How VA mortgage loans work today. VA loans are only for veterans of
the military, whether from the four branches of the military or even the
national guard or reserves. Also, spouses of the veterans can use the
benefits if the veteran passes away, as long as they do not remarry. VA
stands for Veterans Administration because it is the Department of
Veterans Affairs that guarantees the loans.
A
few of the key benefits of a VA mortgage is that no down payment is
required when purchasing a home, there is no mortgage insurance
associated with a VA loan, unlike all other mortgages above 80% loan to
value. Typically interest rates are more favorable with VA mortgages as
well.
VA mortgages require a funding fee if you are purchasing a
home or refinancing it. The funding fee can be rolled into the loan and
can be anywhere from.50% to 3.3% of the loan amount depending on a
number of different factors. In most cases if you are considered
disabled by the VA then the funding fee can be waived altogether.
In
order to use the VA loan benefit, the veteran will need a certificate
of eligibility from the VA Department. Most but not all veterans are
eligible to take advantage of a VA loan because of a number of different
factors including but not limited to dishonorable discharge,
foreclosure while a VA mortgage was in use, current VA loan is already
being used, can make a veteran ineligible. You may only use a VA loan
one at a time, so if you currently own a home with a VA mortgage on it,
you will either have to sell that home or refinance it into another loan
product such as an FHA or Conforming loan product. That way you can
free up your VA loan eligibility requirement.
Military veterans have some excellent options when it comes to
their seeking a mortgage to buy a home. Even when the veteran has a poor
credit record, there are still options. For one, getting a VA home loan
with bad credit is regarded as the most accessible option.
This
is certainly true, with the Department of Veteran Affairs (the VA)
essentially guaranteeing a share of the mortgage loan applied for,
greatly helping to secure approval despite bad credit. But there are
factors that anyone considering applying for these loans should be aware
of.
Historically, these VA home loans only came about as a result
of the 1944 GI Bill, which was introduced to help war veterans settle
back into civilian life. By the VA guaranteeing these mortgages,
veterans had a better chance of getting their own home. But there are
still criteria for applicants to satisfy.
The Value of a VA Guarantee
The
biggest problem for loan applicants is convincing lenders that they
will get their money back. Even when seeking a VA home loan with bad
credit, the lender needs to know that the borrower can be trusted to
make the repayments that need to be made. Since VA loans come with a
guarantee, that security is provided.
Unsurprisingly, the backing
of the VA is a huge boost to anyone looking to secure approval despite
bad credit. And for the borrowers, a guarantee from the VA also removes
the need for a large down payment, and generally means that the interest
rate charged is lower.
But the VA is not willing to guarantee
100% of the sum being borrowed - in fact, it only covers 25% of the
value of the home. So, while the interest on a VA home loan is lower,
and a down payment is usually not needed, there is still 75% of the sum
borrowed that is not guaranteed.
Qualifying For A VA Loan
Since
a VA loan is reserved for military veterans, qualifying for a VA home
loan with bad credit is dependent on meeting some strict criteria. Of
course, there are basic conditions to meet too, like age and
nationality, but the VA need confirmation of military rank and
deployment history before they are willing to guarantee the loan.
There
are financial conditions too. For example, applicants cannot have
defaulted on a loan with any lenders within the previous 12 months, and
cannot have been declared bankrupt at any time within the previous 24
months. After all, lenders are only willing to grant approval despite
bad credit if they can be sure repayments will be made.
Another
condition to satisfy before qualifying for a VA home loan include
proving they have full gainful employment. As with any other mortgage,
repayments have to be made over decades, so financial security is very
important.
Prepare Your Application Properly
Finally,
it is tempting to believe that it is easy to get a VA home loan with
bad credit, but the truth is that there is no guarantee that approval
will be given. Many military veterans are rejected because their
application was deemed unconvincing.
Bear in mind that the VA only
agrees to guarantee a 25% share of the mortgage after the lender has
approved the application. The actual application is submitted to the
lender, so securing approval despite bad credit is based on their
assessment.
There are ways to improve a credit score, and so lower
interest rates, like using a consolidating loan to clear existing loans
in one go. When an effort is made, a lender is more comfortable
granting a VA home loan.
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