[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f1m66e9rkvl2vi":3,"$ffeh0925h8cuz":43,"$fbwk2pqjjqsc7":47},{"item":4,"previous":31,"next":37},{"id":5,"slug":6,"title":7,"description":8,"excerpt":9,"contentType":10,"featuredImage":11,"bannerImage":9,"body":12,"agentsBottomLine":13,"bodyImage":14,"isInfographic":15,"categories":16,"isVideo":15,"videoThumbnail":9,"videoSource":9,"publishedAt":29,"updatedAt":30},108201,"what-most-veterans-dont-know-about-their-va-home-loan-benefit","What Most Veterans Don't Know About Their VA Home Loan Benefit","\u003Cp>Nearly half of Veterans (49%) feel homeownership is currently out of reach, according to a recent survey from \u003Cem>NewDay USA\u003C\u002Fem>.\u003C\u002Fp>","","blog","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260522\u002FHeader-Image-20211111-Blog-original.png","\u003Cp>Nearly half of Veterans (49%) feel homeownership is currently out of reach, according to a recent survey from \u003Cem>NewDay USA\u003C\u002Fem>.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>But many are closer than they think. And you might be, too.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If you’re a Veteran, you probably know the Veterans Affairs (VA) home loan benefit exists – it's been around for over 80 years. What you might not know is what it actually covers. Three misconceptions trip up Veterans the most (\u003Cem>see graph below)\u003C\u002Fem>:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260522\u002F20260525-Most-Veterans-original.png\" alt=\"a diagram of a home loan\">Any one of those beliefs could be holding you back. Let’s walk through all three, so you have the information you really need.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>You May Not Have To Put Any Money Down\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>The potential to put zero money down is probably the biggest perk of a VA loan, but most homebuyers don’t even realize that’s an option. According to the \u003Cem>NewDay USA\u003C\u002Fem> survey, many respondents guessed they’d need to save somewhere between $10,000 and $19,900 before they could buy. That’s years of saving for an upfront cost that isn’t always required.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>You May Have Lower Closing Costs\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>According to the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.va.gov\u002Fhousing-assistance\u002Fhome-loans\u002Floan-types\u002Fpurchase-loan\u002F\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">\u003Cem>Department of Veterans Affairs\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fa>, with VA loans, there can be limits on the types of closing costs buyers have to pay. That means more money stays in your pocket on closing day – and you have less to save up for before you can buy. The benefit combined with the down payment perk can speed up your buying timeline.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>Your Monthly PMI Costs Could Be $0\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>Unlike many other loan options, VA loans typically don’t require private mortgage insurance (PMI), even with low or no money down. If you take out a conventional loan instead, you could pay $100 to $300 a month in PMI until you hit 20% equity, according to \u003Cem>NewDay USA\u003C\u002Fem>. Over time, that’s a difference of thousands of dollars.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>Your BAH & BAS May Help You Qualify for More\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>If you’re on active duty or if you’re a qualifying reservist, your Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) and Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) may count toward income qualification on a VA loan. So, if you were running the numbers without factoring your BAH or BAS in, you could qualify for more than you thought. Both BAH and BAS are non-taxable, so they can help raise the amount you can qualify for. \u003C\u002Fp>","\u003Cp>VA home loans can put homeownership within reach, and a trusted lender can help make sure you understand the details before you move forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If you’re active duty, you’ve served, or know someone who has, connect with a trusted lender who can walk you through whether you’d qualify and what the VA benefit offers. \u003Cstrong>You may be able to buy a home sooner than you thought. \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260522\u002F20260525-Most-Veterans-original.png",false,[17,21,25],{"id":18,"name":19,"slug":20},5,"For Buyers","buyers",{"id":22,"name":23,"slug":24},322,"Affordability","affordability",{"id":26,"name":27,"slug":28},323,"Buying Tips","buying-tips","2026-05-25T10:30:00Z","2026-05-22T06:03:59Z",{"id":32,"slug":33,"title":34,"featuredImage":35,"publishedAt":36,"contentType":10,"isVideo":15},107879,"newly-built-home-prices-hit-a-5-year-low","Newly Built Home Prices Hit a 5-Year Low","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260514\u002FHeader-Image-GettyImages-1765760671-original.png","2026-05-21T10:30:00Z",{"id":38,"slug":39,"title":40,"featuredImage":41,"publishedAt":42,"contentType":10,"isVideo":15},108281,"the-truth-about-affordability-today","The Truth About Affordability Today","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260526\u002FHeader-Image-20220208-Blog-original.png","2026-05-27T10:30:00Z",{"cover":44,"open":45,"shareSpread":46},"https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260603\u002F2026-Summer-Buyers-Guide-Cover-original.png","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260603\u002F2026-Summer-Buyers-Guide-Spread-original.png","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260603\u002F2026-Summer-Buyers-Guide-Magazine-original.png",[48,52,53,57,61,65,69,73,77,81,85,89,93,97,101,105,109,113,117,121,125,129,130,131,135,139,143,147,151,155],{"id":49,"name":50,"slug":51},1,"Uncategorized","uncategorized",{"id":18,"name":19,"slug":20},{"id":54,"name":55,"slug":56},6,"For Sellers","sellers",{"id":58,"name":59,"slug":60},7,"Foreclosures","foreclosures",{"id":62,"name":63,"slug":64},8,"Infographics","infographics",{"id":66,"name":67,"slug":68},9,"Home Prices","home-prices",{"id":70,"name":71,"slug":72},11,"First-Time Buyers","first-time-buyers",{"id":74,"name":75,"slug":76},34,"Senior Market","senior-market",{"id":78,"name":79,"slug":80},35,"Mortgage Rates","mortgage-rates",{"id":82,"name":83,"slug":84},38,"Move-Up","move-up",{"id":86,"name":87,"slug":88},41,"For Sale by Owner","for-sale-by-owner",{"id":90,"name":91,"slug":92},42,"Featured","featured",{"id":94,"name":95,"slug":96},45,"New Construction","new-construction",{"id":98,"name":99,"slug":100},52,"Luxury \u002F Vacation","luxury--vacation",{"id":102,"name":103,"slug":104},53,"Rent vs. Buy","rent-vs-buy",{"id":106,"name":107,"slug":108},80,"Time-sensitive","time-sensitive",{"id":110,"name":111,"slug":112},81,"Outdated","outdated",{"id":114,"name":115,"slug":116},147,"Internal","internal",{"id":118,"name":119,"slug":120},148,"Do Not Autopost","do-not-autopost",{"id":122,"name":123,"slug":124},320,"Inventory","inventory",{"id":126,"name":127,"slug":128},321,"Agent Value","agent-value",{"id":22,"name":23,"slug":24},{"id":26,"name":27,"slug":28},{"id":132,"name":133,"slug":134},324,"Downsize","downsize",{"id":136,"name":137,"slug":138},325,"Economy","economy",{"id":140,"name":141,"slug":142},326,"Equity","equity",{"id":144,"name":145,"slug":146},327,"Forecasts","forecasts",{"id":148,"name":149,"slug":150},328,"Selling Tips","selling-tips",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154},339,"Expired\u002FWithdrawn\u002FCanceled","expiredwithdrawncanceled",{"id":156,"name":157,"slug":158},340,"Price It Right\u002FOverpricing","price-it-rightoverpricing"]