Four decades of dedicated VA lending sits behind every file we touch. Not a product line we added — the reason this team exists. Come and find out exactly what you are entitled to, and what it is worth.
It is a mortgage benefit earned through military service and backed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA does not lend the money. It guarantees a portion of the loan, which is what allows a lender to offer terms that exist nowhere else.
Eligible veterans, active-duty service members and surviving spouses can use it to buy or to refinance. It does not expire, and it is not a once-only benefit — entitlement is restored when a previous VA loan is paid off. Most people we speak to have been told about half of that.
Eligible borrowers with full entitlement can finance the whole purchase price and start building equity from the first payment.
No PMI at any down payment. On a conventional loan under 20% down, that line alone is often a few hundred dollars a month.
Use it, pay it off, and the entitlement comes back. In some situations two VA loans can be active at the same time.
Individually they are useful. Together they are the reason a VA loan is usually the strongest option on the table for anyone who qualifies for one.
Eligible borrowers can finance 100% of the purchase price. No years of saving before you start, and equity begins building from day one rather than from the day you have twenty percent in the bank.
Conventional loans charge PMI below 20% down — commonly a hundred to four hundred dollars a month, paid to protect the lender rather than you. VA loans have none, at any down payment.
Because the VA guarantees a portion of the loan, the lender is carrying less risk and can typically price more sharply than on a comparable conventional loan. Your own rate still depends on your file and the market on the day.
Generally more forgiving than conventional, and the VA sets no minimum score of its own. Hardship connected to service does not automatically disqualify anyone — it is a conversation, not a rejection.
The VA caps what a lender may charge, and certain costs cannot be passed to a VA buyer at all. It is one of the few places in lending where the rules are written in the borrower's favour.
Entitlement is restored once a previous VA loan is paid off, and in some situations two VA loans can run at once — which matters a great deal if you are posted somewhere new before the last house has sold.
Service requirements vary by category and by when you served. The summary below covers the common cases; the exceptions are more generous than most people expect.
Currently serving in any branch of the armed forces.
90 consecutive days of active service.
Discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.
90 days during wartime, or 181 days during peacetime.
Called to federal active duty, or with six years of service behind you.
Six years of service, or 90 days under active-duty orders.
Selected Reserve members meeting the service requirements.
Six years of service, or 90 days under active-duty orders.
Unmarried spouse of a service member who died in the line of duty or from a service-connected disability.
Must not have remarried, with exceptions.
Not sure whether you qualify? Eligibility comes down to your individual service history, and it is not always obvious from the outside. Send us what you have and we will help you establish it — at no cost and no obligation, whether or not you end up borrowing from us.
Five steps. We tell you what is happening at each one, and what we need from you before we need it.
The Certificate of Eligibility proves your entitlement to a lender. We pull it through the VA portal on your behalf, often within minutes, and tell you how much entitlement you have available rather than assuming it is full.
We verify income, assets and credit properly, so you know your real number before you start looking — and so a seller reading your offer knows you are serious. A pre-qualification is a guess. This is not one.
Your agent leads here, and we stay close behind: supporting the offer, answering the listing side's questions about VA financing, and keeping the timeline honest so nothing stalls at the wrong moment.
A VA-assigned appraiser confirms the value and checks the minimum property requirements, while underwriting works through the file. Most delays trace back to a document request, so we tell you early what is coming.
You review the final figures, sign, and the house is yours. We go through the closing disclosure with you line by line beforehand — nobody should be reading their own numbers for the first time at the table.
The honest version. There are files where conventional or FHA is the better answer, and we will say so — but if you are eligible for VA, this is usually why it wins.
| VA | Conventional | FHA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Down payment | $0 with full entitlement | 3% to 20%+ | 3.5% minimum |
| Mortgage insurance | None, ever | PMI required under 20% down | MIP, often for the life of the loan |
| Credit | No VA minimum; lenders typically look for 580+ | Typically 620+ | 580+ at 3.5% down |
| Closing cost limits | VA caps lender fees, and some costs cannot be charged at all | None — varies by lender | Some limits apply |
| Upfront fee | Funding fee 1.25%–3.3%, can be rolled into the loan | None | 1.75% upfront MIP, plus annual MIP |
| Reusable | Yes — entitlement is restored | Not applicable | Not applicable |
General programme guidance, not an offer of credit. Individual terms depend on your file, the property and the market on the day. Programme rules are set by the VA, FHA and the agencies, and change from time to time.
The VA funding fee is a one-time charge that keeps the programme running without taxpayer subsidy. It is the only real trade-off in the whole benefit, and it is a good deal smaller than the mortgage insurance you are not paying. What you owe depends on your down payment and whether this is your first use.
First use, no down payment. The most common scenario, and the one most veterans are quoted.
First use, 5% to 10% down. Putting a little down cuts the fee by roughly a third.
First use, 10% or more down. The lowest tier available on a first use.
Subsequent use. Higher on a second or later VA loan — and reduced again if you put money down.
No fee at all. Veterans receiving compensation for a service-connected disability, Purple Heart recipients serving on active duty, and eligible surviving spouses pay nothing.
Two things worth knowing. The fee can be rolled into the loan rather than paid at closing, so it does not have to come out of your pocket on the day. And we check every single file for an exemption — if you are entitled to pay nothing, you should not be paying anything.
All three cost veterans money every year. All three are out of date.
“VA loans take forever, and sellers hate them.”
The realityVA loans close in roughly the same time as conventional — typically thirty to forty-five days. Seller hesitation almost always traces back to a bad experience years ago, or an agent repeating something they heard. A well-prepared VA offer is not a weak offer, and we will happily talk the listing side through it.
“You can only use it once.”
The realityEntitlement is restored once a VA loan is paid off, and it can be used again. In some situations two VA loans can be active at the same time — which is exactly the situation a service member faces when orders arrive before the last house has sold.
“It is only for first-time buyers.”
The realityThere is no first-time requirement anywhere in the programme. Whether this is your first home or your fifth, the benefit works the same way. Plenty of the veterans we work with are buying again after two decades of owning.
Tell us where you are and we will come back to you. If you are ready, we will start on your Certificate of Eligibility. If you are a year out, we will build the plan that gets you there. Either way it costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Prefer to speak to someone first? Leslie Bergen leads our VA lending — NMLS# 383352, four decades of it. Contact details
One conversation, no obligation, and four decades of VA lending on the other end of it. If today is not the day, we will tell you exactly what would change that.
This is not an offer of credit or a commitment to lend. All loans are subject to underwriting and credit approval. The Atlas Team is powered by Lower, LLC — NMLS# 1124061.