You defended our home. Let us secure yours.

It’s a common misunderstanding that you can only use your VA home loan benefit once.



The truth is you can use your VA home loan benefit many times throughout your life. The misunderstanding may come from the guideline that VA-backed loans should be used on primary residence. That means that usually you can only have one VA home loan at a time.



There are some exceptions. For example, if you are moving due to a permanent change of station (PCS) order, you can own two homes with two different VA loans for a limited time.



There are other situations where you might have two VA loans at the same time. Learn more about how many times can you use a VA loan at our Learning Center. If you want answers to specific questions about your situation, reach out to us and ask for one of our VA loan experts.

VA loans don’t just come with benefits for home buyers. Eligible homeowners can benefit too, whether you have a VA loan now or refinance to one.

Use more of your home equity. Equity is the difference between the value of your home and what you owe on it. With a conventional loan, you typically can only access up to 80% of your home equity. A VA loan can allow you access 100%.

Take cash out with lower credit than other loans. Your credit can be as low as 580 to take cash out, compared to 620 for other loan types.

The main thing that sets VA loans apart is they’re only available to eligible service members, veterans and surviving spouses. That’s because they’re backed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Here are some other ways VA loans are different.

• You need a Certificate of Eligibility from the VA to show lenders you qualify for a VA loan.

• In most cases, you won’t need a down payment to buy a home. Don’t forget you’ll still need funds for closing costs.

• You won’t pay private mortgage insurance on a VA loan. Instead, you may have to pay the VA Funding Fee.

These articles will help you learn more about how VA loans compare to other home loans. 

The interest rate reduction refinance loan (IRRRL), also called a VA streamline refinance, is for people in the following situation:

• Already have a VA loan

• Want a lower interest rate to get a lower monthly mortgage payment

• Or want to change from an adjustable-rate mortgage to a fixed mortgage

It’s called “streamline” because you typically don’t need an appraisal and there’s often less paperwork compared to just refinancing. Your credit can be as low as 580 to refinance using the IRRRL.

Unfortunately, you can’t take cash out with a VA streamline refinance. Whatever your goal, if you’re exploring refinancing we’ll help you know all your options and most importantly, if refinancing is right for you.



Learn more about VA streamline refinance.