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  • EXPERIENCE MATTERS: With over 50-years combined lending experience, Joe and Eric Metzler are your VA home loan experts.

  • Your Credit Score and a VA Loan

    A common question we get is "What credit score do I need to get a VA loan?" As with any home loan, your credit and credit scores are a very important part of home loan approval. The VA loan program is very liberal compared to other loan programs, and has significant advantages over other loans.

    Technically the VA loan program does allows for credit score as low as 500, although I don't know anyone actually offering that. The reality is that once your credit score drops below about 620, you will have increasing difficulty getting loan approved. Once your credit score drops below 580, the odds of being denied go way up. Even with lower credit scores, don't assume you will be denied. Contact our VA Loan experts here are Cambria Mortgage for advice.

    PRO TIP: With very low credit scores, a small down payment will dramatically increase odds of loan approval. 

    MAJOR CREDIT ISSUES

    Major credit issues, like bankruptcy and foreclosures have mandatory waiting periods after the event before your can get a home loan. The waiting period varies based on the type of loan your are getting, like conventional, FHA, VA, or a sub-prime loan. The VA program is one of the most liberal in the market with some of the shortest waiting periods.

    Waiting Periods

    Foreclosure:

    • 2-years from date foreclosure completed and transferred back to the bank
    • 1-2 years from date foreclosure completed and transferred back to the bank if good credit re-established and paid on time, AND, if the foreclosure was caused by an acceptable extenuating circumstance

    Short Sale

    • 2-years from date home transferred to a new owner
    • NO waiting period if you had no late payment son and any accounts, including the mortgage, within 12 months prior to the short-sale, AND if the short sale was determined not to be a strategic short-sale

    Bankruptcy, Chapter 7:

    • 2-years from discharge date AND re-established credit paid on time, or no new credit obligations occurred
    • 1-2 years from date of discharge if the bankruptcy was caused by an acceptable extenuating circumstance AND you have since documented the ability to handle financial affairs in a responsible manner (re-established credit)

    Bankruptcy, Chapter 13:

    • At least 1-year of on time payments have been made under the terms of your bankruptcy, and all payments have been made on time
    • Maximum debt to income ratios to not exceed 29/41 (ask your VA loan expert what this means)