The VA loan is the strongest home-buying benefit in the country, and far too many of the people who earned it leave it on the table. In 2025, a national survey found only about half of service members knew a VA loan requires no down payment (PRNewswire / Veterans United survey, 2025). That one gap costs families thousands. This is the full step-by-step — from your Certificate of Eligibility to the closing table — written by an Army veteran who uses this benefit with buyers across coastal Georgia every month. As a VA loan realtor in Georgia, my job is to make sure you use every dollar of what you earned.
Key Takeaways
- With full VA entitlement, eligible buyers purchase a primary home with $0 down and no PMI (VA.gov, 2026) — yet only ~50% of service members know the no-down-payment part (Veterans United survey, 2025).
- In 2025, roughly 70% of VA purchase loans closed with zero down (NewDayUSA, 2026) — proof the benefit works as advertised.
- The first-use VA funding fee on a zero-down purchase is 2.15% and can be financed; veterans with a service-connected disability rating are exempt (VA.gov, 2026).
- The VA appraisal protects you: it sets value and checks the home against the VA’s Minimum Property Requirements.
What is a VA loan, and who qualifies in Georgia?
A VA loan is a mortgage made by a regular lender and backed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which is what lets eligible buyers purchase a primary home with no down payment and no private mortgage insurance (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2026). Eligibility comes from your service — active-duty members, veterans, National Guard, Reserves, and many surviving spouses can qualify. The benefit travels with you, so it works the same whether you’re buying in Hinesville, Richmond Hill, or Savannah.
It’s not just a benefit on paper, either. In 2025, about 7 in 10 VA purchase loans closed with zero down (NewDayUSA, VA Loan Statistics, 2026). Most buyers who use it really do put nothing down.
Step 1: Get your Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
Start with your Certificate of Eligibility — it confirms to a lender that you qualify for the VA home loan benefit (VA.gov, 2026). You have three ways to get one: have your lender pull it through the VA’s Web LGY system (fastest, and what we usually recommend), request it yourself online at VA.gov, or mail in VA Form 26-1880. In a lot of cases the VA already has enough on file to issue it instantly.
Your COE also shows your entitlement — the portion of the loan the VA backs. If you’ve used a VA loan before and since sold the home, you can often restore full entitlement and use the benefit again. Don’t assume one use is all you get.
Step 2: Get pre-approved (and choose the right lender)
Next, get pre-approved so you know your real budget and your rate before you fall for a house. A lender will check your income, credit, and debts, then issue a pre-approval letter that tells sellers you’re serious. In a balanced market like coastal Georgia’s right now, a clean pre-approval is a genuine edge.
Here’s where I’ll be blunt, veteran to veteran: not every company with “veteran” or “military” in its name is veteran-owned, and rates and fees vary a lot from one VA lender to the next. The benefit is identical no matter who funds it — what changes is the rate, the lender fees, and how well they actually understand a VA file. So shop it.
Our take: Compare the fees and the rate, not the logo. Get two or three quotes on the same day (rates move daily) and line up the lender credits and origination charges side by side. We work regularly with a veteran-friendly lender we trust, and we’ll still tell you to get a second quote. A good lender welcomes that.
Step 3: Find a VA-savvy agent and start house-hunting
Now pair up with an agent who actually works VA contracts — it matters more than buyers expect. A VA loan realtor in Georgia knows how to write your offer so the appraisal timeline and any seller-paid costs are handled correctly, and how to set expectations with a listing agent who may be wary of VA financing for no good reason. Part of our job is making your offer look every bit as strong as a conventional one, because it is.
From there, house-hunting works like any other purchase: tour homes inside your commute and school zones, weigh new construction against resale, and lean on local knowledge. If you’re relocating, we run live video tours and same-day walkthroughs so you can shop from anywhere — see our PCS guide to moving to Fort Stewart.
Step 4: Understand the VA appraisal and Minimum Property Requirements
Once your offer is accepted, your lender orders a VA appraisal — and it does two jobs at once. It sets the home’s value for the loan, and it checks the property against the VA’s Minimum Property Requirements (MPRs): the home must be safe, structurally sound, and sanitary, primarily residential, and have proper access (VA.gov, 2026). Think working systems, a sound roof, no glaring safety or health hazards.
People sometimes treat the VA appraisal as a hurdle. I see it as a free layer of protection — it’s the VA looking out for you so you don’t close on a home with hidden problems.
Our take: A VA appraisal is not a home inspection — always get your own inspection too. When an MPR issue pops up (chipping paint, a deck rail, a water heater), it’s usually fixable. We negotiate those repairs with the seller before closing all the time; it rarely kills a deal when you have an agent who’s seen it before.
Step 5: Know the funding fee — and whether you’re exempt
Most VA buyers pay a one-time funding fee instead of monthly mortgage insurance, and on a first-use, zero-down purchase that fee is 2.15% of the loan amount (VA.gov, 2026). The good news: you can roll it into the loan rather than pay it in cash at closing, so it doesn’t have to add to your out-of-pocket.
And many buyers don’t pay it at all. Veterans receiving VA compensation for a service-connected disability are exempt from the funding fee, along with certain Purple Heart recipients and qualifying surviving spouses (VA.gov, 2026). If you have a rating, make sure your lender applies the exemption — it’s real money.
Step 6: Close on your home
Final stretch. Your lender finishes underwriting, you review your closing disclosure, you do a final walkthrough, and you sign. Most Georgia closings run 30 to 45 days from accepted offer. Because there’s no down payment and the funding fee can be financed, many VA buyers come to the table with only closing costs — and those can often be covered by seller concessions or lender credits you negotiated up front.
Then you get the keys. That’s the whole point.
Ready to use the benefit you earned? Tell us where you’re buying and we’ll connect the dots — COE, lender, and a plan to close. Get in touch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need zero down for a VA loan in Georgia?
Yes — with full entitlement, eligible buyers purchase a primary home with no down payment and no PMI (VA.gov, 2026). In 2025, about 70% of VA purchase loans closed with zero down (NewDayUSA, 2026). The benefit is the same in Hinesville, Richmond Hill, or Savannah.
How do I get my Certificate of Eligibility?
Three ways: have your lender pull it through the VA’s Web LGY system (usually fastest), request it yourself online at VA.gov, or mail VA Form 26-1880 (VA.gov, 2026). The COE confirms your eligibility and shows your entitlement, which can be restored if you’ve used a VA loan before.
How much is the VA funding fee, and can it be waived?
On a first-use, zero-down purchase the funding fee is 2.15% of the loan and can be financed (VA.gov, 2026). Veterans receiving compensation for a service-connected disability are exempt, as are certain Purple Heart recipients and qualifying surviving spouses.
How do I pick the right VA lender?
Compare the rate and the lender fees on the same day, not the company’s name — not every “veteran” lender is veteran-owned, and pricing varies widely. Get two or three quotes and line them up side by side. Our in-house lender, Michael, is veteran-friendly, and we still encourage a second quote.
The bottom line
The VA loan isn’t complicated once you see it as six steps: COE, pre-approval, the right agent, the appraisal, the funding fee, and closing. Use the benefit you earned, shop your lender on the numbers instead of the name, and treat the VA appraisal as protection rather than a hurdle. If you’re a first-time buyer in Georgia or weighing communities like Hinesville and Richmond Hill, we’ll meet you where you are. When you’re ready, reach out — helping veterans get their keys is the part of this job we’re proudest of.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “VA-backed purchase loan,” retrieved 2026-06-05, https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans/loan-types/purchase-loan/
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “How to request a VA home loan Certificate of Eligibility (COE),” retrieved 2026-06-05, https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans/how-to-request-coe/
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “VA funding fee and loan closing costs,” retrieved 2026-06-05, https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans/funding-fee-and-closing-costs/
- Veterans United (via PRNewswire), “Only Half of Service Members Are Aware VA Loans Require No Down Payment,” 2025, retrieved 2026-06-05, https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/only-half-of-service-members-are-aware-va-loans-require-no-down-payment-302769467.html
- NewDayUSA, “VA Loan Statistics: Where the Program Stands in 2026,” retrieved 2026-06-05, https://www.newdayusa.com/learn/va-loan-statistics-2026-by-the-numbers