What Are VA Loans?

VA loans are basically mortgages or home loans geared towards ex-military servicemen and women. The VA loan programme was created in 1944, and was initially known as the Servicemen's Readjustment Act, to help returning servicemen settle down and purchase their first home.

There are, on average, over twenty-five million American who complete their military obligations each year. You are eligible for a VA loan if you are veteran who has been honourably discharged. The eligibility requirements vary, depending upon whether you served full-time or in the reserves, so check with your lender.

A VA loan will generally guarantee around 25% of the total home loan, up to $89,912.00. VA loans are often made by a variety of lenders, such as banks and savings and loans institutions. These loans act more as protection for the lender against loss at a later date.

There are many advantages to taking out a VA loan, if you are eligible to do so. For example, the fees associated with taking out a VA loan are relatively inexpensive. Most lenders only require approximately 2% of the total loan, but bear in mind that you will still be required to pay some of the associated costs, such as recording fees and appraisal and compliance costs.

Even if you have poor credit, you may still be eligible to apply for a VA loan. The lender will initially analyze your credit history, checking to make sure that you have been making all of your credit and utility payments on a regular- and timely- basis. Even if you have been delinquent, you can still be eligible, but you may have to work with the lender and will most likely be required to make a down payment for your home.

VA loans are generally a good idea for those who have just left the military, because it allows them to start the resettlement process by buying their own home. These loans are usually easy to apply for, and don't require a hefty down payment, as required by traditional mortgages. Technological developments have made the whole process easier, by allowing some applications to be processed by the lender immediately, making these readjustment loans a great way to start your civilian life.

Mark Lambie is the founder of The Loan House a website that allows consumers to quickly and easily get home equity mortgage information.

Latest News


New Zealand Herald

US Rethinks Roles of Fannie, Freddie
Wall Street Journal - 10 hours ago
The main focus is on the government-backed buyers of home loans: Fannie Mae, created in 1938, and its younger cousin, Freddie Mac, formed in 1970. ...
Government plans new credit, mortgage programs O Jornal
Lenders Become Proactive New York Times
Mortgage relief gets stuck Cape Cod Times
Las Vegas Sun - TheStreet.com
all 2,141 news articles

The Star-Ledger - NJ.com

General Growth gets 2-week reprieve on loans
Chicago Tribune, United States - 2 hours ago
The real estate investment trust said it and the syndicate of lenders "are continuing their discussions" on a longer-term extension to the loan, ...
GGP Gains Two-Week Extension on $900M Loans GlobeSt. com
General Growth gets 2-week extension on $900 million in loans Chicago Daily Herald
General Growth Properties gets loan extension Bizjournals.com
The Associated Press - Reuters
all 121 news articles

Wall Street Journal Blogs

Restoring the flow of credit to entrepreneurs
Los Angeles Times, CA - 10 hours ago
A Treasury Department program aims to make it easier for lenders to find buyers for the loans they make. By Cyndia Zwahlen The credit crunch looks like an ...
Forbes: Let the Small Business Administration work Austin American-Statesman
SBA Applauds Treasury Action to Bolster Secondary Market for Small ... MarketWatch
Feds hope to unfreeze SBA, consumer lending Bizjournals.com
Wisconsin State Journal - FOXBusiness
all 123 news articles

Emirates Business 24/7

Can the Federal Government Save the Student Loan Market?
findingDulcinea, New York - 22 minutes ago
by Anne Szustek The Federal Reserve recently announced a $200 billion lending facility for private student loan lenders. Is this the best way to make higher ...
The Fed boosted emergency loans to banks and firms The Associated Press
Fed Commercial Paper Holdings Rise to $295.1 Billion (Update2) Bloomberg
"Oops, We Meant $7 TRILLION!" What Hank and Ben Are Up to and How ... OpEdNews
The Cutting Edge - Examiner.com
all 452 news articles

New York Times

Turning Around the Idea of Student Loans
New York Times, United States - 11 hours ago
“This is a five-year loan, and that helps ensure a certain amount of longevity for this project.” Justin said he first became interested in poverty issues ...

Student debt levels portend rising loan default rates
Indianapolis Star, United States - 8 hours ago
They were aiming to win big so they could pay off their student loans. "If you don't try, you can't win," said Brown, a 26-year-old marketing consultant. ...

Hedge Fund Manager Hendry Bets on Deflation With UK War Loans
Bloomberg - 2 hours ago
The “Jolly Long Bond,” as Hendry calls the war loan, will be the most reactive to deflation because not having a maturity means it has long duration, ...

Loss of college loans lender may have little effect
Spartanburg Herald Journal (subscription), SC - 3 hours ago
The financial aid director for Spartanburg Community College stressed that these types of supplemental loans are separate from the Stafford Federal Student ...

Detroit's Big 3 Will Try Again To Get Federal Loans
NPR - 4 hours ago
They're going to try, again, to convince Congress to give them federal loans. They say they need the money to avoid an industry collapse. ...

Boston Globe

Problem-solver
Boston Globe, United States - 8 hours ago
Bair's plan to systematically modify 2.2 million loans for defaulting borrowers has drawn widespread support - except from the Bush White House. ...
Avoiding your own mortgage collapse The News Journal
Efforts are under way to head off foreclosure Philadelphia Inquirer
all 4 news articles

Resources