How to Know if You Qualify for a VA Loan

By eHow Personal Finance Editor

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There are many options when considering a home purchase. A Veteran's Affairs (VA) loan usually carries lower interest rates than other mortgages and requires no down payment. VA loans are especially helpful to borrowers with bad credit. If you are planning to buy a home, check the following qualifications to see if you qualify for a VA home loan.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Step1

Determine if you were on active duty in a branch of the U.S. military (Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard) for the required amount of time. Members who served prior to 1981 (for officers, or 1980 for enlisted) must have been on active duty for at least 90 days during WWII, the Korean War or Vietnam, or on active duty for at least 181 days during peacetime. Members who served after 1981 (for officers, or 1980 for enlisted) must have been on active duty for at least 24 consecutive months, unless discharged sooner with a service disability. If you have been discharged, it must be an honorable discharge.

Step2

Qualify by having served as a Reserve Service Member in any of the reserve units for 6 years or more. This includes the Air National Guard, Army National Guard, Marine Corps Reserves, Army Reserves, Air Force Reserves and Coast Guard Reserves.

Step3

Explore your eligibility by virtue of being a surviving spouse of a deceased veteran (who died during service or as result of a service disability). If you have not remarried, then you can qualify for the VA loan. If you have remarried, you can still qualify if you remarried after the age of 57 and after December 16, 2003.

Step4

Take advantage of eligibility for spouses of service members who are missing in action or are prisoners of war.

Step5

Consider a VA loan if you are a U.S. citizen who served in the military of an ally of the U.S. during WWII.

Step6

Establish eligibility for a VA loan by having attended a military academy in the United States.

Step7

Claim your eligibility by being a Native American service member who meets the other service qualifications, and wants to buy, improve or build a home on trust lands. You may qualify for a VA direct home loan.