Buying your first home with a VA loan can feel overwhelming, but with the right plan, it’s a smooth and rewarding process. This checklist will walk you through every step of the VA home loan process – from confirming eligibility to settling into your new home.
Before You Start the Home Search
☐ Confirm VA loan eligibility
Most active duty, reserve, guard, and veterans qualify:
- Active Duty: 90 consecutive days of service
- Reserve/Guard: 6 years of service
- Surviving spouses may also be eligible under certain conditions
Read more about va eligibility specifics.
☐ Request your Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
- Your lender can request this online in minutes (if they don’t know how to do this, you’re working with the wrong lender)
- Proves your VA loan entitlement to lenders
☐ Check your credit score
- Aim for 620+ for most lenders – and remember, the VA doesn’t set the standard, it is lender specific
- You can pull your score annually for free from each of the three credit bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com
☐ Calculate your housing budget
- Use our military mortgage calculator or ask the WeVett team for help
- Consider BAH (Use the BAH calculator), additional income, and monthly expenses
Find a VA Loan Lender
☐ Schedule a consultation call
- Called the Pre-Check Call, we’ll walk through your eligibility, loan options, and outline the full process
☐ Get pre-qualified or pre-approved
- Pre-qualification: Quick estimate based on the basic information you tell us on the phone
- Pre-approval: Underwriter reviews your finances in depth; a pre-approval is considered much stronger when making offers
☐ Discuss zero-down and VA funding fee exemption
- Most VA buyers qualify for 0% down with no Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)
- Veterans with a disability rating of 10% or greater may be exempt from the VA funding fee
☐ Explore dual entitlement if you’re a dual-military couple
- You may be able to combine VA entitlements or preserve one for future use
☐ Gather required documents
- LES or most recent pay stubs (for you and your partner)
- Government-issued photo ID
- Last two months of bank statements
- Statement of Service (Active Duty) or DD-214 (separated)
- W-2s or tax returns from the last 2 years (if applicable)
Start Your Home Search
☐ Partner with a military-friendly real estate agent
- Ask WeVett Realty to connect you with a military PCS expert
- Make sure you choose someone who understands PCS timelines and military needs
☐ Stick to your pre-approved price range
- Avoid surprises or delays during underwriting
- Remember to factor in closing costs
☐ Consider long-term lifestyle factors
- Commute to your military installation, schools, crime activity, shopping, and healthcare access
- Think about resale value or future rental potential if you PCS
☐ Budget for ongoing expenses
- Include property taxes, HOA dues, utilities, home maintenance, etc.
- Escrow accounts can help spread out these costs
Make an Offer & Close on Your Home
☐ Submit an offer through your agent
- Include your VA loan pre-approval to strengthen your offer
- Don’t be afraid to negotiate seller concessions or closing costs (your real estate agent is your go-to resource for this!)
☐ Schedule a VA appraisal
- Ensure the property meets VA’s Minimum Property Requirements (MPRs)
- Confirms fair market value and habitability (this is not a home inspection)
☐ Order a full home inspection
- Strongly recommended!
- Helps you spot any major issues with the home before finalizing the deal
☐ Lock in your interest rate
- Rates can fluctuate daily, locking a rate in secures your monthly payment
☐ Review loan disclosures and closing details
- Compare Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure for accuracy
- Double-check interest rate, fees, and total costs
☐ Sign and close!
- Bring your ID, review documents, and receive your keys (unless you are closing virtually – your loan officer will explain your specific process if you are unable to close in person)
- Congratulations, you’re now a homeowner!
After Closing
☐ Set up utilities and update your address
- Set up your electric, water, internet, trash, and mail forwarding/change of address
- Update Tricare, DFAS, MyPay, and your military installation contact info
☐ Store all loan documents safely for future refinance opportunities
- Keep digital and printed copies of the deed, mortgage, and VA paperwork
- You may need them again for refinancing or future loans
Ask WeVett Home Loans to track your refinance opportunities using the Rate Radar!
☐ Know your loan servicer
- They’ll handle your monthly payments and tax/insurance escrow
Note: Your loan originator is the lender or mortgage professional who helps you secure the VA loan. They guide you through the application, approval, and closing process. Once you close, your loan servicer takes over. The servicer is the company you send your monthly mortgage payments to, and they manage your escrow account for taxes and insurance. Sometimes the loan originator and servicer are the same company, but often your loan will be transferred to a separate servicing company after closing.
☐ Start building long-term equity
- Consider how long you’ll stay and what comes next—live in, rent out, or sell
- You can use your VA benefit again in the future!
- Ask us about our 20-Year Client Vision of helping you have a paid for home by military retirement!
VA loans are one of the most powerful benefits you have with zero money down, no PMI, and flexible guidelines. Our mission is to make it easy, fast, and transparent for military families to own a home you love.
Questions about the process? Talk with one of our VA loan experts –> 316-669-5272
