- Apply for a Certificate of Eligibility. A veteran who doesn't have a
certificate can obtain one easily by completing
VA Form 26-1880, Request for a Certificate
of Eligibility for VA Home Loan Benefits and submitting it to
one of the
Eligibility Centers with copies of your most recent discharge or
separation papers covering active military duty since September 16, 1940,
which show active duty dates and type of discharge.
- Decide on a home the buyer wants to buy and sign a purchase agreement
- Order an appraisal from VA. (Usually this is done by the lender.)
- Apply to a mortgage lender for the loan. While the appraisal is being
done, the lender (mortgage company, savings and loan, bank, etc.) can be
gathering credit and income information. If the lender is authorized by VA
to do automatic processing, upon receipt of the VA or LAPP appraised value
determination, the loan can be approved and closed without waiting for VA's
review of the credit application. For loans that must first be approved by
VA, the lender will send the application to the local VA office, which will
notify the lender of its decision.
- Close the loan and the buyer moves in.
(Article Courtesy Mortgage 101)
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