Buying a House with a Zero-Down VA Home Loan In 2026

A VA home loan is available only to eligible veterans and active duty service members of the U.S. military.

Considering there are about 18 million veterans, according to VA estimates for 2023, this program is available to a considerable portion of the U.S. population.

Check your VA home loan eligibility. Start here (Nov 10th, 2026)

What is a VA home loan?

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) does not make the loans, but rather backs these loans so that lenders can offer more lenient guidelines to veterans. Because of this backing, private lenders can make loans per VA guidelines, without some of the requirements of other loan programs.

Here are a few things that set VA home loans apart:

• No down payment required
• No monthly mortgage insurance
• Lower closing costs
• The seller can pay for all closing costs in most cases
• Lenient credit guidelines

So how does someone go about getting a VA home loan? First you have to prove you are eligible.

Check your VA home loan eligibility. Start here (Nov 10th, 2026)

Who is eligible?

The service you need depends on when you served:

• Currently serving: at least 90 continuous days of active duty
• Served since August 2, 1990: 24 continuous months, or the full period you were called to active duty (at least 90 days)
• Served from September 8, 1980 to August 1, 1990: 24 continuous months, or the full period you were called to active duty (at least 181 days)
• Served before September 8, 1980: 90 to 181 days, depending on the service period
• National Guard or Reserves: 6 creditable years, or at least 90 days of active duty other than training

In addition to these service time requirements, you must have been discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.

Surviving spouses who receive VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) may also be eligible. So may spouses of service members who are missing in action or held as prisoners of war. Veterans who were discharged due to a service-connected disability may also be eligible.

There are many other details having to do with VA home loan eligibility and a VA approved lender can request your COE and tell you if you are eligible.

Check your VA home loan eligibility. Start here (Nov 10th, 2026)

Applying for a VA home loan & necessary documents

The VA home loan is much like any other mortgage, in that you must supply income, asset, credit, and property information to the lender. There are a few extra items that VA loans require however:

DD-214: This is the report of separation from military service. It details the veteran’s military service. Veterans often need this form to obtain the Certificate of Eligibility. If you don’t have your DD-214, it’s a good idea to request one from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC).

Certificate of Eligibility (COE): The lender can often pull the COE directly from VA within minutes. Contact a VA-approved lender to obtain a COE. If the COE is not available right away, the lender will send your DD-214 and any other requested documentation to VA to obtain it.

Form 26-1880: This is the request for your COE. You will most likely complete this form as part of the loan application. It details your military service as well as VA home loan history. Get the current form on VA.gov. You can also request your COE online at VA.gov.

Additional service and expense documents

Commanding Officer Statement of Service: If you are on active duty, you will not yet have a DD-214. In lieu of this document, you will need a statement detailing your service and expected remaining time on active duty from your commanding officer.

Verification of Child Care Expenses: VA treats child care as a monthly expense, so the lender will ask about it if you have dependent children. For children up to age 12, the lender must find out whether you have child care costs. Be ready to tell the lender what you pay, or why you pay nothing, such as a stay-at-home spouse or family member who provides the care. Lenders often ask for this in a signed statement.

Check your VA home loan eligibility. Start here (Nov 10th, 2026)

VA home loan qualifying debt ratio

VA uses a debt-to-income ratio of 41% as a guideline. This means that your proposed housing expense plus all monthly debt payments (credit cards, auto loans, student loans) equal 41% of your gross income.

So if your income were $5000 per month before taxes etc. are deducted, your debt payments plus mortgage payment, hoa dues if any, property taxes, and homeowners insurance should be less than $2050 per month.

That being said, 41% is not a hard cap. VA also checks residual income, the money left each month after debts and housing costs. A loan with a higher ratio can still be approved if residual income is at least 20% above VA’s guideline, or if the lender documents other strong factors, such as a down payment, cash reserves or good credit.

Check your VA home loan eligibility. Start here (Nov 10th, 2026)

VA funding fee & loan limits

The VA funding fee for a first-time VA buyer with less than 5% down is 2.15% of the loan amount. It is 3.3% if you have used your VA loan benefit before. The fee falls to 1.5% with 5% down and 1.25% with 10% down. You can add the fee to the loan, which reduces the cash needed at closing. For example, a first-time VA buyer who buys a $250,000 home with 0% down will have a final loan amount of $255,375. Veterans who get VA disability compensation, and surviving spouses who get DIC, do not pay the fee.

The funding fee goes directly to the VA to support the costs of the program.

If you have full entitlement, there is no VA loan limit. You have full entitlement if you have never used your VA loan benefit, or if you have restored it after a past VA loan. Your lender still decides how much you can borrow based on your income, credit, and debts, and the home must appraise for the price.

If you have only part of your entitlement left, such as when you still own a home you bought with a VA loan, the county loan limit and the entitlement you already used set how much you can borrow with no down payment. The county limit is $832,750 in most of the country. In high-cost areas, such as Los Angeles, it can be up to $1,249,125.

You can borrow more than that amount with a down payment. Most lenders require your remaining entitlement, your down payment, or both to cover at least 25% of the loan. Ask your lender to run the numbers for your situation.

Choosing a property

Once you know you are eligible and a lender approves you for a VA loan, it’s time to choose the property. VA loans have slightly more strict guidelines when it comes to properties, so it’s good to educate yourself on VA’s minimum property requirements, or MPRs.

MPRs are simply VA’s way of protecting you, the veteran, from buying a real lemon, or a home that won’t suit your needs. Here are the basics of MPRs:

• The home must have adequate living, sleeping, cooking, dining areas, as well as sanitary facilities.
• The heating, water, and electricity systems must be in working order with good life expectancy left on them.
• The roof and crawl space must be in good condition
• If the home was built before 1978, any chipped, peeling or other defective paint must be fixed, because VA assumes it contains lead
• The home must not be too close to gas pipelines or high-voltage electric lines.

There are other property requirements in addition to these, and often the VA lender needs to make the final call on an issue with the home. Speak to a licensed VA loan officer if you have a concern on a property you are considering.

Eligible property types

You can buy several types of homes with a VA loan. These are:

• Single family (1 unit) homes
• 2-4 unit homes, as long as you live in one of the units
• Manufactured homes
• Condominiums and townhomes (must be VA approved. Contact a VA lender to see if a condo building is approved.)

Keep in mind that not all lenders will offer loans on all properties. For instance, fewer lenders will approve a manufactured home loan than a single family home. Check around at other lenders if a lender says “no” to the property you are interested in.

If I’m eligible, should I choose a VA loan?

YES!

VA home loans offer veterans and current service members advantages over other homebuyers.

For instance, on a $250,000 purchase, the homebuyer would pay these down payments at a minimum*:

• VA: $0
• Conventional: $7,500 (3% down, for qualifying buyers)
• FHA: $8,750

In addition, here’s what a home buyer would pay in monthly mortgage insurance*:

• VA: $0
• Conventional: Varies with credit score and down payment
• FHA: About $111, plus a 1.75% upfront premium

A VA loan has no monthly mortgage insurance, which can save eligible home buyers money every month. The funding fee is the trade-off.

I’m ready to apply for a VA home loan

If you are eligible for a VA loan, consider yourself a fortunate home buyer. You have access to better terms and rates than other buyers.

And you’ve earned it. You’ve sacrificed to serve your country and this is a small way your country says “thanks.” Take advantage of your VA home loan benefit.

Check your VA home loan eligibility. Start here (Nov 10th, 2026)

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*Assumes a $250,000 purchase. The FHA monthly figure is the 0.55% annual premium on a $241,250 base loan.