How to Get Your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) and Apply for a VA Home Loan

Understanding the VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE)

The Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is one of the first and most important documents in the VA home loan process. It proves to your lender that you meet the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) service and character requirements to use your VA loan benefit.

While you typically don’t need the COE to get pre-qualified, you’ll need it for your

How to Get Your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) and Apply for a VA Home LoanBarbara Martin2025-10-07T12:04:24-07:00

VA Circular 26-22-18: 2023 Conforming Loan Limits and How They Affect Partial Entitlement

What Is VA Circular 26-22-18?

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regularly releases circulars to announce policy updates for the VA Home Loan program. Circular 26-22-18, published in late 2022, provides the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) 2023 conforming loan limits, which determine how much a Veteran may borrow under certain entitlement conditions.

If you have full entitlement available, this circular won’t affect you—VA

VA Circular 26-22-18: 2023 Conforming Loan Limits and How They Affect Partial EntitlementNathanK2025-10-07T12:13:17-07:00

The Standard Purchase VA Loan

VA Loan Requirements

Before we get into the standard purchase, we need to remind ourselves of some of the basic eligibility requirements to participate in the VA home loan program. So first of all, is this person a veteran, if so, we need their COE. Do they have their DD214? Did they provide their statement of service that verifies they’re actually eligible to participate in the

The Standard Purchase VA LoanBarbara Martin2023-12-11T14:49:48-08:00

VA Loan FAQs: Closing Costs, Escrow Changes, and Common Veteran Questions

Are $20,000 in Closing Costs Normal on a $415,000 VA Loan?

Possibly — but it depends on what’s included in that $20,000.

Closing costs vary widely by location, lender, and what’s wrapped into that figure. For example, if the estimate includes:

Title insurance (sometimes paid by the seller in Florida),
Prepaid taxes and insurance for escrow setup,

VA Loan FAQs: Closing Costs, Escrow Changes, and Common Veteran QuestionsBarbara Martin2025-10-12T12:44:30-07:00

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