On February 17, 2026, the Department of Veteran Affairs (the “VA”) updated their State Fees and Charges Deviations List, which can be found here: https://www.benefits.va.gov/homeloans/documents/docs/state-deviations.pdf. These are fees and charges that are considered reasonable and customary in a particular state but not nationwide. These particular state-specific fees and charges are included in the category of “itemized fees and charges” that may be paid by a veteran in addition to the lender’s one percent flat charge and reasonable discount points.
Of particular note for Texas lenders is that a document preparation fee paid to an outside attorney for preparing the loan documents is now considered a reasonable and customary charge that may be paid by a veteran. Previously, this was only considered reasonable and customary on a refinance loan. The VA also added a foreclosure prevention fee up to $80 for Washington state loans and a MERS fee nationwide to the list.
Full Memorandum
