Can I use gift funds on a VA loan?
VA loans: Down payments aren't always needed with a VA loan, but gift funds may be used if one is required or for closing costs if any. USDA loans: Like VA loans, down payments may not be needed, but gift funds may be used if there is one.
VA: The VA has no specific guidelines on gifts of equity, but gift funds are generally not allowed for reserves. However, they can be used for your down payment and closing costs, including the VA funding fee.
If you decide to offer earnest money, the VA requires that the money come directly from you. In other words, the deposit cannot be a gift or loan.
VA Loan Co-Borrower Requirements
A co-borrower on a VA loan typically includes the Veteran and their spouse but may also include another Veteran who isn't their spouse. Co-borrowers on VA loans must live in the home and meet the same financial guidelines as other VA loan applicants. In some cases, this can help.
You'll need to provide a gift letter with information including the gift amount, the donor's contact information and relationship to you and the donor's statement that repayment isn't expected. Borrowers must also provide evidence that the donor has sufficient funds or proof of transferred gift funds.
If you want to use a VA loan to purchase a home, that home must be your primary residence. This means that you and your family must intend to live in the home after purchasing it. VA loans will not cover investment properties or a vacation home.
The gifted money needs to come from somebody or some entity close to the borrowers. Lenders need paper trails for the gift money, which implies you can't just have someone hand you a bunch of cash for your loan closing. Nobody involved in the VA loan process can gift you money for such purposes.
Earnest money with a VA loan is typically applied to the down payment and closing costs, so in a sense, you get VA loan earnest money back. However, if the transaction falls through or you back out of it because you changed your mind, you could lose the earnest money to the seller.
Note: We require that a seller can't pay more than 4% of the total home loan in seller's concessions. But this rule covers only some closing costs, including the VA funding fee. The rule doesn't cover loan discount points.
An earnest money deposit is a deposit of good faith on a home loan from a buyer to a seller. Including an earnest money deposit with your offer is a part of the VA home loan process and serves to protect VA buyers and sellers in a real estate transaction.
Can my girlfriend be on my VA loan?
You can take out a loan with a friend or family member. If you take out a joint VA loan with one or more borrowers who qualify for VA financing, you won't need to make a down payment.
It is possible to have two VA loans at once for two separate primary residences. Having two VA loans at once typically applies to active service members who receive PCS orders. Rather than sell the home, you could look to rent it out and buy again at the new duty station using your remaining VA loan entitlement.
The Bottom Line. Children cannot use their Veteran parent's VA loan benefits, but it's not impossible for a Veteran or their surviving spouse to help their child with a VA loan of their own. Doing so can be challenging, so it's best to contact a Veterans United VA loan expert at 573-876-2600 to discuss your options.
A conventional loan is a mortgage that isn't insured or guaranteed with any government entity. Most conventional mortgage loans allow homebuyers to use gift money for their down payment and closing costs as long as it's a gift from an acceptable source, such as from family members.
Reducing potential taxes with gifts
For smaller gifts, the IRS rules for 2024 allow any individual to gift up to $18,000 per year to any recipient without having to consider the potential impact of a taxable gift. A married couple may give up to $36,000 to any individual.
Gift letters are required by mortgage lenders as documentation to prove that the funds received are a gift, not a loan, and that the donor is not involved in the home purchase. The gift letter is an official document that verifies the nature of the received money as a gift, with no expectation of repayment.
One of the primary reasons some sellers may hesitate to accept a VA loan is due to misconceptions about the program. Some sellers believe that VA loans involve more red tape, delays, or stricter inspection requirements compared to conventional loans. In reality, VA loans are not as cumbersome as they may seem.
Some sellers believe an offer with a VA loan won't close or will take longer to close, will involve a borrower who lacks funds and/or has poor credit, and will result in having to make repairs or lower their price due to strict VA property requirements.
Some sellers reject VA loans because of that inspection, assuming it'll complicate the sale. But, sellers don't necessarily need to pay for any required repairs themselves, Wemert points out. In many cases, VA buyers might be willing to cover the cost.
If you're a Veteran and want to apply for a VA mortgage with your friend, then a joint VA loan might be the right way to go. The joint VA loan program allows Veterans and/or active-duty military members to use a joint borrower who is not a spouse or other Veteran.
Can my boyfriend be on my VA loan?
If you are in a domestic partnership or a long-term relationship but aren't married according to your state's laws, your partner will only be able to be a co-borrower if they're a qualified veteran or current servicemember. If they're not, you'll have to be the sole borrower on the loan.
Verification and documentation of any recent large deposit(s), a deposit that exceeds 2% of the property's sales price on a purchase transaction and 2% of the fair market value on a refinance transaction, is required.
There are two ways to get cash back at closing on a VA purchase loan. If the loan is structured correctly, you can get your earnest money back (woot!) and that's just about it. Sometimes confused with getting “cash back” is getting what is called an Energy Efficiency Mortgage in addition to your purchase loan.
The VA escape, or amendatory, clause ensures that if the reason for breaking the contract is a low appraisal value, the buyer will get the earnest money back. It is a required attachment to any VA loan agreement if earnest money is put down before the home is appraised.
In short, there's no reason a seller should reject your purchase offer simply because you're using a VA loan. But, due to misinformation, some might anyway.
