A: VA loan requirements include: qualifying military service (typically 90 days active duty or 6 years in the Reserves/Guard), an honorable or general discharge, a Certificate of Eligibility, and sufficient income and credit to repay the loan. There is no official VA minimum credit score — most lenders require 580 or above. The home must be your primary residence and meet VA Minimum Property Requirements.

A: There is no limit on the number of times you can use a VA loan. Entitlement restores fully after you sell the home and pay off the VA loan. You can also have two VA loans simultaneously using remaining or bonus entitlement. Many veterans have used the benefit 4 or 5 times across multiple PCS moves. Access Financial calculates your remaining entitlement at no cost before any application begins.

A: The VA funding fee is a one-time fee charged at closing to help sustain the VA loan program. For a first-time VA purchase with no down payment, the fee is 2.15% of the loan amount. Subsequent use is 3.3%. The fee is waived entirely for veterans with a service-connected disability rating, Purple Heart recipients, and surviving spouses. The fee can be financed into the loan balanc

A: The VA has no official minimum credit score. Most lenders, including Access Financial, use 580 as a practical minimum — though compensating factors like strong residual income and a larger down payment can offset lower scores in some cases. VA loans are generally more forgiving of credit events (bankruptcy, foreclosure) than conventional loans, requiring a shorter waiting period before eligibility is restored.

A: VA loans require owner occupancy — the borrower must intend to live in the home as their primary residence. However, multi-family properties (up to 4 units) qualify if the veteran occupies one unit. Some veterans purchase with a VA loan, live in the home, then convert it to a rental when they PCS — which is permitted after satisfying the occupancy requirement. For pure investment properties, a DSCR loan is the appropriate product.

A: A VA IRRRL (Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan) streamlines an existing VA loan to a lower interest rate. It requires no appraisal, minimal income documentation, and must result in a net tangible benefit — typically a lower monthly payment or a switch from adjustable to fixed rate. Your VA entitlement is preserved completely. Access Financial targets a 21-day close on VA IRRRL loans.

A: VA entitlement is the dollar amount the VA will guarantee on your loan. Basic entitlement is $36,000 (used for loans under $144,000). Bonus entitlement covers loans above that threshold and is calculated by county based on conforming loan limits. Veterans with full entitlement — no current VA loan and no unresolved claims — can borrow up to the county limit with no down payment. Remaining entitlement is calculated when a current VA loan exists.

A: Access Financial targets a 30-day close on VA purchase loans — which is the same timeline as most conventional purchases. VA IRRRLs close in as few as 21 days because they skip the appraisal. The most common source of VA loan delays is lenders who are not VA-specialized and don't know the COE, MPR appraisal, or underwriting process. Working with a VA-certified team eliminates most of the timeline risk.

A: Yes. Surviving spouses of veterans who died in service or from a service-connected disability may be eligible for the VA home loan benefit. Eligibility requires that the surviving spouse has not remarried (or remarried after age 57 for loans after December 16, 2003). Surviving spouses of veterans missing in action or prisoners of war may also qualify. A Certificate of Eligibility confirms entitlement. Access Financial pulls COEs for surviving spouses at no charge.