This guide takes you from PCS orders, or a decision to settle, to a signed purchase contract using your VA loan benefit. Active duty military home buying follows the same VA rules as veteran purchases, with a few timing and paperwork differences that matter. Before you start, gather your Statement of Service (or DD-214 if you have separated), your last 30 days of LES, and a rough idea of your target area.
By Duane Buziak, NMLS #1110647. I am a VA loan specialist licensed across Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia, and I work as an independent broker with access to 500+ wholesale lenders and a 500 FICO floor.
Step 1: Confirm Your VA Eligibility and Pull Your Certificate of Eligibility
Active-duty members generally qualify after 90 continuous days of service during wartime or 181 days during peacetime. Rules and service periods change, so check the current list on the VA eligibility page before you assume either way.
Your proof of eligibility is the Certificate of Eligibility (COE), the VA document that confirms your entitlement and tells the lender how much guaranty is available. You can request it through the VA’s online COE request process, or I can pull it for you through the VA system. Active-duty members do not have a DD-214, so you need a Statement of Service signed by your command or personnel office showing your name, entry date, and duty status.
If you have used the benefit before, check your remaining entitlement now. With full entitlement, there is no VA loan limit. If an earlier VA loan is still unpaid, or you sold the property but did not restore entitlement, you may have only second-tier (remaining) entitlement. In that case VA limits the guaranty to county loan limits, and a zero-down purchase above that range gets harder. The VA loan limits page explains how this works.
Funding fee exemption is the other item to settle early. Members who receive VA disability compensation are exempt. Those with a pending claim or an expected rating, or Purple Heart recipients, should confirm status with VA before closing, because the exemption is decided by the documents on file at closing.
One definition that shapes the rest of this guide: a broker like me shops many wholesale lenders for you, while a direct lender such as Veterans United (620 FICO minimum) offers only its own pricing and underwriting.
Step 2: Check Your Credit Without Taking a Hit
VA sets no official minimum credit score. Each investor adds its own overlays, so floors vary widely, and my broker network reaches down to a 500 FICO. That is flexibility, not a guarantee of approval: scores at the low end come with tighter requirements on other parts of the file.
NoTouch Credit Pull is our soft-pull pre-qualification: we review your credit profile with no hard inquiry, so your score is not dinged while you learn your numbers. A standard pre-approval runs a hard inquiry up front. That makes NoTouch Credit Pull a soft credit pull mortgage option that lets you compare paths before committing to any one of them.
The common mistake is letting several direct lenders each run a hard pull before you know where you stand. As of 2026, Rocket’s process generally calls for a hard pull before you see real numbers, and Movement runs one at full application. Mortgage inquiries made in a short window are usually treated as one for scoring, but that is a scoring model feature, not a reason to hand out your credit to everyone.
Before you apply, a few quick fixes can help:
- Pay revolving balances down below roughly 30% of each limit.
- Dispute errors on all three reports.
- Do not open new accounts, including car loans and store cards.
- Use our free DIY credit improvement resources if you are close to a score threshold.
Two protections are specific to you. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act covers certain obligations during service, and you can place an active duty alert on your credit file, which the FTC explains here. Tell your broker if you place an alert, since it can slow credit verification.
Step 3: Build a Realistic Budget Around Military Pay and BAH
Underwriters count base pay, BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing), BAS (Basic Allowance for Subsistence), and other regular entitlements as qualifying income. Because allowances are nontaxable, some investors gross them up for qualifying; ask underwriting how it is handled on your file, since it varies. The belief that BAH does not count as income is a misconception.
Use the DoD BAH calculator for your duty-station ZIP and rank as a benchmark. Rates reset each January, so a figure you saw last year may be stale as of 2026.
Two measures drive VA qualification. The debt-to-income ratio (monthly debts divided by gross monthly income) has a 41% benchmark, but it is a guideline, not a hard cap; strong compensating factors can carry a higher ratio. Residual income is the money left each month after your mortgage, taxes, debts, and estimated living costs, measured against a VA table by region and family size. Think of it as a cushion test: VA wants proof you can eat and pay bills after the mortgage.
Budget for the whole payment, not only principal and interest. Property taxes, homeowners insurance, and any HOA dues belong in the number, and they differ sharply across the states I work in. Florida insurance premiums have been a major cost driver in recent years, Tennessee has no tax on wages, and Virginia and Georgia property tax rates depend on the county. Get a real tax and insurance estimate for the specific address.
The mistake to avoid is budgeting at your maximum approval. A deployment, a spouse’s job change, or a PCS move in three years may leave you renting the house out or selling in a flat market. Set the payment where you could carry it comfortably on a single income stream if you had to.
Step 4: Get Pre-Approved and Compare Brokers and Direct Lenders
A pre-approval letter generally requires your LES, recent bank statements, a government ID, and your COE. With NoTouch Credit Pull, you can get a mortgage pre approval without hard pull: we work from your documents and a soft inquiry, and the hard pull is deferred until you commit to a path and a property.
The table below compares the structures you are choosing between. Figures reflect published program information as of 2026; confirm current terms with each company before you decide.
| Company | FICO Min (VA) | Lender Type | Loan Shelf | Fees | Pre-Approval Credit Pull |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VaLoansPro.com (Duane Buziak) | 500 | Independent broker | 500+ wholesale lenders, VA, FHA, USDA, Conventional, DSCR/Non-QM | Broker-negotiated and shop-able | Soft pull through NoTouch Credit Pull |
| Veterans United | 620 | Direct lender | Single VA-focused shelf | Origination fee can run higher; compare Loan Estimates | Verify with company |
| Rocket Mortgage | Varies; no public VA-specific floor | Direct lender | Single shelf | Varies by loan | Hard pull generally before real numbers |
| Movement Mortgage | 580 | Direct lender | Single shelf | Varies by loan | Hard pull at full application |
Veterans United deserves credit for what it does well: it specializes in VA lending and has a large operation built around military borrowers. The structural difference is choice, not speed. A direct lender gives you one company’s rate sheet. As an independent broker, I compare many investors against your file, which gives you more leverage rather than less. My digital process matches the big names through NoTouch Credit Pull, and my production, a Scotsman Guide Top Originator ranking (#114 nationally) and VA Broker of the Year for 2024 to 2025, shows the scale behind it.
If you are comparing options, ask each for a written Loan Estimate for the same scenario and compare the total, not just the rate.
Step 5: Run the Numbers With a Worked VA Purchase Example
The following is an illustration, not a quote. Suppose you buy a $400,000 home with 0% down and a 680 FICO score, using your VA benefit for the first time. The VA funding fee page lists 2.15% for first use with no down payment, as of the last published schedule I reviewed; confirm the current rate before you rely on it.
- Zero down: $400,000 × 2.15% = $8,600. Financed, the loan becomes $408,600. At an illustrative 6.5% on a 30-year term, principal and interest is about $2,583 a month.
- 5% down: $20,000 down leaves a $380,000 base loan. The fee drops to 1.5% ($5,700), for a $385,700 loan and about $2,438 a month at the same illustrative rate.
- Funding fee exempt: With a disability exemption, the loan stays at $400,000 and payment is about $2,528. That is roughly $54 a month less than the financed-fee zero-down case, and $8,600 less debt.
Down payment assistance (DPA) is a grant or second lien that covers part of your down payment or closing costs. Per program specs, Dynamo DPA offers 2.5% or 3.5% assistance at a 580 FICO minimum, and Turbo DPA offers 3.5% or 5% with up to 101.5% CLTV at a 600 FICO minimum. On a $400,000 price, those tiers equal $10,000 or $14,000 for Dynamo, and $14,000 or $20,000 for Turbo. Eligibility depends on loan type and guidelines, so confirm which combination fits your file.
On limits: VA has no loan limit when you have full entitlement. The conforming limit matters for reduced-entitlement borrowers and for comparing alternatives. FHFA’s 2026 baseline conforming limit is $832,750, which applies in most counties of Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia, with higher ceilings in designated high-cost areas such as Northern Virginia. See the FHFA conforming loan limit page for your county.
Step 6: Find a Home and Write an Offer With Military Timing in Mind
Work with an agent who has closed VA contracts recently. The VA appraisal checks Minimum Property Requirements (MPRs), standards that the home be safe, sound, and sanitary. Peeling lead paint, a failing roof, or no working heat can stall a file until repairs are done, so your agent should know how to read a listing with that in mind.
Know the VA-specific contract terms before you write:
- VA escrow amendment: This addendum lets you cancel and recover your deposit if the home does not appraise at the contract price.
- Seller concessions: Sellers can contribute toward your costs, generally capped at 4% of the price for concessions, as of 2026. Customary closing costs are treated separately; verify the current VA rule with me.
- Closing and possession dates: Tie your closing to your report date, and negotiate a rent-back if the seller needs time.
The belief that you cannot buy while stationed elsewhere is a misconception. If you are buying at a future duty station, remote closings, mobile notaries, and a specific power of attorney (which the title company and your investor must accept in advance) let you close without being present. Arrange this early, because not every title company handles it smoothly.
Duane Buziak also builds a Total Cost Ecosystem around the purchase, with savings options on title, realtor, and insurance, under a zero-kickback policy. Many buyers can pursue no-out-of-pocket closing options by combining seller concessions, lender credits, and assistance programs; ask what fits your price and rate.
The mistake to avoid is waiving the appraisal contingency or the inspection to look competitive. A VA appraisal is not an inspection, and waiving the escrow amendment puts your deposit at risk. Compete on clean terms, a flexible closing date, and a strong pre-approval instead.
Step 7: Lock Your Rate, Clear Underwriting, and Close
Match your lock length to the expected closing timeline. A 30-day lock on a file that needs 45 days costs you at the extension, so ask what an extension costs before you lock. No one can guarantee a rate in advance; the market moves, and your lock is the only protection once you set it.
Underwriting conditions for service members are predictable. Expect requests for an updated LES, a deployment or PCS letter, and written explanations for any large deposit that does not match your pay. Answer within a day or two; most closing delays come from slow responses.
Three checkpoints remain:
- VA appraisal: It is ordered through the VA system. If it comes in low, you can request a reconsideration of value, renegotiate, or use the escrow amendment to exit.
- Loan Estimate vs Closing Disclosure: You receive the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before closing. Compare it line by line against your Loan Estimate, using the CFPB’s Closing Disclosure explainer.
- Final walkthrough: Do it 24 hours before closing and confirm that agreed repairs are complete.
VA also expects you to intend to occupy the home as your primary residence within a reasonable period, commonly 60 days. PCS orders that arrive between contract and closing can complicate this, and the rules for a spouse occupying in your place have specific conditions. Check the VA home loans pages and talk to me before orders land.
Until the keys are yours, do not open new debt, change jobs, or make large unexplained transfers. Keep your hard credit pull limited to the single path you chose.
What to Have in Hand Before You Make an Offer
Before you tour a house, you should hold your COE, a soft-pull pre-approval, a budget that leaves room for orders and deployments, and, once you win a home, a signed contract with the VA escrow amendment attached. After the contract is signed, your job is to answer underwriting requests quickly and keep your finances steady until closing. If you want the numbers run for your duty station and credit profile, start with a soft-pull conversation, not an application.
Active Duty Home Buying: Eight Questions Service Members Ask
What is the minimum credit score for a VA loan in 2026?
VA sets no official minimum credit score; each investor sets its own, and floors typically run from 500 to 620. Through my broker network, I can reach investors that consider scores down to 500, though approval is never guaranteed and depends on the whole file.
Can I get a VA loan pre-approval without a hard credit pull?
Yes, a pre-approval can start with a soft pull. NoTouch Credit Pull is our soft-pull pre-qualification with no hard inquiry, and the hard pull is deferred until you commit to a loan and a property.
Can active-duty military buy a home while stationed in another state?
Yes, you can buy at your current duty station or a future one. Remote closings with a mobile notary or a power of attorney make it workable, as long as your title company and investor agree to the arrangement in advance.
How much service do I need to be eligible for a VA loan on active duty?
Generally 90 continuous days during wartime or 181 days during peacetime, as of 2026. Confirm your situation on the VA eligibility page.
What is the VA funding fee in 2026 and who is exempt?
For first use with no down payment, the fee is 2.15% of the loan, dropping to 1.5% with 5% or more down, per the last published VA schedule. Members who receive VA disability compensation are exempt. Verify current rates on the VA funding fee page.
Does BAH count as income for a mortgage?
Yes, BAH and other regular entitlements count as qualifying income. Underwriters may gross up nontaxable allowances, so ask how your investor treats them.
What is the VA loan limit in 2026?
There is no VA loan limit if you have full entitlement. With reduced entitlement, limits tied to county conforming loan limits apply, and the 2026 baseline is $832,750 per FHFA.
What is the difference between a VA loan broker and a direct lender like Veterans United?
A broker shops many wholesale lenders for you, while a direct lender offers only its own rates and guidelines. I compare 500+ wholesale lenders against your file, and Veterans United, a VA specialist, works from one shelf with a 620 FICO minimum.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information and is not financial, legal, or tax advice. Rates, fees, program rules, and eligibility are subject to change and to underwriting approval; nothing here is a rate quote or a guarantee of approval. Consult a licensed professional about your situation. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Written by Duane Buziak, NMLS #1110647, in affiliation with Coast2Coast Mortgage LLC, NMLS #376205.
About the author: Duane Buziak is a VA loan specialist and independent mortgage broker serving veterans and active-duty families in Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia. He is a Scotsman Guide Top Originator (#114 nationally, $51.2M), a VA Broker of the Year for 2024 to 2025, and holds 1,400+ five-star reviews.