VA Home Loans-Do you qualify???

Today I wanted to post about VA Loans, so many Veterans do not realize they qualify, so please look at the chart below, you maybe surprised. If you have any questions and if Military Relocation Connection can be of any service, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Eligibility

You must have suitable credit, sufficient income, and a valid Certificate of Eligibility (COE) to be eligible for a VA-guaranteed home loan. The home must be for your own personal occupancy. The eligibility requirements to obtain a COE are listed below for Service members and Veterans, spouses, and other eligible beneficiaries.

VA home loans can be used to:

• Buy a home, a condominium unit in a VA-approved project
• Build a home
• Simultaneously purchase and improve a home
• Improve a home by installing energy-related features or making energy efficient improvements
• Buy a manufactured home and/or lot.

Eligibility Requirements for VA Home Loans

Service member’s and Veterans

To obtain a COE, you must have been discharged under conditions other than dishonorable and meet the service requirements below:

Status	Qualifying Wartime & Peacetime Periods	Qualifying Active Duty Dates	Minimum Active Duty Service Requirement
Veteran	WWII	9/16/1940 - 7/25/1947	90 total days
	Post-WWII	7/26/1947 - 6/26/1950	181 continuous days
	Korean War	6/27/1950 - 1/31/1955	90 total days
	Post-Korean War	2/1/1955 - 8/4/1964	181 continuous days
	Vietnam War	8/5/1964 - 5/7/1975 *For Veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam, the beginning date is 2/28/1961	90 total days
	Post-Vietnam War	5/8/1975 - 9/7/1980 *The ending date for officers is 10/16/1981	181 continuous days
	24-month rule	9/8/1980 - 8/1/1990 *The beginning date for officers is 10/17/1981	24 continuous months, OR The full period (at least 181 days) for which you were called or ordered to active duty
	Gulf War	8/2/1990 - Present	24 continuous months, OR The full period (at least 90 days) for which you were called or ordered to active duty
Currently On Active Duty	Any	Any	90 continuous days
National Guard & Reserve Member	Gulf War	8/2/1990 - Present	90 days of active service
	Six years of service in the Selected Reserve or National Guard, AND Were discharged honorably, OR Were placed on the retired list, OR Were transferred to the Standby Reserve or an element of the Ready Reserve other than the Selected Reserve after service characterized as honorable, OR Continue to serve in the Selected Reserve

*If you do not meet the minimum service requirements, you may still be eligible if you were discharged due to (1) hardship, (2) the convenience of the government, (3) reduction-in-force, (4) certain medical conditions, or (5) a service-connected disability.

Spouses

The spouse of a Veteran can also apply for home loan eligibility under one of the following conditions:

• Unremarried spouse of a Veteran who died while in service or from a service connected disability, or
• Spouse of a Servicemember missing in action or a prisoner of war
• Surviving spouse who remarries on or after attaining age 57, and on or after December 16, 2003
  (Note: a surviving spouse who remarried before December 16, 2003, and on or after attaining age 57, must have applied no later than December 15, 2004, to establish home loan eligibility. VA must deny applications from surviving spouses who remarried before December 6, 2003 that are received after December 15, 2004.)
• Surviving Spouses of certain totally disabled veterans whose disability may not have been the cause of death

Other Eligible Beneficiaries

You may also apply for eligibility if you fall into one of the following categories:

• Certain U.S. citizens who served in the armed forces of a government allied with the United States in World War II
• Individuals with service as members in certain organizations, such as Public Health Service officers, cadets at the United States Military, Air Force, or Coast Guard Academy, midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy, officers of National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, merchant seaman with World War II service, and others

Restoration of Entitlement

Veterans can have previously-used entitlement "restored" to purchase another home with a VA loan if:

• The property purchased with the prior VA loan has been sold and the loan paid in full, or
• A qualified Veteran-transferee (buyer) agrees to assume the VA loan and substitute his or her entitlement for the same amount of entitlement originally used by the Veteran seller. The entitlement may also be restored one time only if the Veteran has repaid the prior VA loan in full, but has not disposed of the property purchased with the prior VA loan. Remaining entitlement and restoration of entitlement can be requested through the VA Eligibility Center by completing VA Form 26-1880.

Thanks for stopping by today and again if we can be of service to you in any Real Estate needs please contact us at www.MilitaryRelocationConnection.com