St. Johns County draws a particular kind of VA borrower: retired and career military who chose this county on purpose, usually for the schools. That changes the conversation. These are rarely first-time buyers — they are second and third use of the benefit, often with an existing VA loan still in place somewhere else.
North Star Mortgage Network has been VA-approved since January 25, 2002, through the St. Petersburg Regional Office. Twenty-four years of writing these files in this county means we have seen most of what entitlement math can throw at a transaction.
Second-Tier Entitlement
This is the question we field most often here, and it is the one most commonly answered wrong: you can usually have two VA loans at once.
If you have a VA loan on a home you kept somewhere else — a previous duty station, a rental you held onto — a portion of your entitlement is tied up in it. Your remaining entitlement is calculated against the county limit, which for St. Johns County in 2026 is $832,750. Whatever is not committed to the first loan is available for the second, and if the remaining amount does not fully cover the new purchase you can bridge the gap with a down payment on just the difference.
Bring us your Certificate of Eligibility and we will tell you the exact number. It is a ten-minute conversation and it frequently comes in higher than people expect.
What the Benefit Provides
No down payment, no monthly mortgage insurance, and no loan limit if your entitlement is full. That last point matters in St. Johns County more than most places — prices in Nocatee, Ponte Vedra and the World Golf Village corridor run well above the metro median, and buyers routinely assume the county figure caps them. With full entitlement it does not.
Funding fee. 2.15% first use with nothing down in 2026; 3.3% on subsequent use — which is where many St. Johns buyers land. Putting 5% down cuts it to 1.5% and 10% down to 1.25%, and on a subsequent-use loan that spread is large enough to be worth modeling. Waived entirely for veterans receiving compensation for a service-connected disability, Purple Heart recipients on active duty, and eligible surviving spouses.
Property Taxes and CDD in Nocatee
St. Johns County's total millage runs materially below Duval's, which is part of why people move here. But much of the new inventory in Nocatee and the surrounding developments carries Community Development District assessments, and those go into your qualifying ratios along with taxes, insurance and HOA. A pre-approval that skips them overstates your buying power. We include them.
Refinancing
The IRRRL streamline carries a 0.5% funding fee, typically no appraisal, and no new income documentation. Fixed-to-fixed requires the new rate to be at least 0.50% below current; fixed into an ARM requires 2.00%. Cash-out is a separate, fully underwritten product at 2.15% first use or 3.30% subsequent use.
Why a Broker
We are independent, with access to 55 wholesale lenders. VA sets the program; individual lenders set the rate, the credit overlays and the turn times, and they differ enough to matter. On second-tier entitlement files especially, some lenders simply will not do them. We know which ones will.
See today's rates, our Florida VA loan guide, or our pages for St. Johns County, Nocatee and Ponte Vedra Beach.
All figures are estimates based on information provided and are not a commitment to lend. All loans subject to credit approval. North Star Mortgage Network, Inc., Company NMLS #356789 · Nathan Young NMLS #325206 · 12058 San Jose Blvd, Suite 404, Jacksonville, FL 32223 · 904-880-6741. Equal Housing Lender.
VA Loan Questions from St. Johns County Buyers
Can I have two VA loans at the same time?
Usually yes. This is second-tier entitlement. A portion of your entitlement stays tied to your existing VA loan, and the remainder — calculated against the 2026 St. Johns County figure of $832,750 — is available for the new purchase. If the remainder does not fully cover it, you can cover just the difference with a down payment.
Does the $832,750 county limit cap what I can borrow in Nocatee?
Not if you have full entitlement. Since 2020 there has been no VA loan limit for veterans with full entitlement. The county figure applies only to partial entitlement, which generally means you have another VA loan outstanding.
How do CDD fees affect my VA pre-approval?
They count. Community Development District assessments in Nocatee and similar St. Johns County developments are included in your debt-to-income ratio alongside taxes, insurance and HOA dues. A pre-approval that omits them will overstate what you can afford.
I am using my benefit for the second time. Is the funding fee higher?
Yes — 3.3% on a subsequent-use purchase with nothing down, versus 2.15% on first use. Putting 5% down brings it to 1.5% regardless of prior use, which is often worth modeling. If you receive VA compensation for a service-connected disability, the fee is waived entirely no matter how many times you have used the benefit.
