Q: Which forms will I need to fill out to get a home loan backed by the Department of Veterans Affairs?
A: There are a few forms that applicants should be familiar with when seeking out a VA loan from a VA-approved lender. None of them are terribly complicated, but they are necessary to make sure everything is in order with your eligibility.
One important form for most veterans is VA Form 26-1880. In order to prove to lenders that you’re eligible to receive a VA-backed home loan, applicants must obtain a Certificate of Eligibility (COE). While this can be obtained almost instantly through a VA-approved lender, another way to receive the certificate is by filling out Form 20-1880 and sending it off to Department of Veterans Affairs for processing.
Surviving spouses of military members who meet certain criteria are often also eligible for a VA-backed home loan. Those individuals cannot obtain the COE through a lender. They must fill out VA Form 26-1817.
Some individuals – those who are now or once were receiving disability pay, or who filed for disability benefits while still on active duty, for example – can fill out VA Form 26-8937, the Verification of VA Benefits, which can qualify them for exemption from the VA funding fee, which typically costs between 0.5 and 3.3 percent of the total value of a loan.
Check with your VA-approved lender or go to va.gov to see what other forms are required.
