VA Loans
The VA loan is one of the most valuable benefits you've earned through military service. Backed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, this program lets eligible service members, veterans, and surviving spouses buy a home with no down payment, no private mortgage insurance, and competitive interest rates that often beat conventional loans.
Our guides break down everything you need to know—eligibility requirements, closing costs, loan limits by county, credit score minimums, and how to choose a lender who specializes in VA loans.
Essential VA Loan Guides
Compare VA Loan Lenders in Your State
Find the best VA loan rates and lenders near you.
Latest VA Loan Articles
VA Loans
VA Condo Loans 2026: How to Buy a Condo with a VA Loan (and What Can Go Wrong)
KEY TAKEAWAYS You can buy a condo with a VA loan — but the entire condo development must first be on the VA's approved list or go through a project review process. This is the step that catches most veteran condo buyers off guard. The VA maintains a searchable database of approved condo projects at vip.vba.va.gov. Always check this before making an offer — a condo listed as … [Read more...] about VA Condo Loans 2026: How to Buy a Condo with a VA Loan (and What Can Go Wrong)
VA Loans and Divorce: How to Protect Your Entitlement and What Happens to the Mortgage
KEY TAKEAWAYS A divorce decree does not remove either spouse from the VA loan. The mortgage stays in both names — and both remain liable to the lender — until the loan is refinanced, sold, or formally assumed with a release of liability. VA entitlement stays tied to the property, not to the divorce agreement. A veteran's entitlement is not restored simply because a court … [Read more...] about VA Loans and Divorce: How to Protect Your Entitlement and What Happens to the Mortgage
VA Loans While Deployed: How to Buy a Home from Anywhere in 2026
KEY TAKEAWAYS You can apply for and close a VA loan while deployed — overseas, OCONUS, or stateside on a deployment cycle. The VA has built deployment-specific flexibility into its program rules. A transaction-specific Power of Attorney (POA) is required to close without your physical presence. A generic military POA is usually not sufficient — the POA must name the property … [Read more...] about VA Loans While Deployed: How to Buy a Home from Anywhere in 2026
VA Loan After Foreclosure: Waiting Periods, Entitlement, and How to Qualify in 2026
KEY TAKEAWAYS Foreclosure does not permanently end your VA loan benefit. The standard waiting period is 2 years from the date the foreclosure completed — not when you moved out or when the loan first went delinquent. If the VA paid a guaranty claim to your lender on the defaulted loan, that entitlement is not automatically restored after two years — you must repay the VA's … [Read more...] about VA Loan After Foreclosure: Waiting Periods, Entitlement, and How to Qualify in 2026
VA Loan After Bankruptcy: Waiting Periods, Requirements, and How to Qualify in 2026
KEY TAKEAWAYS Bankruptcy does not permanently disqualify you from a VA loan. The standard waiting period is 2 years from the Chapter 7 discharge date — not the filing date. This distinction trips up many veterans. Chapter 13 has a shorter path: veterans may qualify after just 12 months of on-time plan payments with written trustee or court approval, even while the plan is … [Read more...] about VA Loan After Bankruptcy: Waiting Periods, Requirements, and How to Qualify in 2026
Debt-to-Income Ratio for VA Loans: What the 41% Rule Really Means
KEY TAKEAWAYS The VA guidelines suggest a 41% DTI as the threshold — but unlike FHA and conventional loans, exceeding this doesn't automatically disqualify you. The VA's residual income requirement is a more powerful qualifier than DTI alone — lenders may approve borrowers above 41% DTI if residual income is strong. VA loans don't have a hard DTI cap written into VA … [Read more...] about Debt-to-Income Ratio for VA Loans: What the 41% Rule Really Means
VA Loan With Student Loan Debt: How It’s Counted and How to Qualify in 2026
KEY TAKEAWAYS •Student loan debt does not disqualify you from a VA loan. What matters is how the monthly payment is counted in your debt-to-income ratio — not the total balance you owe. •VA lenders use the higher of your documented monthly payment or 5% of the outstanding balance divided by 12 as the qualifying payment — unless the loan is in qualifying deferment. •Student … [Read more...] about VA Loan With Student Loan Debt: How It’s Counted and How to Qualify in 2026
VA Minimum Property Requirements (MPRs): What Every Veteran Buyer Needs to Know in 2026
KEY TAKEAWAYS •Every VA purchase requires a VA appraisal that checks both market value and whether the property meets the VA's Minimum Property Requirements — the home must be safe, structurally sound, and sanitary. •As of May 1, 2026, two MPR rules changed: peeling paint on post-1978 homes is no longer a repair condition, and outbuildings (sheds, detached garages, barns) are … [Read more...] about VA Minimum Property Requirements (MPRs): What Every Veteran Buyer Needs to Know in 2026
VA Loan Entitlement Explained: Full, Partial, Restoration, and Using Two VA Loans
KEY TAKEAWAYS •Veterans with full entitlement have no VA-imposed loan limits — you can borrow any amount a lender will approve with zero down payment. Full entitlement applies if you've never used the benefit or have fully restored it after a previous VA loan. •Partial entitlement occurs when some of your entitlement is tied to an active VA loan. Your zero-down buying power on … [Read more...] about VA Loan Entitlement Explained: Full, Partial, Restoration, and Using Two VA Loans
VA Loan Residual Income: 2026 Requirements, Charts, and How to Calculate Yours
KEY TAKEAWAYS •Residual income is the cash left over each month after taxes, your full mortgage payment, and all major debts are subtracted — the VA requires a minimum amount based on your region and family size. •For loans over $80,000, a family of four in the South needs at least $1,003/month in residual income. The threshold is highest in the West and lowest in the … [Read more...] about VA Loan Residual Income: 2026 Requirements, Charts, and How to Calculate Yours