U.S. Mortgage Index

VA loan

Definition

A VA loan is a mortgage made under Department of Veterans Affairs rules for eligible servicemembers, veterans, and some surviving spouses. The VA generally guarantees part of the loan rather than lending the money itself.

In plain English

Private lenders originate VA loans. The Department of Veterans Affairs sets who may qualify and guarantees a portion of the loan to the lender. Eligibility and occupancy rules belong to VA. This page names the program. It does not state current entitlement figures or funding-fee rates.

Technical definition

CFPB’s VA loan heading describes the VA program, the guarantee structure, and the primary-residence focus. That consumer heading is PRIMARY. VA.gov details remain program context not required for this definition.

Why it matters

Conventional, FHA, USDA, and VA are different government-or-enterprise channels. One label cannot carry all four.

Commonly confused with

Sources reviewed

Important note

This page does not publish current VA entitlement or funding-fee amounts.