Reference · FAQ
The questions everyone asks, answered straight.
Two or three plain sentences per answer, with a link to go deeper when you want the full picture.
- Is zero down really zero down?
- Yes. With full entitlement there is no down payment requirement at any price the lender will approve. You still need some cash for earnest money, the inspection, and closing costs, though sellers can cover much of that last one. What it still costs →
- What credit score do I need?
- The VA sets no minimum score at all. Individual lenders set their own floors, commonly around 620, some lower. A denial from one lender is that lender's answer, not the VA's. Shopping matters. The credit guide →
- How long does it take to close?
- A clean file typically runs 30 to 45 days from accepted offer to keys, about the same as a conventional loan. The biggest delay factor is how fast you send documents back. The full timeline →
- Can I use the VA loan more than once?
- Yes, for life. Sell and pay off a VA loan and your full benefit comes back. With enough entitlement you can even hold two VA loans at the same time. Entitlement, explained →
- Is there a maximum loan amount?
- Not if you have full entitlement: since 2020 there is no VA loan limit, so your income and debts set the ceiling. County limits only matter when part of your entitlement is tied up in another active VA loan. Full vs. partial →
- What is the funding fee and do I have to pay it?
- A one-time fee (2.15% of the loan for first use with nothing down) that can roll into the loan. Veterans receiving disability compensation, some surviving spouses, and active-duty Purple Heart recipients pay nothing. The fee, explained →
- Can I rent out my VA-loan home?
- Yes, after you've lived in it. Move in within about 60 days and make it your home; when life or orders move you on, converting it to a rental needs no VA permission. The occupancy rules →
- Can I buy a duplex or fourplex?
- Yes, up to four units at zero down, as long as you live in one of them. The other units' rent can even help you qualify. What you can buy →
- Does BAH count as income?
- Yes. Your housing allowance is real, tax-free qualifying income, and because it's untaxed, lenders can weigh it even more favorably in parts of the math. How qualifying works →
- Do student loans stop me from qualifying?
- Almost never by themselves. Lenders count a monthly payment for them (sometimes a calculated one rather than your actual bill), which shrinks your budget but rarely closes the door. See the math →
- Why do some sellers avoid VA offers?
- Mostly outdated beliefs: that VA appraisals are slow, that sellers must pay extra costs, that deals fall through. None of these holds up today, and a well-prepared VA offer competes with anything. How to win anyway →
- What's the difference between the inspection and the appraisal?
- The inspection is for you: a professional you hire finds everything wrong with the house. The appraisal is for the lender: it confirms value and checks basic safety standards. You want both. The clean split →
- Can my spouse's income and credit be used?
- Yes. A spouse can be a co-borrower, adding their income and their debts to the file. Their credit gets checked too, so a spouse with damaged credit can lower the rate you're offered or complicate approval.
- I got denied. Is that final?
- No. Denials are usually one lender's internal rules. Different lenders have different score floors and different appetite for manual review, so the same file can be declined at one desk and approved at another. Overlays, explained →
- Do I need my Certificate of Eligibility before house hunting?
- No. Any VA-experienced lender can usually pull your COE electronically in minutes during preapproval. Check your likely eligibility first if you're unsure. Two-minute check →
- I'm a service academy cadet. Am I eligible?
- Yes. Federal law counts academy time as active duty, and the VA lists cadets and midshipmen as an eligibility category. ROTC is different: that clock starts after commissioning. The practical questions for a cadet are timing and occupancy, not eligibility. The cadet guide →
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