America’s military veterans have an additional financial option with added benefits when buying a home. Veterans Affairs (VA) loans provide active-duty personnel, veterans of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, Reserves and National Guard, and some spouses with desirable purchase terms such as no down payment, no private mortgage insurance (PMI), and some of the most competitive interest rates available. VA Loans are provided by private lenders, banks and mortgage companies, but the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs determines a person’s eligibility based on the following factors:
Eligible Veterans
Veterans, active duty service members, National Guard members and reservists may all be eligible if they meet the below requirements:
– 90 consecutive days of active service during wartime
– 181 days of active service during peace time
– 6 or more years of service in the National Guard or Reserves
– No dishonorable discharges from any branch of service
Spouses of service members who have passed in the line of duty or as a result of a service-related injury may also be eligible to receive VA Benefits.
Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
Before a VA loan can be processed, applicants will need to obtain a COE from the VA that verifies and confirms their length and character of services. To obtain this, applicants can apply online through the VA’s eBenefits portal[SA1] or by mail with a VA Form 26-1880.
Rock Mortgage loan officers proudly supports American military veterans and work with clients to apply to the VA for a certificate of eligibility.
Income Requirements
There are no minimum income requirements to obtain a VA home loan. Qualification is based on an applicant’s ability to repay the loan.
While there is no minimum amount of money reserves required by the VA, the department will need to verify that applicants have a healthy amount of residual income remaining after all monthly expenses have been paid. At Rock Mortgage, loan officers calculate client’s debt-to-income ratio [SA2] to fill this requirement, and in some cases, having reserves can be beneficial when qualifying for a home loan that exceeds the 100% loan to value (LTV) maximum amount set by the VA.
Credit
There are also no minimum credit score requirements. However, most mortgage lenders use overlays that set a minimum required credit score. Rock Mortgage RMLOs are typically able to qualify veterans with a credit score of 600 or higher. Rock Mortgage loan professionals help clients to address their credit score concerns and work with them to raise it so they may qualify.
At the end of the day, every borrower’s situation is unique, so it helps to reach out to a qualified loan officer as early in the process as you can. We’re here to help. Call Rock Mortgage today at 832-230-3067 or begin the process directly on our site. We’ll be in touch soon and look forward to working with you!
