Housing & homelessness

VA-backed home loans and Certificate of Eligibility

A VA guarantee can help finance a home purchase or eligible refinance.

Who may qualify

Service length, activation type, discharge, credit, income and occupancy must be reviewed; a COE is not loan approval. Guard and Reserve pathways differ. VA can review an OTH or bad-conduct service record.

What to check next

Request a COE, then discuss loan requirements with a lender.

Agencies decide eligibility. This independent summary is a starting point, not an entitlement decision.

Official source ↗Apply / get help ↗Read our plain-English guide ↗

Checked 2026-10-08 · Reviewed by Nathan Harlan

Official source page inspected; agency determines eligibility.

Who built this

Built and reviewed by Nathan Harlan, a U.S. Army Infantry veteran with 15 years of service, including two combat deployments to Iraq, and the founder of Ironsight Syndicate, a veteran-owned brand. I built this because finding the right benefits shouldn't take a law degree. This is an independent guide, not VA-accredited claims representation. For claims help, use a VA-accredited representative.