Who qualifies for a VA loan?
Veterans, service members, some National Guard and Reserve members, and some surviving spouses. How long you needed to serve depends on when you served:
- Served after August 1, 1990: 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.
- Earlier eras: 90 or 181 days, depending on the years.
Some veterans with less time still qualify, such as those discharged early for a service-connected disability, a medical reason or a hardship. A dishonorable or bad-conduct discharge may not qualify, but VA can review it.
VA confirms it with a Certificate of Eligibility (COE). Then the lender checks your credit and income. VA doesn't set a minimum credit score. Lenders set their own.
What do you need to apply?
- Veterans: your DD-214.
- On active duty: a statement of service signed by your commander or personnel office.
- Guard or Reserve: your NGB Form 22 or your annual retirement points statement, or a DD-214 if you were activated.
- Surviving spouses: the veteran's DD-214 and VA Form 26-1817 if you receive DIC. If you don't, VA also asks for your marriage license and the veteran's death certificate.
- For the loan itself: pay stubs or award letters, tax returns if you're self-employed, and bank statements, like any other loan.
Those papers get you a Certificate of Eligibility (COE). Your lender can often request it online for you.
Can your wife or husband be on your VA loan?
Yes. Your spouse can be on the loan with you as a co-borrower, and VA backs the whole loan the same way. Their income can help you qualify, and their credit is looked at too.
In California, even if your spouse isn't on the loan, the lender still has to count their monthly debts. That's because California is a community property state.
If you add someone who is not your spouse and not a veteran, VA only backs your share, and the lender may want a down payment on theirs.
A surviving spouse can use the benefit on their own if they receive or qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC). Remarrying on or after age 57 doesn't take it away.
What discounts and savings come with a VA loan?
- No down payment in most cases, as long as the price isn't higher than the appraised value.
- No monthly mortgage insurance.
- No funding fee if you receive VA disability compensation, and in a few other cases.
- Limits on lender fees. VA caps what a lender can charge you.
- Lower property taxes in California if you're rated 100%. See below.
California also has its own program, CalVet Home Loans, run by the state for eligible veterans buying a home to live in. We can compare it with a VA loan for you.
The interest rate itself isn't discounted by VA. Lenders set it, which is why we compare more than one. More on costs: VA loan points and upfront costs.
What does your disability percentage get you?
Here's the short version for homebuyers:
- No rating yet. You can still get a VA loan. You'll usually pay the funding fee. If VA later awards compensation with an effective date before your closing, you may get that fee back.
- 10% to 90%. VA pays you monthly, tax-free. That usually means no funding fee, and the monthly payment counts as income on your loan.
- 100%, or paid at 100% because you can't work. Everything above, plus California's property tax exemption.
- Certain severe disabilities. VA grants can help you buy, build or change a home. These depend on the disability, not the percentage.
The details are on VA disability and buying a home.
If you're 100% disabled, do you pay less property tax?
Yes. In California, a veteran rated 100% (or paid at 100% because they can't work) can take a big amount off the home's taxable value. Veterans who are blind in both eyes or have lost the use of two or more limbs qualify too, and so can some unmarried surviving spouses.
For 2027, Sacramento County's assessor lists:
- Basic exemption: $185,889 off your home's taxable value. You file once.
- Low-income exemption: $278,836 off, if your household income is under $83,474. You file every year.
California's base property tax rate is 1%, so the basic exemption takes roughly $1,860 a year off the bill, before local add-ons. The home has to be your main residence. You file form BOE-261-G with the Sacramento County Assessor. Other counties use the same form.
Do you 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, and longer can be allowed in some cases.
VA loans can also be taken over by a buyer later (assumed), which can help when you sell. A veteran buyer can swap in their own entitlement.
Can you use a 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.
Still have a question?
Text or call Maggie at (916) 549-3131. She's a Certified VA Loan Specialist and a mortgage broker, and she's married to a veteran. Or use the loan options form. Back to all our veterans pages.
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. Maggie B. Hopkins, CA DRE #01750680, NMLS #349517. Surroundings, CA DRE #02220140, NMLS #2528307. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
Do I pay less property tax if I'm 100% disabled?
In California, yes. A veteran rated 100%, or paid at 100% because they can't work, can take a large amount off the home's taxable value. For 2027, Sacramento County lists $185,889 for the basic exemption.
Does a 10% rating help on a VA loan?
Yes. Ratings from 10% up are paid monthly. That usually means no VA funding fee, and the payment counts as income.
Is there a minimum credit score for a VA loan?
VA doesn't publish one. Each lender sets its own standard, which is one reason to compare lenders.