The VA last updated VA loan requirements on July 21, 2017. These requirements are summarized below. For more detailed information, contact one of our experienced mortgage loan officers.
Service Member Eligibility Requirements
This list of requirements assumes you were honorably discharged. Also, the requirements are less stringent if you were disabled in the line of duty. The VA determines eligibility of military members. It issues a Certificate of Eligibility to the service member proving the borrower meets all requirements. Military members must provide this certificate to lender.
- 90 days of active duty during wartime
- 181 days of continuous active duty during peacetime
- 2 years of active duty if service began after September 7, 1980 for enlisted or October 16, 1981 for officers
- Reservists and National Guard members may qualify if they meet certain criteria
- VA loans are available for surviving spouses and dependents of service members who died in the line of duty. Surviving spouses lose this eligibility if they remarry.
Property Requirements
The VA has a set of criteria a property must meet to qualify for a VA loan. These requirements are summarized below.
- VA loans may only be used for your primary residence.
- The property must be safe, structurally sound and sanitary.