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Eligibility
The VA requires a valid Certificate of Eligibility, satisfactory credit, stable and sufficient income, and qualifying occupancy. Lenders layer their own requirements on top. Here is the full picture, in order.
Jonathan Mullins · Updated 2026-09-19 · 12 min read
Read the guideEligibility
The COE is the document demonstrating that you qualify for a VA loan based on service history and duty status. Here is exactly what it shows, which records you need, and how to get one without stalling a contract.
Updated 2026-09-19 · 8 min read
Eligibility
Entitlement is the part of the VA program most borrowers get wrong, and it decides whether a county loan limit applies to you at all. Here is how full, remaining, and second-tier entitlement actually work.
Updated 2026-09-19 · 10 min read
Loan Costs
The funding fee is the one cost unique to VA financing, and it can be financed. Around it sit ordinary closing costs, a list of fees the VA will not let you pay, and a seller concession rule most buyers never use.
Updated 2026-09-19 · 11 min read
Comparisons
Rate is the wrong place to start. Put down payment, mortgage insurance, and the funding fee in the same table and the winner depends on your cash, your entitlement, and how long you stay.
Updated 2026-09-19 · 11 min read
Refinancing
One path is a low-documentation rate cut on a VA loan you already have. The other opens equity and can bring a non-VA mortgage into the VA program. Seasoning and recoupment usually decide which is available.
Updated 2026-09-19 · 10 min read
Property types
Yes. A VA loan can finance up to four units on one property with no required down payment, provided you occupy one unit as your primary residence. Here is how occupancy, rental income, and underwriting actually work.
Updated 2026-09-19 · 9 min read
Credit & qualifying
The VA publishes no minimum credit score — lenders do. A weaker credit file changes the path, not necessarily the outcome. Here is what underwriting looks for and which setbacks have defined waiting periods.
Updated 2026-09-19 · 10 min read
Credit & qualifying
Residual income is the amount left in your budget after the mortgage, debts, taxes, and estimated maintenance. The VA requires it by family size and region — and it is the requirement that most clearly separates VA underwriting from everything else.
Updated 2026-09-19 · 8 min read
Credit & qualifying
The VA's benchmark is 41% — and it is a benchmark, not a wall. Automated approvals regularly clear files above 50% when the rest of the picture is strong. Here is where the real limits are.
Updated 2026-09-19 · 8 min read
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