lender to reconfirm that the grant and the first mortgage are still available on the new date. If a seller asks you to waive financing or appraisal protections in exchange for a faster close, talk with the lender first. A grant that is not locked, or a first mortgage that cannot close on the new date, can leave you short of cash at the table.

FAQ

Do I have to repay the Down Payment Assistance Grant?

Virginia Housing describes it as a true grant, meaning you do not repay it under the program rules. Confirm any occupancy or other conditions with your participating lender, and read the documents you sign at closing.

Can I use the grant with any mortgage?

No. It may be used only with eligible Virginia Housing loans, specifically the bond FHA or conventional loans the agency lists. A conventional loan from an unrelated lender, standing alone, is not enough.

I have owned a home before. Can I still use the grant?

Possibly, if you are buying in a designated Area of Economic Opportunity and you otherwise qualify. Ask a participating lender to confirm the address against the current list. First-time buyers are the other qualifying path.

Where do I find the current income and sales-price limits?

On Virginia Housing's official site, including the lender information on income, sales prices, and loan limits. Those figures change, so have the lender use the current table for your household size and area.

Next step

Call a participating Virginia Housing lender, or Virginia Housing at 877-843-2123, and ask whether you qualify for the Down Payment Assistance Grant on a specific house and first mortgage. A licensed local agent can help you write an offer that reflects that financing, but the official eligibility decision comes from the lender and the agency.

Sources: Virginia Housing, Down Payment Assistance Grant; Virginia Housing, income, sales prices, and loan limits; Virginia Housing, home loan options.