For veterans and their families
Every veteran deserves a home
We’re both married to veterans. We know how hard it can be to get clear answers to your questions, and how much it helps to have someone in your corner. Where are you starting?
- I own a VA homeI'd love to move if I could keep my interest rateJoin our VA Home Swap group ↓
- Buying or sellingI want to buy or sell a home as a veteranHow we help VA buyers and sellers ↓
- Loan questionsI have questions about a VA loan to buy or refinanceGet straight answers ↓
No pressure, no cost to talk. Bring your questions.
Why a VA loan
Why a VA loan is the choice
You earned this benefit. It isn’t a favor or a last resort. It’s one of the strongest home loans there is, and here’s why, side by side.
$0
down payment
When the price fits the appraisal
$0
monthly mortgage insurance
No PMI, ever
No fee
for most veterans with a rating
The VA funding fee is waived with disability compensation
Again
and again
Use the benefit more than once
Cash down on a $500,000 home
A worked example at each loan’s common down payment.
- VA loan$0
No down payment when the price fits the appraisal
- FHA loan$17,500
3.5% minimum down
- Conventional, 5% down$25,000
Plus monthly mortgage insurance
- Conventional, 20% down$100,000
What it takes to skip mortgage insurance
What comes with each loan
The big differences, at a glance.
| VA | FHA | Conventional | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest down payment | $0 | 3.5% | 3% to 5% |
| Monthly mortgage insurance | None | Yes | Under 20% down |
| One-time fee | Waived for most with a rating | Upfront premium | None |
| Lender fees capped by the program | Yes | No | No |
| Can a buyer take it over later? | Yes, with approval | Yes, with approval | Usually not |
Examples only, not a quote. Down payments are each program’s common minimum; some conventional loans go to 3%. All loans are subject to credit approval and underwriting. The interest rate itself isn’t set by VA. Lenders set it, which is why Maggie compares more than one.
A quick read
“I’ve heard about the funding fee. What is it?”
It’s a one-time charge VA collects on most VA loans. It keeps the program going without down payments or monthly mortgage insurance, so you pay it once instead of every month.
You don’t have to bring it in cash. You can pay it at closing or add it to your loan.
Many veterans never pay it. If you receive VA disability compensation, the fee is usually waived. Your Certificate of Eligibility shows it, and Maggie checks it before the fee ever lands on your Loan Estimate.
It’s smallest when you’re lowering your rate. Refinancing an existing VA loan to a lower rate with no cash out (VA calls it an IRRRL) costs 0.5%. Taking over another VA homeowner’s loan in the VA Home Swap is 0.5% too.
The VA funding fee, on a $400,000 loan
VA’s own rates, as a share of the loan amount. $0 if you’re exempt.
Buying a home
- First use, less than 5% down2.15% · $8,600
- First use, 5% or more down1.5% · $6,000
- First use, 10% or more down1.25% · $5,000
- After first use, less than 5% down3.3% · $13,200
Refinancing
- Lower your VA rate, no cash out (IRRRL)0.5% · $2,000
- Cash-out refinance, first use2.15% · $8,600
- Cash-out refinance, after first use3.3% · $13,200
Taking over a VA loan
- Loan assumption (the VA Home Swap)0.5% · $2,000
Source: VA.gov funding fee page, updated October 5, 2026. Down payment tiers apply to purchases; the refinance rates don’t change with how much you put down.
For VA homeowners
Love your rate, but not your house anymore?
A VA loan can be taken over by another buyer, low rate and all. That’s the idea behind the VA Home Swap. We match VA homeowners who want to move with each other, so the rate goes with the house instead of disappearing at closing.
- 1Tell us what you have and what you want next.
- 2We look for another VA homeowner whose home fits you, and who wants yours.
- 3When there's a match, Maggie calls you and walks through the numbers, including any gap between the price and the loan you'd take over.
Most of these homes won’t be on the MLS. We’re matching VA homeowners with each other, so you hear about them here first.
What keeping a low rate can be worth
The same $400,000 loan balance, 30-year fixed, principal and interest.
About $776 a month, or $9,317 a year
At 3%, the payment is about $1,686 a month. At an example rate of 6.25%, it is about $2,463.
A worked example, not a quote or today’s rate. Taxes and insurance are extra. Taking over a loan needs the lender’s and VA’s approval, and not every home or loan qualifies.
For VA homeowners
The VA Home Swap
Have a VA loan with a low rate and a house that doesn’t fit anymore? Ask me about the VA Home Swap.
I’m building a network of VA homeowners, starting in Elk Grove, who would move if the numbers worked. Tell me what you have and what you want. When there’s a match, I’ll call you.
Questions first? Call or text Maggie at 916-549-3131.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Loan assumption requires lender and VA approval. Not every home or loan qualifies.
Getting started
What you need to qualify
- 1
Find your DD-214
It's your proof of service. With it, we can order your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) for you, usually online.
- 2
We order your COE
Your COE confirms you can use the VA benefit, shows your entitlement, and shows whether you're exempt from the funding fee.
- 3
We run your numbers
Pay stubs or award letters and bank statements, like any loan. Then you see your options side by side before you shop.
On active duty? A statement of service signed by your commander or personnel office.
Guard or Reserve? Your NGB Form 22 or annual retirement points statement, or a DD-214 if you were activated.
Surviving spouse? The veteran’s DD-214, and VA Form 26-1817 if you receive DIC.
Can’t find your DD-214? Call us anyway. We’ll help you get it.
VA disability ratings
What your rating changes when you buy
A rating is more than a number on a letter. Here’s what each level usually means for a homebuyer in California.
No rating yet
- You can still get a VA loan
- $0 down and no monthly mortgage insurance
- You'll usually pay the funding fee
- If VA later rates you with an effective date before closing, you may get the fee back
10% to 90%
- Everything on the left
- No funding fee in most cases
- Your tax-free monthly payment counts as income
- Lenders can count it as more than the deposit you see (grossing it up)
100%, or paid at 100%
- Everything in the middle
- California's Disabled Veterans' Exemption
- For 2027, Sacramento County takes $185,889 off your home's taxable value
- That's roughly $1,860 a year off the base tax bill
+Who doesn't pay the VA funding fee?
- Veterans who receive VA compensation for a service-connected disability.
- Veterans eligible for that compensation who receive retirement or active-duty pay instead.
- Surviving spouses receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC).
- Service members with a proposed or memorandum rating before closing, based on a claim filed before discharge.
- Active-duty service members who show proof of a Purple Heart on or before closing.
+What if my claim is still pending when I want to buy?
+Will the lender ask about my medical conditions?
+Who qualifies for the property tax exemption, and how do I file?
+Can VA help me adapt a home for a disability?
Need to file a disability claim?
We help with the house and the loan, not the claim. Sacramento County Veterans Services helps for free, by appointment. If anyone asks you to pay to file your first claim, call them first.
Straight answers
The questions veterans ask us most
+What do I need to get started?
Your DD-214 if you're a veteran. With it, we order your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) for you, usually online. On active duty, it's a statement of service from your commander or personnel office. Guard or Reserve, your NGB Form 22 or retirement points statement. For the loan itself, the usual: pay stubs or award letters and bank statements.
+Who qualifies for a VA loan?
Veterans, active-duty service members, some National Guard and Reserve members, and some surviving spouses. If you served after August 1, 1990, it's generally 24 months in a row or the full period you were called up for (at least 90 days). On active duty now, 90 days in a row. Guard or Reserve, 6 years, or 90 days of active duty under federal orders. Some veterans with less time still qualify, such as those discharged early for a service-connected disability.
+Can my wife or husband be on my VA loan?
Yes. A spouse can be a co-borrower, and VA backs the whole loan the same way. Their income can help you qualify. In California, the lender counts a spouse's monthly debts even if they aren't on the loan, because it's a community property state.
+Can I use my VA loan more than once?
Yes. The benefit can be used again, and in some cases you can have more than one VA loan at a time. If part of your entitlement is still tied up in a home you own, we read your COE with you and show what it means in dollars.
+Can someone take over my VA loan, low rate and all?
Yes, with the lender's and VA's approval. That's called an assumption, and it's what makes the VA Home Swap possible. When the buyer is a veteran who swaps in their own entitlement, yours can be freed up for your next home.
+Is there a minimum credit score?
VA doesn't publish one. Each lender sets its own, which is one reason Maggie compares lenders for you.
+Do I have to live in the home?
Yes. A VA loan is for the home you live in, not a rental or a vacation home. You'll usually move in within 60 days of closing.
+Do I need a disability rating to get a VA loan?
No. Veterans without a rating use VA loans every day. A rating that pays compensation usually means no funding fee, and the monthly payment counts as income.
+Are you part of the VA?
No. Surroundings is a private real estate and mortgage brokerage, not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Maggie is a Certified VA Loan Specialist and shops VA loans across a network of approved lenders.
Want more detail? Points and upfront costs explains the funding fee, closing costs and points.
Who you’ll work with
We married two veterans
Maggie’s husband, Stephen, is a veteran. So is Rachel’s husband, Daniel. We know how hard it can be to get answers, and how much it helps to have someone in your corner who knows the steps and stays with you through every one of them.
Thank you for your service. How can we help?
Buying, selling or using your VA benefit again, we will walk you through it.
All loans are subject to credit approval and underwriting. This page is general information, not legal, tax or benefits advice. Surroundings is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Veterans Affairs or any government agency. Property tax amounts are the Sacramento County Assessor’s for the 2027 lien date and change every year. Maggie B. Hopkins, CA DRE #01750680, NMLS #349517. Surroundings Real Estate & Lending, CA DRE #02220140, NMLS #2528307. Equal Housing Opportunity.