VA purchase
For eligible veterans, active duty at Kirtland, National Guard members and surviving spouses, the VA loan is usually the strongest option on the table. No down payment, no monthly mortgage insurance, and a funding fee that is waived entirely for borrowers with a service-connected disability rating.
- Down payment
- 0% up to full entitlement
- Monthly mortgage insurance
- None
- Funding fee
- Waived with a service-connected disability rating
What this program actually is
We treat VA as a specialty rather than a checkbox. That starts with the Certificate of Eligibility and entitlement maths: if you have a prior VA loan that has not been restored, your remaining entitlement changes how much you can borrow with nothing down, and that calculation trips up a lot of originators.
VA also has rules that protect you and that some listing agents do not know. The Tidewater process gives us a chance to supply comparable sales before a low appraisal is issued. The amendatory clause lets you walk with your earnest money if the property appraises below the contract price. Certain non-allowable costs cannot be charged to a veteran at all.
Residual income, not just debt-to-income, is the underwriting backbone here. A family of four in the west region has a published residual income requirement, and a file that meets residual income comfortably can be approved at a debt ratio that would fail elsewhere.
- Down payment
- 0% up to full entitlement
- Monthly mortgage insurance
- None
- Funding fee
- Waived with a service-connected disability rating
- Underwriting backbone
- Residual income plus debt-to-income
- Reuse
- Entitlement can be restored or used a second time concurrently
What you get from us on this program
- Certificate of Eligibility pulled for you, including entitlement restoration where a prior loan is involved
- A remaining-entitlement calculation before you write an offer, so your buying power is real
- Residual income worked out for your household size and region
- Tidewater comparable sales prepared and delivered if the appraisal looks like it will come in light
- A written list of non-allowable fees, so nothing lands on your settlement statement that should not
How the file runs
- 01
Eligibility and entitlement
We pull the COE and work out exactly how much zero-down capacity you actually have.
- 02
Residual income model
Household size, region and all debts, so the pre-approval reflects VA's real test.
- 03
Panel pricing
VA pricing between wholesale lenders varies with loan size and credit tier, so we quote it same-day.
- 04
Appraisal protection
We monitor for Tidewater and respond with comparables inside the window.
- 05
Close
Fee review against the non-allowable list before you sign anything.
What moves your pricing on this program
These are the inputs an underwriter and a rate sheet actually react to. Nothing on this page is a quote.
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Entitlement used | A prior unrestored VA loan reduces zero-down capacity |
| Household size | Drives the residual income requirement |
| Disability rating | Removes the funding fee entirely |
| Occupancy | Must be a principal residence, with limited exceptions for deployment |
| Property type | Condo projects must be on the VA approved list |
All rates, APRs, payments, fees and timelines referenced on this site are sample figures for illustration only. They are not an offer of credit and not a commitment to lend. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Often compared with
VA purchase questions
Not covered here? Call (505) 555-0135 or send us a note. Se habla español.
Yes. Entitlement is restored when the prior loan is paid off, and in some cases you can hold two VA loans at the same time using remaining entitlement.
Some listing agents still believe VA is slow. We give your agent a one-page lender letter with our median clear-to-close time and a direct line, which usually settles it.
Not for borrowers with full entitlement. With partial entitlement, county limits come back into the calculation and a down payment may be required.