Perhaps the biggest and best known benefit of a VA loan is that VA borrowers don’t need to make a down payment. However, many of the upfront fees, qualifying requirements and application processes are quite different. Once you have the loan, VA mortgages function much like other loan programs, allowing you to pay off the cost of purchasing a house over time. How are VA loans different from other mortgages? So if you want to refinance from a conventional loan to a VA loan, for example, this is the program you’ll use. Unlike the streamline refinance, you don’t need to have a current VA loan to use this program. With these, you take out a new VA loan that’s bigger than your current mortgage, pay off your old loan balance, and get the difference back in cash. The other VA refinancing option is a cash-out refinance, which lets you borrow from your home’s equity. “We just refinance the loan and drop the interest rate.” VA cash-out refinance VA IRRRLs “are much faster to get underwritten and closed because we need very little information,” says Mason Whitehead, who manages VA-approved lender Churchill Mortgage in Dallas. It requires no credit check, there’s no appraisal, and the whole point is to reduce the borrower’s interest rate and monthly payment. The VA’s IRRRL program is often referred to as a “streamline refinance,” as it’s designed to make refinancing quick and easy for existing VA borrowers. VA Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan (The VA sets the base rate for this loan type, and then lenders can adjust based on the borrower’s credit, loan term and other factors.) For reference, the average rate on 30-year conventional loans is currently 7.23%. Currently, interest rates for NADLs issued after March 13, 2023, start at just 2.5%. These VA loans are issued directly by the VA and offer some of the lowest rates around. They can only be used to buy, build or renovate a home that’s located on federal trust land-land that’s owned by the government but is set aside for a specific Native American tribe’s use. NADL loans are for Native American veterans or veterans married to a Native American person. You’ll also need to complete the renovations within 120 days of closing on your loan. To qualify for VA funding, the updates must improve the safety or livability of the home-things such as fixing the stairs or improving accessibility. Take note, though: You can’t use your renovation loans for just any project (sorry, no luxury upgrades such as a new swimming pool allowed). “These are great for buying a home that needs work that the seller doesn’t want to do,” says Garrett Puckett, CEO of lender Security America Mortgage. If you’re buying a home that requires some updating, a VA renovation loan allows you to finance the purchase price of the home-plus the costs of eligible repairs and improvements and ultimately roll it all into one balance. There are also certain appraisal and inspection requirements you will have to meet. You’ll need to submit your building plans when applying for your loan and use a VA-approved builder. These are sometimes referred to as VA construction loans. Some lenders offer purchase loans that can be used to build a home from the ground up. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 57% of all VA loans originated in 2022 were used to purchase a home. The most common type of VA loan is the VA purchase loan, which allows you to purchase a property to live in as your primary residence. Just keep in mind: Not all lenders can issue VA loans, and even among those that do, the loan options can vary. VA loans can be used for the purchase, refinance or renovation of a home (with some stipulations), and there are several types to choose from. Today, VA loans account for about 11% of all mortgage activity, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. This means if a VA borrower fails to make payments on their loan and defaults, the VA will repay the lender a portion of its losses.īecause of this added protection from the government, lenders (those who are approved to offer VA loans, at least) can be more lenient on credit score and down payment requirements when making these loans and lend out larger amounts.Ĭreated in 1944 as part of the GI Bill of Rights, the VA loan program was intended to help service members returning from war more easily purchase homes and reintegrate into society. VA loans are typically issued by private mortgage lenders (we’ll go into the one exception later on) but the VA assumes some of the risk. A VA loan is a mortgage guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
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