Surviving Spouse VA Loans & Tax Relief | Woodbridge, VA

Can a surviving spouse get a VA home loan and a property tax break in Virginia?

Often, yes. If your spouse died in service or from a service-connected disability, or had a total service-connected rating for the required number of years before death, you may qualify for your own VA home loan — and if you receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), you don't pay the VA funding fee. Separately, Virginia exempts the home of an unremarried surviving spouse of a 100% permanently and totally disabled veteran who died on or after January 1, 2011, and of a service member who died in the line of duty. Both benefits follow you if you move within Virginia.

By Johnny Sarkis, Realtor / Associate Broker, Keller Williams Solutions | October 27, 2026

Here's what I've learned from more than 30 years of working with military families around Quantico: the people who most need these benefits are often the last to hear about them. A surviving spouse is usually dealing with paperwork, grief, and big decisions all at once. Nobody hands you a checklist that says "you may be able to buy a home with no down payment and pay no real estate tax on it."

So here is that checklist — what you may qualify for, how to confirm it, and how it changes your numbers if you're buying, staying, or moving in Prince William County.

Who qualifies for a VA home loan as a surviving spouse

According to VA.gov (last updated September 22, 2026), you may qualify for your own VA home loan Certificate of Eligibility (COE) if you were married to a veteran and at least one of these is true:

• Your spouse died in service or from a service-connected disability, and you haven't remarried — or you remarried on or after age 57 and on or after December 16, 2003.
• Your spouse had been totally disabled by a service-connected condition and then died, even if the disability didn't cause the death. Federal law (38 U.S.C. § 3701) sets the timing: the rating was continuous for at least 10 years before death, or for at least 5 years from discharge, or for at least 1 year for a former prisoner of war who died after September 30, 1999.
• Your spouse is missing in action or a prisoner of war. This category is limited to one VA-guaranteed home purchase and applies after the listing has lasted more than 90 days.

One rule catches people off guard. If you remarried before December 16, 2003, at age 57 or older, VA required you to apply by December 15, 2004. Applications after that date from that group are denied.

How to get your Certificate of Eligibility

If you already receive DIC: complete VA Form 26-1817 (Request for Determination of Loan Guaranty Eligibility — Unmarried Surviving Spouses). Include the veteran's DD214 or other separation papers if you have them. Your lender can submit it online, or you can mail it to the VA regional loan center listed on the form.

If you don't receive DIC yet: apply with VA Form 21P-534EZ (Application for DIC, Survivors Pension, and/or Accrued Benefits). Include the DD214, your marriage license, and the death certificate.

My advice: start the COE request before you start touring homes. In my experience, a surviving-spouse COE is less routine for lenders than a veteran's, and you want that question answered while you're still planning, not after you've written an offer.

What the loan itself looks like

Once you have a COE, the loan works much like any other VA loan: no down payment required by VA, no monthly mortgage insurance, and the home must be your primary residence. The 2026 basics I covered in how veterans buy a home with no money down apply to you too.

The biggest difference is the funding fee. VA.gov (last updated October 5, 2026) lists surviving spouses who receive DIC as exempt. On a first-use purchase with less than 5% down, the fee is 2.15% of the loan. Here's what that's worth:

• $450,000 purchase, zero down: the fee would be $9,675.
• Financed into the loan at 7.32% (Freddie Mac's 30-year average on October 22, 2026), that's about $66 a month for 30 years.
• With DIC, it's $0.

If you're not receiving DIC, you'll generally pay the fee. I walk through who's exempt — and what happens if a benefit is awarded after closing — in VA funding fee exemptions and refunds for Woodbridge buyers.

Already in a VA-financed home?

If you and your spouse were both on the original VA loan, you can usually refinance it alone with a VA streamline refinance (IRRRL) once rates make sense, according to VA lender guidance. If you weren't on the original loan, the IRRRL isn't available, but you aren't forced out either. Federal law protects a transfer to a spouse at death from the loan's due-on-sale clause, and CFPB servicing rules (effective April 19, 2018) require the servicer to confirm you as a "successor in interest," acknowledge your written request within 5 business days, and treat you like a borrower for statements and loss-mitigation options once confirmed.

Virginia real estate tax relief for surviving spouses

This is the benefit I see missed most often, and in Prince William County it can be worth thousands a year. Virginia has two separate exemptions for surviving spouses of service members.

1. Spouse of a 100% disabled veteran

Under Va. Code § 58.1-3219.5 and Article X, § 6-A of the Virginia Constitution, the surviving spouse of a veteran rated 100% service-connected, permanent and total (or paid at the 100% rate) keeps the real estate tax exemption on the home and up to one acre if:

• The veteran died on or after January 1, 2011.
• You have not remarried.
• The home is your principal residence.

There's no income test and no home-value cap in this section. And you can move. The statute says the exemption applies "without any restriction on the spouse's moving to a different principal place of residence." If you sell in Lake Ridge and buy in Dale City or Montclair, the exemption follows you. I explain how the veteran's version works in the 100% disabled veteran tax exemption in Prince William County.

Under § 58.1-3219.6, you can even file before you buy by giving the county the required documents plus your purchase agreement. The county then has 20 business days to approve or deny in writing, and an approval letter states the exemption amount. The exemption takes effect once you own the home. That letter can matter during your loan approval — ask your lender how they'll use it.

2. Spouse of a service member who died in the line of duty

Under Va. Code § 58.1-3219.9, the surviving spouse of a U.S. armed forces member who died in the line of duty — with a Department of Defense Line of Duty determination, including deaths by suicide — is exempt on a principal residence and up to one acre. The same rules apply: no remarriage, and you may move.

The difference is a value limit. A home assessed at or below the locality's average assessed value for single-family dwellings is fully exempt; only the value above that average is taxed. Prince William County's 2025 brochure set that threshold at $586,100. Confirm the 2026 figure with the county before you budget around it.

What it's worth in Prince William County

Prince William's 2026 real estate tax rate is $0.865 per $100 of assessed value. On a home assessed at $450,000:

• Annual real estate tax: about $3,893.
• Monthly in your escrow: about $324.

The county also lists relief from the solid waste fee for qualifying surviving spouses. Add the funding fee savings, and a DIC-receiving surviving spouse of a 100% disabled veteran could save roughly $390 a month on a $450,000 home compared with a buyer who pays both. That's real buying power — but your lender decides how it's counted, so get it confirmed in writing.

How to apply in Prince William County

Use the county's 2026 first-time surviving spouse application (it covers all categories).

• Spouse of a 100% disabled veteran: VA documentation of the 100% permanent and total rating, plus the death certificate.
• Line-of-duty spouse: Department of Defense documentation showing the date of death in the line of duty.
• Everyone: a copy of your 2025 Virginia income tax return; the form also asks whether you own another home.

Submit to the Real Estate Assessments Office, 4379 Ridgewood Center Drive, #203, Prince William, VA 22192, or call 703-792-6780.

What doesn't carry over

The vehicle exemption. Virginia's disabled veteran car tax exemption (§ 58.1-3668) ends at the veteran's death. It isn't available to a surviving spouse.

Remarriage. Remarrying at any age ends both Virginia real estate exemptions. That's different from the VA loan rule, which allows remarriage on or after age 57.

For the full list of programs, see the benefits veterans get when buying a home.

Your next steps

• Gather the paperwork: DD214, death certificate, marriage certificate, and any VA letters showing the rating or DIC award.
• Request your COE with VA Form 26-1817 (or apply for DIC first).
• Talk with a VA-approved lender about how they'll count DIC, the funding fee exemption, and any tax exemption.
• File with the county — before you buy if you're purchasing, or right away if you already own your home.
• Plan the move as a whole. If you're selling one home and buying another, the timing of your exemption, your sale, and your purchase all connect.

Every situation is different. Please consult a VA-approved lender about your loan eligibility and a qualified tax or legal professional about how these exemptions apply to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a surviving spouse have to pay the VA funding fee?

Not if you receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC). VA.gov lists DIC-receiving surviving spouses as exempt. If you don't receive DIC, you'll generally pay the standard fee, which is 2.15% on a first-use purchase with less than 5% down.

Can I get a VA loan if I remarried?

Yes, if you remarried on or after age 57 and on or after December 16, 2003. If you remarried before age 57, you generally lose VA home loan eligibility as a surviving spouse.

Does the Virginia surviving spouse tax exemption move with me to a new home?

Yes. Both Virginia surviving-spouse exemptions apply without restriction on moving to a different principal residence in Virginia. You'll need to file with the new locality, and the exemption starts when you take ownership.

Is there a home value limit on the Virginia exemption?

Not for the spouse of a 100% disabled veteran. For the spouse of a service member who died in the line of duty, only the assessed value above the locality's average single-family assessment is taxed; Prince William's 2025 threshold was $586,100.

What if my spouse died before January 1, 2011?

The disabled-veteran surviving spouse exemption under § 58.1-3219.5 requires a death on or after January 1, 2011. If your spouse died in the line of duty, the separate line-of-duty exemption under § 58.1-3219.9 may apply instead; ask the county which one fits your situation.

Let's build a plan that fits your situation

You've earned these benefits through your family's service, and using them well can make your next home more affordable for years. Whether you're staying where you are, downsizing, or buying near family, I'm glad to help you map out the steps, connect the timing, and make sure nothing is left on the table.

Start the conversation at movewithjohnny.com/contact, or call or text Johnny at 703-400-9660.

About Johnny Sarkis

Johnny Sarkis is a Realtor and Associate Broker with Keller Williams Solutions in Woodbridge, Virginia, with more than 30 years of experience helping Northern Virginia buyers and sellers make smart moves. A PWAR Lifetime Top Producer, he is known for data-backed pricing, strategic marketing, and calm guidance through relocations, PCS moves, and complex sales. His mission is simple: help every client find their happy place.

Johnny Sarkis, Realtor / Associate Broker | Keller Williams Solutions

Cell: 703-400-9660 | Office: 703-357-9200 | sarkis.johnny@gmail.com

4310 Prince William Pkwy, Woodbridge VA 22192