you served. now settle in.
A VA loan is a benefit you earned — guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs and available to active-duty service members, veterans, National Guard and Reserve members with qualifying service, and many surviving spouses. Zero down, no monthly mortgage insurance, and some of the most competitive rates on the market.
Why the VA loan is quietly the best mortgage in America
Zero down payment. No monthly mortgage insurance. Rates that consistently price below conventional. The VA doesn't lend the money — it guarantees a portion of the loan to the lender, which is why lenders can offer terms no one else can touch. If you qualify, this is almost always the loan to use.
The one cost most vets don't know about is the VA funding fee — a one-time charge (1.25% to 3.3% of the loan) that keeps the program self-sustaining. First-time use is cheaper than subsequent uses, and vets with a service-connected disability rating are exempt entirely.
The Certificate of Eligibility (COE), demystified
Your COE is the VA's way of confirming you served long enough to qualify. Most veterans need 90 days of active service during wartime, 181 during peacetime, or 6 years in the Guard or Reserves. Surviving spouses of service members who died in the line of duty or from a service-connected disability are usually eligible too.
We pull your COE for you as part of pre-approval — you don't need to hunt it down yourself. All we need to get started is your DD-214 (or a Statement of Service if you're currently serving). We handle the rest with the VA portal.
You can use it more than once
The VA benefit isn't a single-use coupon. As long as you sell your home and pay off the loan, your full entitlement restores and you can use it again on the next purchase. And you can even hold two VA loans at once in certain PCS or job-change situations — the math gets specific, so ask us before you assume.
Already in a VA loan and rates dropped? The VA Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan (IRRRL, or "streamline") lets you refinance with minimal paperwork, often no new appraisal, and reduced funding fees.
Best fit if…
- ✓You're active-duty, a veteran, Guard, or Reserve with qualifying service
- ✓You're a surviving spouse of a service member
- ✓You want to buy with little or nothing down
- ✓You'd rather skip monthly mortgage insurance
- ✓You already have a VA loan and rates just dropped