But mortgages insured by the Department of Veterans Affairs offer qualified service members a leg up to purchase with no down payment, no mortgage insurance and without the requirement of top-tier credit. VA loans
"Millennial veterans and service members are using their hard-earned VA loan benefits to jump into the housing market now, instead of being stuck on the sidelines like so many of their civilian counterparts," Chris Birk, the director of education for Veterans United, said in a press release. "The VA loan program was created 75 years ago to level the playing field and boost access to homeownership for those who serve our country. Today, it’s still fulfilling that original mission and making a huge difference for a new generation."
With that in mind, from the Lone Star State to the beaches of Florida, here's a look at the top 15 housing markets with the largest influx of VA purchase loans between 2015 and 2018.
For the analysis, Veterans United took its purchase loan volume from 2018 and compared it to 2015 for any millennial — born between 1981 and 1996 — veteran or service member. To be included on the list, metro areas needed a minimum of 75 purchase loans made by millennials in both 2018 and 2015.
No. 15 Dallas, Texas
2018 average purchase price: $263,975
No. 14 Oklahoma City, Okla.
2018 average purchase price: $194,254
No. 13 St. Louis, Mo.
2018 average purchase price: $196,128
No. 12 Atlanta, Ga.
2018 average purchase price: $241,864
No. 11 Killeen, Texas
2018 average purchase price: $169,756
No. 10 Chicago, Ill.
2018 average purchase price: $247,418
No. 9 Washington, D.C.
2018 average purchase price: $398,350
No. 8 Fayetteville, N.C.
2018 average purchase price: $174,716
No. 7 Virginia Beach, Va.
2018 average purchase price: $248,126
No. 6 Miami, Fla.
2018 average purchase price: $316,611
No. 5 Hinesville, Ga.
2018 average purchase price: $166,877
No. 4 New York, N.Y.
2018 average purchase price: $429,868
No. 3 San Antonio, Texas
2018 average purchase price: $235,646
No. 2 Tampa, Fla.
2018 average purchase price: $252,566
No. 1 Jacksonville, Fla.
2018 average purchase price: $238,066