Key West
The island city
Popular areas: Old Town, Casa Marina, New Town, Midtown
Closest to Trumbo Point and the Key West VA Clinic on Douglas Circle. Historic wood-frame homes in Old Town, newer concrete homes and condos in New Town.
Home / Florida cities & bases / Key West & the Florida Keys
VA loans in Key West & the Florida Keys, FL
Reporting to Naval Air Station Key West or a Coast Guard unit, retiring to the islands, or already a Keys Veteran? Here’s how a VA loan works from Key West to Key Largo: the areas closest to Boca Chica Field, living at the end of a single highway in hurricane season, why so few new homes get built, the Keys’ elevation rules, your 2026 BAH, VA care in Key West and Key Largo, and every benefit that stacks if you have a disability rating.
Check Your Eligibility Book a 15-Minute Call
✓ Soft credit pull only. Applying won’t affect your credit score.
- My team reviews your application as soon as it comes in.
- If you qualify, you get a pre-approval letter and a full itemized estimate.
- If you’re not there yet, you get a clear plan to get ready.
$0Down with full entitlement
$3,9692026 BAH, E-5 with dependents
$0Funding fee if you receive VA disability pay
No limitVA loan limit with full entitlement. What you can borrow is set by your income, not a cap.
Can I use a VA loan on a mobile home in the Keys? Only if you own the land under it and the home is permanently attached to it. Many Keys mobile homes sit in parks where the owner rents the lot, and those don’t qualify, nor do park models or RVs. A manufactured home on its own lot can work with $0 down if you have full entitlement and it will be your primary residence.
NAS Key West and the Coast Guard
Where service members and Veterans buy in the Keys
NAS Key West’s airfield, Boca Chica Field, sits at mile marker 8 on US-1, a few miles east of Key West. Coast Guard Sector Key West is at Trumbo Point on the island itself. Everything in the Keys is measured by its mile marker on the Overseas Highway.
Stock Island to Big Coppitt
Just east of Key West, near Boca Chica Field
Popular areas: Stock Island, Key Haven, Big Coppitt Key, Rockland Key
The shortest drive to the airfield. A mix of single-family homes, condos and mobile home parks.
The Lower Keys
Roughly mile markers 15 to 40
Popular areas: Sugarloaf Key, Cudjoe Key, Summerland Key, Ramrod Key, Big Pine Key
Quieter canal neighborhoods and many elevated homes, with a longer drive into Key West.
Middle and Upper Keys
Marathon up to Key Largo
Popular areas: Marathon, Islamorada, Tavernier, Key Largo
For retirees and Veterans not tied to the base. The Key Largo VA Clinic is on the Overseas Highway, and the mainland is closer.
One road out
Living at the end of the Overseas Highway in hurricane season
Monroe County’s emergency plan calls US-1 the sole link to the Florida mainland. It runs 126 miles from Florida City to Key West, crossing dozens of bridges, with Card Sound Road as an alternate route for the Upper Keys. That one road shapes how the Keys evacuate.
The county clears the islands in phases. About 48 hours before tropical-storm winds arrive, visitors, RVs and live-aboard boats must leave. Mobile home residents and people with special needs follow at about 36 hours, then permanent residents by zone at about 30 hours. For a Category 3 storm or stronger, everyone is told to leave.
Plan for the trip, not just the house
Know where you’ll go on the mainland, and keep important papers, including your closing documents and insurance policies, ready to travel.
Mobile homes leave early
Mobile home residents are in the second evacuation phase. If you’re weighing a manufactured home, factor that in along with the land ownership rule.
Why homes are scarce
Limited building permits and what they mean for buyers
Monroe County controls growth through its Rate of Growth Ordinance, known as ROGO. The county describes it as a competitive permit allocation system: new homes get permits only through a limited yearly pool, and the highest-scoring applications win. The county says the system exists to protect residents’ safety and the Keys’ natural resources, as the State of Florida requires.
For a buyer, that means most purchases are existing homes, and an empty lot isn’t always buildable. If you’re looking at land, find out whether it already has a building allocation before you count on building.
Schools
School districts around Key West & the Florida Keys
The Monroe County school district serves the whole Florida Keys, from Key West to Key Largo.
| School district | Serves | State grade (2025–26) |
|---|---|---|
| Monroe County school district | Key West, Stock Island, the Lower Keys, Marathon, Islamorada, Key Largo | A |
District grades are the Florida Department of Education’s A–F school grades. Attendance zones follow the address, not the city name, so check the district and school for any home before you make an offer.
Nearest VA care: Bruce W. Carter VA Medical Center (NW 16th Street, Miami), plus VA clinics nearby.
All VA locations near Key West & the Florida Keys
Key West VA Clinic
Douglas Circle, Key West
Key Largo VA Clinic
Overseas Highway, Key Largo
Bruce W. Carter VA Medical Center
NW 16th Street, Miami
Locations from VA.gov. Services change, so confirm with the VA before you count on a specific clinic.
2026 BAH · Key West / Florida Keys (FL069)
What your BAH covers in Key West & the Florida Keys
NAS Key West, Coast Guard units in Key West and the rest of the Keys share one housing allowance area. These are the monthly 2026 rates, effective January 1. See every grade and every Florida housing area on the Florida BAH page.
| Pay grade | With dependents | Without dependents |
|---|---|---|
| E-4 | $3,813 | $3,084 |
| E-5 | $3,969 | $3,459 |
| E-6 | $4,056 | $3,672 |
| E-7 | $4,350 | $3,819 |
| E-8 | $4,677 | $3,993 |
| W-2 | $4,485 | $3,990 |
| O-2 | $4,053 | $3,921 |
| O-3 | $4,872 | $4,017 |
| O-4 | $5,655 | $4,374 |
| O-5 | $6,213 | $4,659 |
BAH is tax-free, so when my team qualifies you we gross it up by 25%. A $3,969 allowance counts like about $4,961 of taxable pay. Run your numbers with the residual income calculator.
Monroe County
Property taxes: the number to check on every address
In Monroe County, as everywhere in Florida, what current owners pay is held down by the homestead exemption and the Save Our Homes cap, which limits how fast a homestead’s assessed value can rise. When a home sells, its value resets to market value, so a new buyer usually pays more than the seller did, and two homes a mile apart can differ a lot.
Disabled Veteran exemptions
| Who qualifies | Florida exemption |
|---|---|
| Service-connected disability of 10% or more | $5,000 off assessed value |
| Age 65 or older with a combat-related disability | Tax discount equal to your disability percentage |
| Service-connected total and permanent disability | Full exemption on your homestead |
What that’s worth in Key West & the Florida Keys: a full exemption removes the property tax on your homestead itself, which on a new purchase is usually one of the biggest lines in your monthly payment. My team shows you the dollar figure for the address you choose.
- These stack on top of Florida’s regular homestead exemption of up to about $50,000.
- Non-ad valorem assessments (like solid waste or fire fees) can still apply.
- Eligible surviving spouses may keep the exemption.
You apply with the county property appraiser once you own and live in the home. How Florida’s exemptions work
What this means at closing
- Your estimate uses taxes on the price you pay, without exemptions, until your homestead and Veteran exemptions are on file.
- Florida property taxes are billed once a year in November, with a discount for paying early. Most VA loans pay them from escrow.
- File your homestead exemption with the property appraiser by March 1 after you move in.
- My team uses the exact taxes for your address in your estimate.
Florida homeowners insurance
Price insurance before you write an offer
In Florida, insurance often changes your payment more than the interest rate does. Get quotes early, while you can still walk away. Homeowners insurance on a Florida VA loan
Wind mitigation inspection
A wind mitigation report documents features like roof shape, roof-to-wall connections and storm shutters or impact windows. Insurers give credits for them, and the savings can be large. Ask the seller for a recent one or order your own.
Roof age and 4-point inspections
On older homes, insurers often require a 4-point inspection of the roof, electrical, plumbing and heating and cooling. An older roof can make a home hard to insure, so ask its age first. The VA appraisal also checks the roof.
Flood zones
If the home is in a FEMA high-risk flood zone, flood insurance is required. Even outside those zones, flood coverage is worth pricing near the coast, rivers and low areas. An elevation certificate can lower the cost.
Hurricane season and closing
When a named storm threatens the area, insurers can stop writing new policies until it passes. If you’re closing during hurricane season, bind your policy early so a storm doesn’t delay your closing.
Buying a condo? It has to be VA-approved, and Florida’s condo safety laws now require structural inspections and funded reserves for many buildings three stories or taller, which is raising dues and special assessments. My team checks the association before you commit. VA condo approval in Florida
Flood, wind and insurance
Elevation, flood zones and insurance in the Keys
Most of the Keys sits only 4 to 7 feet above sea level, according to the county’s emergency plan, and flood zones change from one lot to the next. VA requires flood insurance on any home inside a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area. Monroe County requires new buildings and additions to be elevated above flood levels, and the same goes for existing buildings that are substantially improved or damaged, meaning work or damage worth more than half the building’s value.
- Get the elevation certificate early. A home built below today’s flood levels can cost much more to insure than a newer elevated one.
- Plan renovations carefully: crossing the 50% line can trigger the elevation rule for the whole building.
- Wind coverage is a big part of the premium here. Ask for a wind mitigation inspection and get quotes before you make an offer.
- Any condo you buy, from Key West to Key Largo, must be in a VA-approved building.
PCS to NAS Key West
Buying before you report
- Get pre-approved with your orders. Your PCS orders and current LES show the income you’ll have at NAS Key West, including Key West / Florida Keys BAH.
- Pick your commute, then the neighborhood. Tell my team whether you’ll report to Boca Chica Field or a unit in Key West, and we’ll connect you with a Keys agent who knows VA offers, flood rules and condo approvals.
- Close before you arrive. Florida allows remote online notarization, so many closings can be signed from wherever you are.
- Move in and file your homestead. You need to intend to live there as your primary home, usually within about 60 days. Then file your homestead and any disabled Veteran exemption by March 1.
Retiring or separating in Key West & the Florida Keys
Retiring in the Florida Keys
The Keys have VA clinics at both ends, in Key West and Key Largo, the Miami VA medical center on the mainland, and no state income tax.
Base privileges and military care
- Primary care at both ends of the Keys: VA clinics in Key West and Key Largo.
- Hospital care: the Bruce W. Carter VA Medical Center on NW 16th Street in Miami.
- Taxes on retirement income: none at the state level, since Florida has no personal income tax.
Qualifying after you separate
- Military retirement pay and VA disability pay both count as income. VA disability isn’t taxed, which helps your numbers.
- Starting a civilian job? A signed offer with a start date can be used to qualify. Tell my team your separation and start dates early.
- Your benefit doesn’t expire. If you sold your last VA home and paid off that loan, your full entitlement comes back.
If you have a VA disability rating
The benefits that stack in Key West & the Florida Keys
Disabled Veterans can combine federal and Florida benefits that most buyers never hear about. Together they can lower your cash to close and your yearly taxes.
- No VA funding fee. Veterans who receive or are entitled to VA disability compensation are exempt. If your rating is awarded after closing with an effective date before it, you may be due a refund.
- Disability pay counts as income toward qualifying, alongside any retirement pay or wages.
- Florida property tax relief. A full homestead exemption with a total and permanent rating, $5,000 off assessed value at 10% or more, and a combat-related discount at 65 and older. See the tax section
- More Florida benefits at 100%. Florida offers other benefits to Veterans rated 100%, from license and park fees to education benefits for dependents. 100% VA disability benefits in Florida
- Adaptive housing grants. Veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities may qualify for a Specially Adapted Housing or Special Housing Adaptation grant, which can be used with a VA loan to buy, build or modify an accessible home.
Waiting on a claim? Tell my team. Your expected rating can change your funding fee and your taxes, so we plan around it.
Guard, Reserve and surviving spouses
The VA benefit isn’t only for active duty
National Guard and Reserve
You can earn VA loan eligibility through six years of Guard or Reserve service, or through qualifying active-duty time such as a federal activation. Your Certificate of Eligibility confirms it, and my team can pull it for you. VA loan eligibility
Surviving spouses
If your spouse died in service or from a service-connected disability, you may be eligible for a VA loan with the same $0 down benefit. Surviving spouses who receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) don’t pay the funding fee, and Florida’s disabled Veteran property tax exemptions can continue for an eligible surviving spouse. We handle these files with extra care. VA loans for surviving spouses
Already a VA homeowner
Own a home already? You still have options
Kept a home at your last duty station?
You don’t have to sell it to buy in Key West & the Florida Keys. Your remaining entitlement can often buy your next home with $0 down while the first one stays a rental. VA entitlement calculator
Lower your rate or tap equity
A VA streamline refinance (IRRRL) can lower the rate on your current VA loan with less paperwork. A VA cash-out refinance lets you use your equity for repairs or debts.
Buying a home with an assumable VA loan
Some Key West & the Florida Keys sellers have older VA loans with low rates you may be able to take over. The seller’s loan servicer handles the assumption itself. My team can finance the second loan that covers the gap between the loan balance and the price. Assumable loan calculator
Hold on to your rate when you move
PCSing out later? You can keep your Key West & the Florida Keys home as a rental and keep its VA loan and rate in place. Your homestead exemption ends when it stops being your home, so plan for higher taxes on a rental.
Local know-how
What trips up Key West & the Florida Keys buyers
Rented lots don’t qualify
The county counts more than 75 mobile home and RV parks in the Keys. A VA loan needs a permanently installed home on land you own, not a leased lot. VA loans for manufactured homes
Old Town’s historic district
Exterior changes to many Old Town homes go through Key West’s historic review before you can get a permit. If you plan to change the outside, ask early.
Short tours and keeping the house
If your orders are short, think about what happens when you leave. After you’ve lived in it as your home, you can keep it and rent it out when you move on.
Rental history isn’t your plan
Some Keys homes have been run as vacation rentals. With a VA loan, it has to be the home you live in, and the city licenses short-term rentals separately anyway.
Land and new construction
Want to build in the Keys?
Building here starts with a permit allocation under ROGO and elevation to today’s flood levels. My team can walk you through the timing before you buy a lot. A VA one-time-close construction loan covers the land and the build in one loan: $0 down up to $1 million, with a 620 minimum credit score. New homes built to Florida’s current wind codes are often easier and cheaper to insure.
Key West & the Florida Keys VA loan FAQs
Questions from Key West & the Florida Keys Veterans and NAS Key West families
How much do I need down for a VA loan in Key West & the Florida Keys?
Nothing, if you have full VA entitlement. There is no VA loan limit with full entitlement and no monthly mortgage insurance. The VA funding fee can be rolled into the loan, and Veterans who receive VA disability compensation are exempt from it.
Can I buy a home in Key West & the Florida Keys before my PCS report date?
Yes. With PCS orders to NAS Key West you can be pre-approved, shop remotely and close before you arrive, as long as you intend to move in and make it your primary residence, usually within about 60 days. Your orders can document your income for the new duty station.
Does my BAH count as income for a VA loan in Key West & the Florida Keys?
Yes. BAH and BAS count as income. Because BAH is not taxed, my team grosses it up when we qualify you, which helps your numbers. Key West / Florida Keys BAH for 2026 ranges from $3,813 for an E-4 with dependents to $6,213 for an O-5 with dependents.
What credit score do I need for a VA loan in Key West & the Florida Keys?
There is no minimum credit score on a standard VA purchase or refinance with my team. We look first at your residual income, the money left each month after your housing payment and bills. VA construction loans start at a 620 score.
Do disabled Veterans pay property taxes in Monroe County?
Florida Veterans with a service-connected total and permanent disability can be fully exempt from property taxes on their homestead. Veterans rated 10% or more get $5,000 off their home’s assessed value. Veterans 65 or older with a combat-related disability can get a discount equal to their disability percentage. These come on top of Florida’s regular homestead exemption.
Why will my property tax bill be higher than the seller’s?
Florida’s Save Our Homes cap limits how fast a homestead’s assessed value can rise while the owner keeps it. When the home sells, the value resets to market value for the new owner. So the seller’s tax bill can be much lower than yours will be. My team estimates your taxes on the price you pay, not the seller’s bill.
Can I use my VA loan in Key West & the Florida Keys if I still own a home at my last base?
Often, yes. If you keep your current VA home as a rental, your remaining entitlement can usually buy your Key West & the Florida Keys home with $0 down up to a certain price. Above that, you put 25% down on the difference. My team checks your exact numbers from your Certificate of Eligibility.
Can a surviving spouse get a VA loan in Key West & the Florida Keys?
Yes, if you are an eligible surviving spouse, for example of a service member who died in service or from a service-connected disability. Surviving spouses who receive DIC are exempt from the VA funding fee.
Do NAS Key West and the Coast Guard in Key West get the same BAH?
Yes. NAS Key West and Coast Guard Station Key West are both in the Key West / Florida Keys military housing area, so the 2026 BAH is the same at each pay grade.
Reviews
What Veterans say
4.9 on GoogleBased on 95 Google reviews of Shirley Mueller's team
VA construction loan
Shirley and her team were an absolute pleasure to work with. They helped my wife and I obtain a VA Construction Loan which gave us the ability to build our dream home.
Agent referral · VA purchase
Shirley was excellent to work with on our client’s VA home loan. VA loans can be tricky and it is so important to work with a loan officer that knows them well. Shirley did an excellent job!
VA purchase
Ms. Shirley and her team are the BEST. Clear communication, specialized VA knowledge, responsiveness, and reduced stress. Thank you all for your help .
VA one-time-close construction loan
Some agents on my team were more responsive than others. But the VA One Time Close Construction Loan is a big and complicated one. A lot of waiting involved and some miscommunication, but that happens with project like this. I believe Shirley’s team handled my loan better than any other lender I could have used. In the end, I know I was in good hands.
Problem solved fast
Ms Shirley and her team were among the top teir customer service representatives I have ever had the pleasure of working with. I'll admit, I was apprehensive at first, given the number of people that had their hands in everything. Tends to lead to confusion and things getting messed up, which takes time to fix. I brought an issue to Ms Shirley and without hesitation, calls the team members involved and conferences the issue. Absolutely stunned when that happened. This goes to show you the dedication of this team and I would absolutely recommend them to anyone! Thank you and I can't say it enough. Still hope for humanity yet.
First home · VA purchase
Absolutely top notch!!! This being our first home, I had no idea what to expect, and to be honest the thought of getting through this was quite stressful! This entire process from start to finish has been nothing short of amazing and stress-free. Everyone has been extremely friendly and helpful! All of my questions and concerns were addressed quickly and promptly! You have all made this veterans dream of home ownership come true, what a pleasure this journey has been! Thank you all!!
Questions? Send a quick note
My team will be in touch soon. No cost or obligation.