Current VA guidelines, updated from one source.
What follows is VA’s own rulebook reduced to the handful of numbers that decide a file, pulled from Lendmire’s single guideline source and refreshed on this page whenever VA or the wholesale overlays move: leverage with full entitlement, the funding fee by use and down payment, the ratio guideline, and the residual-income table for this state’s VA region.
100% financing with full entitlement
0% down is the program’s defining term: a buyer with full entitlement finances up to 100% of the lesser of price and value, the guaranty replaces the down payment, and the funding fee can be added on top of the loan rather than paid in cash.
No monthly premium, no upfront premium
There is no monthly mortgage insurance and no upfront premium on a VA loan at any leverage; the guaranty does the work that private mortgage insurance or FHA’s premiums do elsewhere, and the funding fee is the only program charge.
First use; 3.3% after first use; exempt for many disabled veterans
2.15% of the loan on first use and 3.3% after, both lower with five or ten percent down; the fee can be rolled into the loan or paid at closing, and VA waives it for disabled veterans receiving compensation, eligible surviving spouses, and Purple Heart recipients.
Residual income decides the file
The ratio guideline is 41%; the deciding figure is residual income, VA’s measure of what the household keeps each month after the housing payment, debts, taxes, and maintenance. The West table below applies to Washington, and the calculator estimates a rough residual from the income you enter.
| Loan type | Use | Down payment | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase or construction | First use | less than 5% down | 2.15% |
| Purchase or construction | First use | 5% to 9.99% down | 1.5% |
| Purchase or construction | First use | 10% or more down | 1.25% |
| Purchase or construction | After first use | less than 5% down | 3.3% |
| Purchase or construction | After first use | 5% to 9.99% down | 1.5% |
| Purchase or construction | After first use | 10% or more down | 1.25% |
| Cash-out refinance | First use | Any | 2.15% |
| Cash-out refinance | After first use | Any | 3.3% |
| Irrrl | Any | Any | 0.5% |
| Manufactured home (not permanently affixed) | Any | Any | 1% |
| Loan assumption | Any | Any | 0.5% |
| Vendee loan | Any | Any | 2.25% |
| Family size | Residual income |
|---|---|
| 1 | $491 |
| 2 | $823 |
| 3 | $990 |
| 4 | $1,117 |
| 5 | $1,158 |
| Each additional member, up to seven | + $80 |
Exempt from the funding fee: veterans receiving VA compensation for a service-connected disability, those eligible for it but receiving retirement or active-duty pay instead, surviving spouses receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, service members with a pre-discharge claim rating, and active-duty service members who have received the Purple Heart. VA sets no minimum credit score; the wholesale programs behind these pages start at a 580 decision score and serve loan amounts up to $4,000,000, including loans above the conforming limit with full entitlement.
Refinances: cash-out to 100% loan-to-value after seasoning of 210 days and six payments with a net tangible benefit; rate-reduction refinances of an existing VA loan at a 0.5% fee without a VA appraisal. Current VA snapshot · updated October 1, 2026 · owner-occupied principal residences, one to four units · no VA loan limit with full entitlement · loans are assumable · no prepayment penalty · Lendmire is not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Not a commitment to lend, not an offer of credit, not a quote. The figures shown are current VA program parameters and wholesale overlays that change without notice and apply only after full underwriting of the borrower, the entitlement, and the property; the wholesale credit floor and maximum loan amount are lender overlays, not VA rules. Lendmire is a mortgage broker licensed in sixteen states for consumer mortgages, never the lender, and is not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs. NMLS #2371349.
What a VA loan is — and how the file is qualified.
To follow a Washington VA file, follow four things in order: the guaranty, the eligibility and entitlement that unlock it, the funding fee that funds it, and the residual-income standard that qualifies it. Each rule below comes with the reason behind it.
For the program overview, see Lendmire’s VA loan program; to confirm eligibility or request a Certificate of Eligibility, see VA.gov.
The guaranty replaces the down payment
The guaranty is a promise from VA to the lender, not a loan from VA. On a Washington file it covers a share of any loss, so the lender can lend the full appraised value without a down payment and without charging for mortgage insurance; the funding fee is what the borrower pays for that promise.
Eligibility, entitlement, and the COE
The Certificate of Eligibility is the document that opens the file. It states the entitlement available, whether the funding fee is waived, and any prior use of the benefit. A Washington lender can usually pull it within the VA system from a DD-214 or a statement of service, and VA.gov issues it directly as well.
The funding fee, and who is exempt
The funding fee is VA’s one-time charge for the guaranty, set as a share of the loan by whether the benefit has been used before and by the down payment. A Washington buyer can finance it into the loan or pay it at closing, and the seller can pay it as part of concessions; the ladder in the snapshot shows every tier.
Residual income over ratios
Two tests run on every Washington VA file: the total-debt ratio against VA’s guideline, and residual income against the regional table. The second decides the close calls. Income must be stable and expected to continue, and the lender documents it the same way it would on any mortgage.
A lender runs exactly this math on a Washington file, with one refinement the page cannot make: underwriting also subtracts taxes, maintenance, and utilities before measuring residual income, so the rough residual here will read higher than the lender’s. The price, the fee tier, and the locked rate are the moving parts.
Where Washington’s veterans and service members buy — and how VA fits.
Residual income is tested against a real payment on a real price, and the price depends on where in Washington the home sits. These Census figures describe the state as a whole and the markets Lendmire tracks within it.
Statewide figures provide general market context, not an appraisal or an income calculation. Income is the residual-income input, value is the loan and the fee, and family size is the row in VA’s table. The Census describes the first two for the market; the file supplies all three for the borrower.
Data sources: U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year (2024) housing and population estimates, including tenure, home values, gross rents, and household income.
Where Washington’s veterans buy — market by market.
Six Washington markets, six local guides. What stays constant is VA’s structure; what changes is the price a nothing-down loan has to carry and the property types the appraiser sees most.
Seattle
Seattle’s owner households run near 158,945, about 44% of households; a metropolitan market this large gives veterans and service members a steady supply of homes the guaranty can carry with nothing down. Census context: median value near $938,600, median household income near $123,860, population near 754K.
Spokane
Spokane’s owner households run near 57,325, about 59% of households; a metropolitan market this large gives veterans and service members a steady supply of homes the guaranty can carry with nothing down. Census context: median value near $363,500, median household income near $70,064, population near 230K.
Tacoma
Among Lendmire’s Washington markets, Tacoma has one of the deepest pools of owner households, close to 51,893, about 56% of households, and in a metropolitan market of that size the VA benefit closes purchases at every price the appraisal supports. Census context: median value near $479,600, median household income near $85,884, population near 223K.
Vancouver
Among Lendmire’s Washington markets, Vancouver has one of the deepest pools of owner households, close to 41,385, about 51% of households, and in a metropolitan market of that size the VA benefit closes purchases at every price the appraisal supports. Census context: median value near $462,400, median household income near $81,338, population near 195K.
Bellevue
Bellevue’s owner households run near 32,234, about 52% of households; a metropolitan market this large gives veterans and service members a steady supply of homes the guaranty can carry with nothing down. Census context: median value near $1,340,300, median household income near $165,576, population near 152K.
Kent
Among Lendmire’s Washington markets, Kent has one of the deepest pools of owner households, close to 26,961, about 57% of households, and in a metropolitan market of that size the VA benefit closes purchases at every price the appraisal supports. Census context: median value near $587,800, median household income near $92,302, population near 136K.
No Washington market has its own VA rules. The guaranty, the funding fee table and its exemptions, the ratio guideline, the residual-income table for the state’s VA region, the occupancy rule, and the property requirements apply identically everywhere; only the county conforming figure differs, and it matters only when entitlement is partly in use.
Four ways Washington veterans put the VA benefit to work.
Washington veterans use VA for a handful of reasons that repeat: the purchase with nothing down, the move above the conforming limit without a jumbo down payment, the cash-out refinance at the program’s leverage, and the rate-reduction refinance of an existing VA loan.
Buy a first home with nothing down
A Washington buyer with the income for the payment but not the cash for a down payment uses VA to purchase with nothing down, finances the funding fee, and keeps the savings for moving costs, reserves, and the first repairs on the home.
Buy a condominium in an approved project
One extra step separates a Washington condominium file from a house file: the project review against VA’s list. Once the project clears, the leverage, the fee, and the absence of mortgage insurance are exactly what they would be on a house.
Take cash out of a home with equity
Cash-out on VA is a full refinance of the first mortgage at the leverage in the snapshot, after the later of the seasoning period or the required payments, with the funding fee at the cash-out tier. A Washington owner weighs it against a home equity line, which keeps the existing first mortgage in place.
Refinance an existing VA loan
The rate-reduction refinance is the simplest shape in the program: a reduced funding fee, no VA appraisal in most cases, and the existing VA loan’s record as the main test. Many Washington veterans use it when the market moves in their favor.
Estimate the VA payment on a Washington price before requesting a quote.
Before you ask for a quote, size the payment yourself: the Washington price, the fee tier, the term, the benchmark rate, and the escrows go in, and the funding fee table and the residual-income figures come from the same guideline source as the block above. The result is an estimate, and the rate is a published market average, not an offer.
Washington VA payment estimate
Seeded at Washington’s median value with no down payment; every field updates the result as you type.
Editable benchmark: 7.03% as of September 24, 2026 · Freddie Mac 30-year average via FRED®. A conventional market reference, not a VA loan quote.
Illustrative starting assumptions: a $565,000 price near Washington’s median owner-occupied home value, no down payment with full entitlement, a first-use funding fee financed into the loan, a thirty-year term at the current Freddie Mac benchmark, property taxes and insurance estimated for Washington (U.S. Census Bureau). Every field is editable.
Illustrative estimate only — not a Loan Estimate, approval, quote, or commitment to lend. The rate field carries the weekly Freddie Mac thirty-year conventional benchmark, a market reference and not a VA loan quote; your rate is set by the lender at lock. The funding fee follows VA’s published table for the use and down payment entered; the residual-income figure is VA’s guideline for the region and family size, and the rough residual shown subtracts only the housing payment and the debts entered, while VA also deducts taxes, maintenance and utilities. Taxes, insurance and dues are editable estimates; closing costs are not included. Licensed in sixteen states for consumer mortgages. Lendmire is not affiliated with or acting on behalf of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Same veteran, three very different closings.
Choosing among VA, FHA, and conventional in Washington is really choosing an insurance structure and a down payment at the same time. Each is laid out below with the buyer it fits.
VA, FHA, or conventional.
VA fits nearly every Washington buyer who holds eligibility: the leverage is complete, there is no insurance line in the payment, and the fee is paid once. Partial entitlement, a property that fails VA’s standards, or a fee tier that outweighs a short hold are the cases where another program competes.
Where VA charges a one-time fee, FHA charges a premium every month and an upfront premium at closing. FHA fits the buyer with no entitlement or a property VA will not approve; it rarely wins for a Washington buyer who holds a COE. See Lendmire’s FHA loan program.
Conventional is the comparison for a veteran with savings: with twenty percent down there is no mortgage insurance and no funding fee, and the payment can beat VA with a financed fee. Below that down payment, VA usually wins for a Washington buyer. See Lendmire’s conventional loan program.
Where each one fits: VA for the eligible buyer who wants no down payment and no mortgage insurance; FHA for the buyer without eligibility who needs the small investment and the forgiving score; conventional for the buyer with twenty percent down or a strong score who wants cancellable insurance.
What to prepare for a Washington scenario review.
What a lender reads on a Washington VA loan, and what you can have ready before anyone asks.
This is a general preparation guide, not a universal checklist. The selected lender may request additional information based on the transaction, the property, entitlement, and the income picture. Nothing here is legal or tax advice.
Local details that can change the loan.
When a Washington VA file surprises someone, the cause is usually one of these: entitlement partly in use, a higher fee tier than expected, required repairs from the appraisal, a condominium without VA approval, or residual income below the table.
Use these checks to keep the Washington file clean and fundable.
Before asking for a quote, know three answers: is entitlement full, does the fee apply and at what tier, and does the property fit VA’s standards at that price.
- Confirm the entitlement: an earlier VA loan still outstanding leaves remaining entitlement and may call for a down payment.
- Know the fee: disabled veterans receiving compensation and the other exempt groups pay no fee.
- Check the project: the lender checks the list before the appraisal is ordered.
Full or remaining entitlement
Two veterans, two COEs, two different loans: one with full entitlement buys above the conforming limit with nothing down, the other with an earlier loan still open brings a down payment on the uncovered portion. A Washington loan officer reads the certificate before anything is sized.
The funding fee tier and the exemptions
Financed, the fee raises the loan balance and the payment; paid at closing, it raises the cash to close; paid by the seller, it counts toward the concessions cap. Which is best on a Washington file depends on the tier and on how long the home will be kept, and the loan officer shows all three ways side by side.
Condominium project approval
Of every property question on a VA file, project approval is the one that can end a Washington condominium purchase outright. Have the lender check VA’s list before paying for the appraisal, and ask how long an approval would take if the project is missing.
Residual income and the ratio guideline
Residual income is measured after the housing payment, other debts, taxes, and VA’s allowance for maintenance and utilities, against a table by region and family size. A Washington household must meet the figure for its size, and a ratio above VA’s guideline needs residual income well above the table or a documented justification.
Assumption and release of liability
Years after closing, the assumption clause can matter more than the rate: a Washington buyer may take over the loan with the lender’s approval. The original veteran should ask for a release of liability and, where the buyer is also a veteran, a substitution of entitlement.
From a Washington Certificate of Eligibility to keys in hand.
A VA purchase runs in a fixed order: certificate and pre-approval on income and residual income, contract and VA appraisal with the Notice of Value, underwriting with the fee tier confirmed, and closing with the fee financed, paid, or waived for exempt borrowers. Here is that order for a Washington buyer.
COE and pre-approval
A Washington pre-approval is a sizing exercise: the certificate, the income, the family size, the funding fee tier, and the price. The loan officer confirms eligibility and entitlement against the program rules and puts the pre-approval in writing for the offer.
Contract and appraisal
The appraisal is the VA step that surprises buyers most: it reports on condition as well as value, and a low value opens VA’s reconsideration process before the figure is final. Required repairs are negotiated with the seller, and the Washington contract is adjusted or released under the escape clause.
Underwriting
The file is scored by the automated system or underwritten manually, with income, assets, credit, and residual income documented. Seasoning after a credit event is confirmed from the discharge or transfer papers, the funding fee tier is confirmed from the COE, and the ratio is measured against VA’s guideline.
Closing
Closing is where the fee becomes real: financed into the total loan or paid at the table, with the seller’s concessions applied and the fees a veteran may not pay removed from the sheet. The Washington buyer takes the keys and VA backs the lender.
A brokerage that puts the benefit to work.
A single lender recommends its own program; a brokerage with several wholesale programs and all three routes can say which one actually costs a Washington veteran less, and show the arithmetic.
Three programs, one set of numbers
Before any recommendation, VA, FHA, and conventional are run on the same Washington price, income, and down payment. The buyer sees the payment, the insurance or fee line, and the cash to close for each, and the choice follows the figures.
The fee and the entitlement explained before the offer
The fee is the program’s cost and the entitlement is its reach, and Lendmire explains both first rather than last: how much the fee is, whether it is waived or refundable, and what the certificate supports for a Washington buyer at the price in hand.
Licensed, consumer-purpose, in writing
What this page shows are VA’s parameters and the wholesale overlays; what a specific Washington loan gets is a written set of terms from a licensed loan officer after the review. Lendmire is a broker, never the lender, and has no affiliation with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Trusted by veterans & families alike.
Washington VA loan FAQs
What a VA loan is, who is eligible, how the certificate works, what the funding fee costs, and how the loan limit works, answered for Washington buyers.
What is a VA loan, and who is it for?
Think of it as a conventional mortgage with VA standing where the down payment would stand. The guaranty costs a one-time funding fee, and it buys no down payment, no mortgage insurance, and underwriting that reads the household budget. Owner-occupied homes only, up to four units.
Who is eligible for a VA loan in Washington?
Service decides it: a minimum period of active duty, a qualifying period in the Guard or Reserve, or eligible surviving-spouse status, with a character of discharge VA accepts. A Washington buyer unsure of the answer can request the certificate from VA.gov or have the lender pull it.
How do I get a Certificate of Eligibility?
Online at VA.gov, through the lender, or by mail. Have the service documents ready: the DD-214 for a veteran, a statement of service for a service member, Guard or Reserve records, or the spouse’s documentation. Some certificates issue instantly and some need VA to review the record.
What is the VA funding fee, and do I have to pay it?
A one-time charge VA collects to fund the guaranty, set as a share of the loan by first or subsequent use and by the down payment, as the snapshot ladder shows. It can be financed into the loan, paid at closing, or paid by the seller. Veterans receiving compensation for a service-connected disability, surviving spouses receiving DIC, Purple Heart recipients on active duty, and service members rated before discharge are exempt.
Is there a VA loan limit in Washington?
There is no VA loan limit for a veteran with full entitlement; the lender’s own maximum loan amount, shown in the snapshot, is the practical ceiling. A Washington buyer with remaining entitlement should ask a loan officer how the county figure affects the file.
How does a VA refinance work?
VA refinances come in two shapes, and the funding fee applies to each unless the veteran is exempt. A Washington owner with an existing VA loan usually starts with the IRRRL; an owner taking cash out needs the seasoning period and the program’s cash-out leverage.
What debt-to-income ratio does VA allow?
The ratio in the snapshot, with residual income as the deciding test. A Washington household above the ratio needs residual income well above the table for its size and region; a household under it still has to meet the table.
Can I use a VA loan to buy a condominium?
In a VA-approved project. A Washington buyer under contract on a condominium should have the lender check the status early, because a project that is not approved must go through VA’s review before the loan can close.
Can the seller pay my closing costs on a VA loan?
They can, and a Washington VA purchase can close with the seller paying most of the costs. The cap applies to concessions rather than to ordinary closing costs, and the veteran is protected from certain fees regardless.
Do I have to live in the home to use a VA loan?
You do, within a reasonable time after closing. The rule has sensible exceptions for military life, and it does not prevent a Washington veteran from renting the home out after living in it; the loan stays in place.
Run the Washington VA numbers, then get the terms in writing.
Begin with a scenario review: the Certificate of Eligibility, the price, the income, and the household size. A licensed Lendmire loan officer runs VA beside FHA and conventional on the same numbers and puts the terms in writing.
This guide covers Washington — for the program overview, see Lendmire’s VA loan program.
All Washington city guides (6): Bellevue · Kent · Seattle · Spokane · Tacoma · Vancouver
Related programs: Conventional Loans · FHA Loans · Jumbo Loans