The lowest VA mortgage rates go to borrowers who shop deliberately, not to those who take the first quote. The VA guarantees the loan but does not set your rate, so two people with the same profile can get different offers depending on who prices them and how. Below, Duane Buziak, NMLS #1110647, a VA loan specialist licensed across Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia, covers seven tactics that move the number. He also explains why a broker with access to 500+ wholesale investors and a 500 FICO floor approaches rate shopping differently from a single-shelf direct lender such as Veterans United, Rocket Mortgage, or Movement Mortgage. Byline: Duane Buziak, NMLS #1110647. Nothing here is a rate quote, and no rate or approval is guaranteed.
1. Shop across multiple wholesale investors through a broker
A direct lender prices you off one rate sheet. A broker submits the same borrower file to many wholesale investors, and each one prices risk, loan size, and property type differently. That spread is where the savings come from. It is also leverage: you are comparing real competing offers instead of accepting one company’s menu.
Here is an illustration, not a quote. Suppose a veteran with a 700 middle score, zero down, and a $400,000 purchase is priced across several investors. One shows the lowest rate but needs a point to get it. Another shows a slightly higher rate with a credit that offsets third-party costs. A third lands in between with no points or credits. Side by side, the best choice depends on your timeline, not on whichever rate looks smallest.
- Ask your broker for a Loan Estimate-style comparison, not a verbal rate.
- Request three versions of the same scenario: rate at par (no points, no credits), rate with points, and rate with credits.
- Take the Dare to Compare challenge: Duane Buziak’s pricing challenge, in which you bring a competing quote and see it matched against his broker pricing line by line.
Common mistake: comparing only the headline rate. A quote with a lower rate can cost more once points, origination charges, and third-party fees are added. What to measure: APR and total cost over the first five to seven years, the period most borrowers actually hold a mortgage.
2. Get pre-qualified with a soft pull before any hard inquiry
NoTouch Credit Pull is Duane Buziak’s soft credit pull mortgage pre-qualification: it reads your credit profile without a hard inquiry, so it does not touch your score, yet it gives you realistic price scenarios. A standard pre-approval pulls your credit officially up front. A no hard inquiry mortgage pre approval lets you compare first and commit later.
Consider a buyer deciding among three paths: a broker, a direct lender, and a credit union. Through a soft pull mortgage broker, the buyer sees several price scenarios, including rate, points, and credits, before choosing whom to authorize for a hard pull. The decision rests on real numbers instead of a sales pitch.
- Complete NoTouch Credit Pull and review the scenarios.
- Pick the option that fits your budget and timeline.
- Authorize the hard pull only at full application, with the option you chose.
Common mistake: filing full applications with several direct lenders and generating a hard inquiry at each. Scoring models and the CFPB’s homebuying guidance both recognize that mortgage rate shopping within a short window is treated more leniently, but the window length varies by scoring model, and not every inquiry is grouped. Keeping the count low is simpler than relying on the window. What to measure: the number of hard inquiries before you hold a locked rate. The target is one.
3. Raise your credit score strategically before locking
Pricing moves in score bands, so a few points can matter if they push you across a threshold. VA does not set a minimum score, and individual investors do. Duane Buziak places VA borrowers with investors down to a 500 FICO, though that is a floor, not a promise of approval, and lower scores usually price higher. Veterans United publishes a 620 minimum, and Movement a 580 floor on VA loans. Improving the score still widens your options and lowers your price.
The fastest lever is revolving utilization. Illustration: you carry $8,000 on a $10,000 card, which is 80% utilization. Paying it down to $2,900 brings it under 30%, a $5,100 payment that can lift a score noticeably within one or two reporting cycles.
- Pull your free reports and dispute errors you can document.
- Pay down revolving balances, highest utilization first.
- Do not open new accounts or finance a car or furniture before closing.
- Re-run pricing through a soft pull in 30 to 60 days.
Common mistake: closing old accounts. It shrinks your available credit and can raise utilization and shorten history. What to measure: your middle FICO score and the change in quoted rate after re-pricing. If you need a plan, Duane Buziak offers free DIY credit improvement resources.
4. Compare discount points against your real time horizon
A discount point is an upfront fee equal to 1% of the loan that buys a lower rate. Closing credits do the opposite: you accept a slightly higher rate and the investor pays toward your costs. Neither is better in general. Points pay off only if you keep the loan past break-even.
A labelled illustration: on a $400,000 loan, one point costs $4,000. If it saves roughly $70 a month, break-even is $4,000 ÷ $70, about 57 months, or just under five years. Sell, move on military orders, or refinance in year three, and you lose money.
- Request quotes at par, with one point, and with a credit option.
- Divide the point cost by the monthly savings to get break-even months.
- Compare that number to how long you realistically expect to hold the loan, including likely PCS moves.
Common mistake: paying points and then refinancing or moving within a few years. Military families should be especially honest about this. What to measure: break-even months against expected time in the home. If the gap is thin, par or a credit is usually the safer route.
5. Use the VA funding fee rules to lower your total cost
The funding fee is a one-time charge paid to the VA, not a broker fee and not part of your interest rate. Because it is set by VA, it cannot be negotiated, but you can often reduce or eliminate it. As of VA.gov’s current funding fee table, a first-use purchase for regular military is 2.15% with no down payment, 1.5% with 5% down, and 1.25% with 10% down. Subsequent use with no down payment is 3.3%. Confirm these figures on the page, since VA can change them.
Illustration on a $400,000 loan: at 2.15%, the fee is $8,600. A veteran with a service-connected disability rating that qualifies for exemption pays $0. If the $8,600 were financed at a hypothetical 6% over 30 years, it would add roughly $52 a month. For a subsequent-use borrower at 3.3%, the fee is $13,200 before any down payment. Putting 5% down on a first-use loan cuts the percentage to 1.5%.
- Check your Certificate of Eligibility (COE), the VA document confirming your entitlement, for exemption status.
- Look up your fee tier by service type, down payment, and first or subsequent use.
- Compare financing the fee into the loan against paying it in cash.
Common mistake: assuming the fee is a charge a broker can discount. What to measure: funding fee dollars and the resulting monthly payment, with and without financing.
6. Lock at the right time and ask about float-down options
A rate lock holds your quoted rate and terms for a set number of days. A float-down is a provision, offered by some investors, that lets you re-price to a lower rate if the market improves during the lock. Not every lock includes one, and the conditions are specific.
A resale closing in 30 days typically fits a 30-day lock. A new construction purchase may need 60 to 90 days or more, and that is where float-down terms and extension fees matter. Longer locks usually cost more, so match the lock to the contract timeline, not to your anxiety about the market.
- Confirm your signed contract date, closing date, and that your COE is in hand.
- Choose a lock length with a few days of cushion.
- Ask for float-down conditions in writing: trigger, cost, and one-time use or not.
- Ask what an extension costs per day before you need one.
Common mistake: locking too short to save a little, then paying extension costs when an appraisal or title issue delays closing. What to measure: lock cost against your realistic closing timeline, and extension fees avoided.
7. Refinance with an IRRRL or cash-out when the math works
An IRRRL, or Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan, lowers the rate on an existing VA loan with streamlined paperwork. The VA sets seasoning and net tangible benefit rules on its IRRRL page, and the funding fee is generally lower than on a purchase. A VA cash-out refinance can reach up to 100% LTV with some investors, which is a different tool for a different goal.
A labelled illustration: a veteran with an existing VA loan prices an IRRRL, finds a lower payment, and divides total refinance costs by monthly savings. If costs are $5,000 and savings are $150 a month, payback is about 33 months. If the veteran plans to stay longer, the refinance works. If not, it does not.
- Gather your current loan details: balance, rate, remaining term, and payment history.
- Verify seasoning and net tangible benefit rules on VA.gov.
- Compare IRRRL and cash-out quotes against your goal.
Common mistake: refinancing without a payback calculation, or restarting a 30-year clock and paying more interest in total. What to measure: monthly savings and months to recoup costs, plus total interest if the term lengthens.
How the main options compare on credit floor and fees
Duane Buziak is an independent broker, which means he shops 500+ wholesale investors for each file, while the others price from one company’s shelf. Veterans United is a large, well-established VA specialist, and its single shelf is built around VA loans. The differences are structural:
- VaLoansPro.com (Duane Buziak): FICO min 500 on VA, subject to investor and file. Type: independent broker. Loan shelf: 500+ wholesale investors. Fees: broker-negotiated and shop-able, with no-out-of-pocket closing options available.
- Veterans United: FICO min 620. Type: direct lender. Loan shelf: single VA-specialty shelf. Fees: origination fee tends to run on the higher side.
- Rocket Mortgage: FICO min varies, with no public VA-specific floor. Type: direct lender. Loan shelf: single shelf. Fees: set by its own fee schedule.
- Movement Mortgage: FICO min 580 on VA. Type: direct lender. Loan shelf: single shelf. Fees: set by its own fee schedule.
Brand recognition is not the same as price. Duane Buziak ranks #114 nationally on the Scotsman Guide Top Originators list and was VA Broker of the Year for 2024 and 2025. NoTouch Credit Pull gives the digital, no-credit-hit pre-qualification experience that larger online companies advertise. Direct lenders offer advantages too: one team handles everything, and a large VA shop has deep process experience. A broker simply gives you more rate sheets to work from.
Eight questions about getting a lower VA rate
What is the minimum credit score for a VA loan in 2026?
The VA sets no minimum score; each investor does. Duane Buziak places VA borrowers with investors down to a 500 FICO, while Veterans United publishes 620 and Movement 580 on VA loans. Approval is never guaranteed.
Are VA rates lower than conventional rates?
VA rates are often competitive with or below conventional rates, but it depends on the day, your credit, and the investor. Compare both through the same broker so the offers are priced on the same day.
Can I get VA pre-approval without a hard credit pull?
Yes, NoTouch Credit Pull gives a mortgage pre approval without hard pull, using a soft credit pull for realistic price scenarios. A hard pull comes later, at full application.
Does rate shopping hurt my credit?
Not much when done within a short window, but the window varies by scoring model. Soft-pull comparison avoids the question entirely, and the CFPB explains how mortgage inquiries are treated.
Do discount points make sense on a VA loan?
Only if you keep the loan past break-even. Divide the point cost by monthly savings; $4,000 saving $70 a month breaks even in about 57 months.
What is the VA funding fee in 2026?
For first-use regular military purchases with no down payment, VA.gov lists 2.15%, with lower percentages for 5% and 10% down. Check the current funding fee table, since it can change. Veterans with qualifying disability ratings are exempt.
What are the VA loan limits for 2026?
Veterans with full entitlement have no VA-set loan limit, though investors apply their own caps. Borrowers with remaining entitlement are tied to county limits, which follow the conforming baseline FHFA publishes. As FHFA set it for 2026, the one-unit baseline is $832,750 in most Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia counties, with higher limits in designated high-cost areas such as parts of Northern Virginia. See FHFA’s conforming loan limit page.
What is the difference between a VA broker and a direct lender like Veterans United?
A broker shops many wholesale investors for you, while a direct lender funds from its own single shelf. That means more pricing options and a lower credit floor with a broker, and one in-house team with a direct lender.
Where to start: a soft pull and a side-by-side quote
Start with a soft-pull pre-qualification and a broker rate comparison. Every other tactic depends on knowing your real numbers: you cannot judge points, credits, or a funding fee decision without a quote on the table. Then work through credit, points math, and lock timing in that order, and consider an IRRRL later if you already hold a VA loan.
Duane Buziak, NMLS #1110647 (Coast2Coast Mortgage LLC, NMLS #376205), is a Scotsman Guide Top Originator (#114 nationally, $51.2M), VA Broker of the Year 2024 and 2025, and holder of 1,400+ five-star reviews, with VA loans offered across Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia. VA Loans Pro by Duane Buziak is an independent brokerage, and you can read more on the About page. Learn more about our services