The Fort Riley Soldier's VA Loan Guide: Make Kansas Work for You
Duty at Fort Riley puts you in one of the few markets left where a soldier's paycheck still buys a real house. The VA loan is how you turn that Midwest math into ownership without draining savings you built up over years of deployments. Marc Arrington, a retired Marine Master Sergeant and branch manager at RWM Home Loans, walks Big Red One families through every step of it. This guide covers how the benefit actually works when you use it in Geary and Riley County.
No. 01
Why Zero Down Matters More in a Value Market
The VA loan lets you buy with no down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance, which is the piece most first-time buyers get wrong when they compare it to conventional financing. In a market like Junction City or Manhattan, where homes cost less than almost anywhere else you will be stationed, that means your cash stays in your pocket instead of sitting in equity you cannot touch. No PMI keeps the monthly payment lean too, because the VA backs a portion of the loan instead of making you insure the lender. For a soldier trying to build wealth on an E5 or E6 budget, this combination is the whole ballgame.
No. 02
Are You Eligible, and How the COE Proves It
Most soldiers qualify after a minimum period of active service, and Guard and Reserve members can qualify through their own service requirements. The document that proves it is your Certificate of Eligibility, or COE, which shows lenders you have earned the benefit and how much entitlement you have. You do not need to chase this down yourself before calling anyone. Marc pulls COEs electronically through lender access in most cases, usually in minutes, so eligibility is one of the first boxes checked rather than a homework assignment.
No. 03
The Funding Fee, and Who Skips It Entirely
The VA charges a one-time funding fee on most loans, which can be rolled into the loan amount instead of paid in cash at closing. The VA sets the funding fee and Marc will quote your exact figure, because it depends on your down payment, whether you have used the benefit before, and your service category. Here is the part too many soldiers miss: if you receive VA disability compensation, you are likely exempt from the fee altogether. Around Fort Riley, where plenty of soldiers are working through med board or already rated, that exemption is real money and Marc checks for it on every file.
No. 04
Entitlement: You Can Use This Benefit Again
Your entitlement is the amount the VA backs on your behalf, and it is not a one-shot deal. When you sell a home and pay off the VA loan, you can restore your entitlement and use it fully on the next duty station. Even if you keep the Fort Riley house as a rental when you PCS, bonus entitlement often lets you buy again at the next base without selling first. Soldiers who bought cheap in Kansas and held the property have used exactly this play to build a small portfolio across a career. Marc can run your remaining entitlement numbers before you ever list or shop.
No. 05
The VA Appraisal in Older Kansas Housing Stock
Every VA purchase gets a VA appraisal, which confirms value and checks the home against minimum property requirements covering safety, soundness, and sanitation. Junction City and the surrounding towns have plenty of older homes, so things like peeling paint on pre-1978 houses, roof condition, and functioning heat come up more often here than in newer subdivisions. That is not a reason to fear the process. It is a reason to have a lender who has seen these reports before and knows which fixes are quick seller items versus real problems worth walking away from.
No. 06
Buying on Orders, Refinancing After
PCS orders to Fort Riley compress your timeline, and Marc structures files around report dates, temporary lodging windows, and the reality that you may be house hunting from another time zone. Getting underwritten before you shop means you can write an offer the week you arrive instead of a month later. Down the road, if rates drop below what you locked, the VA Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan, called the IRRRL or streamline, lets you refinance with reduced paperwork and typically no new appraisal. Buy right now, tighten the payment later. That is the full lifecycle of the benefit, and Marc handles both ends of it.
Questions we hear a lot
- Q.I have never bought a home before. Is the VA loan harder than a regular mortgage?
- No, and for most soldiers it is easier where it counts. There is no down payment to save up, no monthly mortgage insurance, and the credit standards are generally more forgiving than conventional loans. The extra steps, like the COE and the VA appraisal, are things Marc manages for you, not things you have to figure out alone.
- Q.Should I buy at Fort Riley if I will only be here a few years?
- That depends on your numbers, and Marc will tell you straight if it does not pencil out. The case for buying here is that low purchase prices mean lower risk, and homes near a major installation have a steady pool of incoming renters if you decide to hold the property after you PCS. The case against is short timelines and transaction costs. It is a math conversation, not a sales pitch.
- Q.I used my VA loan at a previous duty station. Can I use it again for Fort Riley?
- Very likely yes. If you sold the previous home and the loan was paid off, your entitlement can be restored in full. If you still own it, bonus entitlement may still cover a purchase here. Marc pulls your COE and tells you exactly where you stand before you start shopping.
- Q.What does the VA appraisal check for on older homes around Junction City?
- The appraiser confirms the home is worth the contract price and meets the VA's minimum property requirements, which focus on safety and livability: sound roof, working mechanical systems, safe water, no exposed hazards. Many flagged items are inexpensive seller repairs. Marc has seen enough of these reports to tell you quickly whether an issue is routine or a red flag.
VA funding fee
The one-time fee that replaces monthly PMI. Most borrowers roll it into the loan, and many veterans with a service-connected disability rating pay nothing.
Estimate only, based on the current VA funding fee schedule for purchase loans. Exemption generally applies to veterans receiving (or eligible to receive) VA disability compensation, eligible surviving spouses, and Purple Heart recipients on active duty; the VA makes the final determination. Not a loan offer or commitment to lend.
Can you buy again without selling?
If you already used your VA loan and are keeping that home, this estimates what is left of your entitlement and what you could buy at the next duty station.
Geary County, KS 路 2026 conforming loan limit $832,750
Most you can buy with $0 down
$582,750
Entitlement left: $145,688 of $208,188
At $350,000 you would need nothing down.
Estimate only. Not a loan offer or a commitment to lend. Entitlement is charged at 25 percent of the original loan amount, and the guaranty available in a county is 25 percent of the 2026 conforming loan limit published by the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Your actual entitlement comes from your Certificate of Eligibility and can differ after a restoration, a substitution of entitlement, or a prior default. A veteran with full entitlement has no loan limit at all.
Loan programs
Other ways Marc can structure a purchase
Programs offered through RWM Home Loans. Terms and eligibility are shown in each one.
Official sources
Talk to Marc when you are ready
No pressure and no obligation. Call, text, book a time, or send a note and Marc will reach out.
Marc Arrington
MSgt. USMC Ret. | Branch Manager
RWM Home Loans 路 NMLS# 2114896
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