Frequently Asked Questions

Today, spouses of Veterans may apply for a VA home loan if they are the:

• Un-remarried spouse of a veteran who died while in service or from a service-related disability
• Spouse of a Servicemember missing in action or a prisoner of war
• Surviving spouse who remarries on or after attaining age 57, and on or after December 16, 2003
• Surviving spouses of certain totally disabled veterans whose disability may not have been the cause of death 

Members of the Reserves and National Guard are eligible for VA home loans if they meet certain qualifying requirements set forth by the VA. Please refer to these VA loan eligibility guidelines for Reservists and National Guard members.

VA-eligible borrowers can take advantage of the many benefits offered by VA-guaranteed home loans:

• Zero down payment requirements (unless required by the lender or the purchase price is more than the reasonable value of the property)
• Zero private mortgage insurance (PMI) requirements
• Competitive interest rates
• for eligible veterans to take out more than one VA loan
• Limitations on closing costs
• is assumable by or transferable to qualified borrowers
• No prepayment penalty

You may need your DD214 to help the VA lender confirm your eligibility for a VA-guaranteed home loan.

A DD214 is proof of military service. It displays the nature of your discharge, dates of service, and current classification (retired, separated, Guard or Reserve status). 

Consult the Certificate of Eligibility table provided by the VA to determine which specific pieces of evidence you may need to provide to the lender.

One of the most important pieces of legislation passed by the federal government, the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act, commonly known as the GI Bill of Rights, established the VA home loan guaranty.

The VA Home Loan program benefit is not just a one-time benefit—it is reusable. However, in most cases, eligible veterans can only have one VA loan at a time.