VA Loans in California
You served, and that earned you a mortgage benefit most buyers never get. A VA loan can put you in a home with little or nothing down and no monthly mortgage insurance. The VA backs part of the loan, so the lender takes less risk and you keep more of your cash. We check your eligibility first, then compare VA loans across 100+ wholesale lenders, because each one adds its own credit rules on top of the VA's. Start with a phone call, not an application.
- ✓ NMLS #1277693
- ✓ Licensed in California
- ✓ Direct broker access
What Is a VA Loan?
You served, and now you want to buy a home without draining your savings. A VA loan is a mortgage for eligible service members, veterans, and some surviving spouses. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs does not lend you the money. It guarantees part of the loan to the lender, and that guarantee is why the lender can ask for so little down. Advanced Funding Solutions is a mortgage brokerage. We compare VA loans from 100+ wholesale lenders, and the lender you choose with us funds your loan.
Who Can Get a VA Loan
If you are on active duty, a veteran, or in the National Guard or Reserve, you probably qualify once you meet the VA's service time rules. Some surviving spouses qualify too. The VA confirms it with a Certificate of Eligibility, called a COE. In most cases we can request your COE online, so you know where you stand before you start looking at houses.
How a VA Loan Works
You pick a home you will live in, and a lender approves you under the VA's rules plus its own. Because the VA guarantees part of the loan, you usually skip the down payment and never pay monthly mortgage insurance. In its place, most borrowers pay a one time VA funding fee, and you can usually roll it into the loan. The VA also sends its own appraiser to check the price and make sure the home meets the VA's basic standards.
VA Loan Requirements
You need a COE, income you can document, and a home you plan to live in as your main residence. The VA sets no minimum credit score of its own. Each lender sets one, which is why the same veteran can hear no from one lender and yes from another. Lenders also look at your debt to income ratio (DTI), the share of your monthly income that goes to debt payments. On top of that, the VA wants to see enough money left over each month after your bills, which it calls residual income.
The VA Funding Fee
You will see a funding fee on most VA loans, and it catches people off guard when they expected no costs at all. The VA sets the amount. It depends on your type of service, your down payment, and whether you have used the benefit before. If you receive VA disability compensation for a service connected disability, you usually pay no fee, and some surviving spouses are exempt too. Your lender confirms the exact figure in writing.
VA Loan vs a Conventional Loan
You may be weighing VA against a conventional loan. A conventional loan usually wants more money down, and it charges monthly mortgage insurance until you build enough equity. It also adds pricing charges tied to your credit score that VA loans do not carry. If you are eligible and have little saved, that combination is hard to beat. If VA does not fit you, an FHA loan is the other common low down payment option.
When a VA Loan Is the Wrong Answer
If you are buying a rental, a VA loan is not for you. It only covers a home you live in, although you can buy a 2 to 4 unit building and live in one of the units. For a property you will only rent out, a DSCR loan qualifies the home on its rent instead. And if you have a large down payment, strong credit, and no funding fee exemption, a conventional loan can cost less overall. We will price both and tell you straight.
Buying Above the Conforming Limit
You may be shopping where prices run past the conforming loan limit, the ceiling the Federal Housing Finance Agency sets each year. Your entitlement is the part of the loan the VA guarantees. With full entitlement, the VA puts no cap on your loan amount, though your lender still decides how much it will lend. If you used part of your entitlement on an earlier home, compare VA against a jumbo loan before you decide.
Using Your VA Benefit Again
You can use a VA loan more than once. Your entitlement comes back after you sell the home and pay off the old VA loan. Already have a VA loan? A VA streamline refinance, called an IRRRL (Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan), is built to lower the rate on the loan you have. Our refinance page covers taking cash out of your equity too.
Not sure where you stand? Tell us about your service and the home you want, and we will check your COE and price VA against your other options before you apply. Want a rough payment first? Try our payment calculator.
VA eligibility is one of the most underused benefits available to those who have served. We work with VA approved wholesale lenders on purchases, refinances, and jumbo VA loans.
Main Benefits of a VA Loan
Little or Nothing Down
With full entitlement, most eligible buyers can put no money down at all. That keeps your savings free for moving costs, repairs, and a cushion after you get the keys. The lender still decides the final amount it will lend you.
No Monthly Mortgage Insurance
FHA loans and low down payment conventional loans add mortgage insurance to your payment every month. A VA loan does not. The one time funding fee takes its place, and you can usually roll it into the loan.
Credit Rules Built Around You
You may have been turned down over a score the VA itself never asked for. The VA has no minimum credit score of its own, so each lender sets one, and they are not all the same. We check more than one lender, so a single cutoff does not end the conversation.
No Funding Fee for Many Veterans
If you receive VA disability compensation, you usually pay no funding fee at all. Some surviving spouses are exempt too. We confirm your status from your COE up front, so the fee is never a surprise at closing.
Buy, Lower Your Rate, or Take Cash Out
You can buy a home, lower the rate on the VA loan you already have with a streamline refinance, or pull cash from your equity. The VA allows all three, and we walk you through the rules for each one.
One Application, More Than 100 Lenders
You only want to apply once. The VA's rules are the same everywhere, but each lender adds its own on top. We take your details to more than one of our 100+ wholesale lenders and bring back the one that fits you best.
VA Loan Terms at Advanced Funding Solutions
Who VA Loans Work Best For
Contact Advanced Funding Solutions to discuss whether this program may be a fit for your situation. Eligibility, loan amounts, and terms are determined after a complete application and underwriting review.
Get a Quote →- Active duty service members who meet the VA's service time rules
- Veterans with an honorable discharge and enough qualifying service
- National Guard and Reserve members who meet the service requirements
- Surviving spouses who qualify under VA rules
- Veterans receiving VA disability compensation, who usually pay no funding fee
- VA homeowners who want a lower rate or cash from their equity
- Buyers of a 2 to 4 unit building who will live in one of the units
How to Get a VA Loan
Confirm your eligibility
Send us your service details and we request your Certificate of Eligibility, usually online. It shows whether you qualify and how much entitlement you have left to use.
Gather your income documents
Active duty borrowers send a recent Leave and Earnings Statement. Veterans send W-2s, pay stubs, or tax returns, plus award letters for any disability or retirement pay. We tell you exactly what to send first.
Apply once, with the right lender
We compare VA lenders, and you apply with the one that fits. That lender pulls your credit, reviews your income, and confirms your rate and terms in writing.
VA appraisal and closing
Your lender orders a VA appraisal, which checks the value and the home's basic condition. How fast you close comes down mostly to the appraisal, title, and how quickly you get documents back to us.
VA Loan Questions
How does Advanced Funding Solutions work with VA borrowers?
How much does a VA loan cost?
Is a down payment required on a VA loan?
What credit score is required for a VA loan?
Can a VA loan benefit be used more than once?
What is the VA funding fee?
Can an existing VA loan be refinanced?
Can a VA loan be used for an investment property?
Can a self employed veteran qualify for a VA loan in California?
What is VA loan entitlement and how does it apply in California?
Related Loan Options
Program Disclosures
Advanced Funding Solutions is a mortgage brokerage (NMLS #1277693). Loan programs described on this page are offered through a network of wholesale lenders. Program availability, loan amounts, interest rates, points, fees, and underwriting guidelines are set by each funding lender and may change without notice. Not all borrowers will qualify for every program.
Any rates, costs, or timelines referenced on this page are illustrative only and are not a quote, rate lock, or commitment to lend. Actual rates and costs depend on the loan program, lender, credit profile, property type, occupancy, loan-to-value, and other factors, and are disclosed in writing during the formal application process as required by state and federal law.
All loans are subject to credit, income, asset, property, and underwriting approval. Pre-qualification is not a commitment to lend. State availability of specific programs varies; contact Advanced Funding Solutions to confirm whether a program is offered in your state. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Ready to use your VA benefit?
Tell us about your service and the home you want. We'll check your eligibility and compare VA lenders before you apply anywhere. Advanced Funding Solutions, NMLS #1277693. All loans are subject to credit, income, asset, property, and underwriting approval.