Credit & qualifying
14 articles written for military families — plain English, no sales pitch, and no rate promises.
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
Credit & qualifying
A VA loan denial is often a lender's overlay, not a VA rule — which means another lender may approve the same file. Here are the most common reasons, which are fixable, and what to do next for each.
Updated 2026-09-19 · 9 min read
Credit & qualifying
Yes — rental income can help you qualify for a VA loan, in two situations: the other units on a multi-unit property you are buying, and a prior home you are keeping as a rental after a PCS. Here is how the 75% rule works and what documentation you need.
Updated 2026-09-19 · 8 min read
Credit & qualifying
Divorce with a VA loan raises three questions: who is liable on the loan, what happens to the veteran's entitlement, and how to remove a spouse or restore entitlement after the settlement. Here is how each works.
Updated 2026-09-19 · 9 min read
Credit & qualifying
Student loans affect a VA loan's DTI even when payments are deferred. How the VA calculates the monthly payment — and the 0.5% rule that catches deferred loans — is the detail that decides many younger-veteran files. Here is how it works.
Updated 2026-09-19 · 8 min read
Credit & qualifying
Child support affects a VA loan on both sides: the support you pay is a debt that reduces qualifying, and the support you receive can be income that helps. Here is how each is documented and calculated, and the residual income impact.
Updated 2026-09-19 · 8 min read
Credit & qualifying
BAH counts as qualifying income for a VA loan, and because it is untaxed, it is grossed up in the DTI — meaning more of it counts than the same dollar of civilian income. Here is how to document it and why it matters.
Updated 2026-09-19 · 8 min read
Credit & qualifying
VA disability compensation counts as qualifying income for a mortgage, and because it is untaxed it is grossed up — more of it counts than the same dollar of taxed income. Here is how to document it and the full advantage it carries.
Updated 2026-09-19 · 8 min read
Credit & qualifying
Military retirement pay is stable, likely-to-continue income that counts fully toward VA loan qualification. Here is how to document it, how the untaxed portions gross up, and how it combines with disability compensation for retired veterans.
Updated 2026-09-19 · 7 min read
Credit & qualifying
A prior bankruptcy, foreclosure, or short sale does not permanently disqualify you from a VA loan. The VA sets seasoning periods and asks for re-established credit. Here is what each event requires and where the entitlement trap hides.
Updated 2026-09-19 · 10 min read
Credit & qualifying
VA loan affordability is two calculations, not one. A debt-to-income ratio sets the ceiling, and a residual income test confirms you can actually live on what is left. The lower of the two is your real limit.
Updated 2026-09-23 · 11 min read
Credit & qualifying
The VA loan program does not really have cosigners; it has co-borrowers on a joint loan. The veteran must occupy the home and carry the entitlement, but a spouse or, in limited cases, another borrower can join the loan to add income and credit strength.
Updated 2026-09-23 · 9 min read
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