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The benefits of a VA loan include no minimum credit score and a 0% down payment. We're the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau , a U.S. government agency that makes sure banks, lenders, and other financial companies treat you fairly. Low down payment mortgagesLooking for a low down payment home loan? Here's a look at home loan options that allow for down payments of 3.5% or less.
And while VA loans are only for qualifying service members and veterans, loan assumptions are freely assumable -- the assuming party only has to meet financial and credit qualifications. While VA loans are first and foremost intended to help service members purchase a primary residence, they also can be used to purchase an investment property. However, there are some strict guidelines you’ll have to follow. Below we’ve outlined the main requirements veterans need to follow if they are interested in using VA loans to purchase rental properties. This is where occupancy requirements for VA loan rental properties come in. You must occupy the residence within 60 days of closing and live in it as your primary residence for 12 months before renting out other units.
Can You Rent Your House if You Have a VA Loan?
And, as a property owner, you might be able to use your rental income to help you qualify for your VA loan. If you take out a VA loan and are occupying the residence to meet loan requirements and then are transferred, you can either sell the property or have another party assume your loan. However, the latter only applies if your lender participates in a VA loan assumption program. And while VA loans are only for qualifying service members and veterans, loan assumptions are freely assumable — the assuming party only has to meet financial and credit qualifications.

Modular homes are typically built on site using prefabricated pieces. Purchasing a new modular home may require the use of a construction loan. Buying an existing modular home is treated the same as any other stick-built home.
How To Use Rental Income To Get Va Loans
So you could buy a new primary residence with a VA loan and convert your old primary residence into an investment property. Or, you could buy a multifamily property with up to four units and live in one of the units while renting out the others. This is perhaps most common with Veterans who buy a house and then later rent it out. When the time comes to apply for a new loan, the monthly mortgage payment on the rental property gets counted toward the Veteran’s debt-to-income ratio.

Fortunately, borrowers who used a VA loan to purchase a rental property have several different options if they are transferred. If you aren’t eligible for a VA loan, try Fannie Mae’s 3% down loan program instead. Both allow a down payment as low as 3%, and loans for multi-unit properties with up to four units.
VA-Owned Properties for Sale
It’s easy to see why so many veterans and active-duty military servicemembers take advantage of their VA loan benefit. They also dont require income documentation to calculate income ratios. To be eligible for a VA loan, you or your spouse must be an active or former military servicemember.
The property MUST be used as a residence, even if there are other commercial interests involved. The residential nature of the home must always come first with a VA home loan. This will play an important part in how the VA loan rules and your lenders requirements will be used to interpret your intended use of the home, especially if you want to rent to others. This is another significant advantage to using VA loans for investment purchases. For Veterans with multiple rental properties, lenders will typically treat each one individually.
Rental property requirements
And being conforming mortgage loans, they let you remove PMI once you pay down your balance below 80% of the property value. If other options are available, why would an investor consider using a VA loan for an investment property? There are many reasons, but most notably is the fact that you can utilize these loans with 0% down. While youll still need money for closing costs and fees, you can buy an investment property with literally no down payment. As a veteran, you took out a VA loan to purchase your first home, and you are still paying it back. There is a possibility that you may be eligible for a second VA loan if your eligibility is sufficient and your credit and income satisfy the lender when you move to a new primary residence.

VA mortgage calculatorUse our VA home loan calculator to estimate payments for a VA loan for qualifying veterans, active military, and military families. If you do not yet have a lease in place , you can use up to 75% of a licensed appraiser’s rental estimate to offset your mortgage expenses. If you plan to claim rental income from a separate property to qualify for a VA loan, you can use the amount of the income as calculated on your tax returns . You must live in one unit as your primary residence for at least one year to qualify. Like all other VA mortgage loan program options, the VA farm residence loan is something intended to help qualified borrowers use to purchase a residence. In other words, you may purchase a farm home using a VA mortgage but the loan will ONLY cover the residential value of the property.
The value of the investment may fall as well as rise and investors may get back less than they invested. All financed real estate investments have the potential for foreclosure. All real estate investments have the potential to lose value during the life of the investment. This material is for general information and educational purposes only. Information is based on data gathered from what we believe are reliable sources. It is not guaranteed as to accuracy, does not purport to be complete and is not intended to be used as a primary basis for investment decisions.

This list does not apply to buyers looking at purchasing duplexes. Potential homebuyers can buy up to a fourplex with their VA loan by occupying one unit and renting the additional three. Buying with bad creditIf you have bad credit and fear you'll be denied for a mortgage, don't worry. G. Brian Davis is a real estate investor and writer who, along with his wife and daughter, spends most of the year overseas.
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