VA Home Loans for Women Veterans

This guide is based on official sources listed below. It is general information, not legal or medical advice.

This guide explains how VA home loans work for women Veterans, service members, and eligible surviving spouses.

It covers the main loan programs, who can apply, what the costs are, and where to get help.

What a VA home loan can do for you

A VA home loan helps you buy, build, improve, or refinance a home. You can use it to purchase a house, build one from the ground up, or buy and fix up a property at the same time. You can only use these programs for a home in the United States or its territories, including Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands. The home you buy must be for your own personal occupancy.

The Department of Veterans Affairs does not lend you the money directly in most cases. Instead, a private lender provides the loan, and the VA guarantees a portion of it.

Nearly 90% of VA-backed loans are made with no down payment.

The four VA home loan programs

The VA offers one direct loan and three VA-backed loan programs.

The Native American Direct Loan, or NADL, is the VA direct loan where the VA itself acts as the mortgage lender. It often has better terms than a loan from a private lender. A Native American Veteran, or a Veteran whose spouse is Native American, may use the NADL program to purchase, construct, or renovate a residence situated on federal trust land.

The three VA-backed loan programs are purchase loans, Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loans (IRRRLs), and cash-out refinance loans. A purchase loan helps you buy a home at a competitive interest rate. A cash-out refinance lets you take cash from your home equity to pay off other debts or cover expenses.

Who can get a VA home loan

To be eligible, you need satisfactory credit, enough income to cover the payments, and a valid Certificate of Eligibility, or COE. The COE proves to a lender that you qualify based on your service history and duty status.

If you are on active duty, you can establish eligibility after 90 continuous days of service. If you are not otherwise eligible, you can qualify after completing a total of six credible years in the Selected Reserve or National Guard and meeting one of the listed discharge or service continuation conditions.

Surviving spouses may be eligible for a COE if they are receiving or eligible for VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, or if they are the spouse of an active-duty service member who is missing in action or a prisoner of war.

Even with a COE, you still need to have the credit and income that the lender requires for the loan amount you want to borrow. Lenders look at your credit history, income, debts, and assets to decide the loan size you can afford.

How to get your Certificate of Eligibility

You can request a COE online yourself, or a lender can submit an online application on your behalf. To request a COE by mail, fill out VA Form 26-1880 and send it to the regional loan center address listed on the form.

A surviving spouse receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation needs to submit VA Form 26-1817 to request a COE. A surviving spouse not receiving D.I.C. needs to submit VA Form 21P-534EZ, a copy of the marriage license, and the Veteran's death certificate.

Loan limits and entitlement

The maximum VA loan on a property is the appraised value or the purchase price, whichever is lower.

If your COE shows a basic entitlement of $36,000, you have full entitlement and no loan limit, as long as you can afford the loan and the appraisal supports the purchase price. Typically, lenders mandate that at least 25% of your overall loan amount be covered by your entitlement, a down payment, or a blend of the two; should you choose to provide a down payment, borrowing above the county loan limit may be possible.

To calculate your remaining bonus entitlement, multiply the county loan limit by 0.25, then subtract the entitlement you have already used as shown on your COE.

The VA funding fee

The VA funding fee is a one-time payment you make on a VA-backed or VA direct home loan. For a first-time use of a VA-backed purchase loan with less than a 5% down payment, the fee is 2.15% of the loan amount. You will not have to pay the funding fee if you are receiving VA compensation for a service-connected disability. You may be eligible for a refund of the fee if you are later awarded VA compensation for a service-connected disability with an effective date retroactive to before your loan closing date.

Where to get help

If you are struggling to make your monthly mortgage payments, help is available to avoid foreclosure. Contact your loan servicer right away to ask about your options.

For questions about VA home loan eligibility, the COE, or the loan programs, call the VA Loan Guaranty Service at TTY 711, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, or visit the VA home loans website. For the Native American Direct Loan program, you can find more information on the VA's NADL page.

If you are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, dial 988 then press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line.

For the final word on your own eligibility, loan amount, or funding fee, talk to a VA-approved lender and a VA regional loan center.