The Quick Read: The clock runs on the loan you are paying off, not the new one. A lender finds the first payment due date on that old loan, adds 210 days, and confirms six consecutive on-time payments. Both tests must pass before the new loan’s note date. The later of the two dates sets your earliest closing.
Key Takeaways
- Seasoning is the age of the existing VA loan being refinanced.
- The 210 days count from the old loan’s first payment due date. They do not count from its closing date or from your application date.
- Six payments must be made in full, in the month each is due, across six successive months.
- A VA-to-VA cash-out gets the test. A payoff of an FHA, conventional, or USDA loan does not get the federal VA version.
- Once a loan is seasoned, a later late payment does not reset it.
What Seasoning Means (and Why It Exists)
Seasoning is the waiting period a loan must serve before you can refinance it. For a VA cash-out refinance, it protects veterans from being rolled into one refinance after another. It also gives the lender a real payment history to look at.
VA cash-out estimate
Seeded with an example value, a typical balance, and a round cash request at the first-use fee; change any field.
Editable benchmark: 7.32% as of October 22, 2026 · Freddie Mac 30-year average via FRED®. A conventional market reference, not a VA cash-out refinance quote.
Illustrative starting assumptions: a $350,000 home value, a $193,000 current balance, the full-value VA cap with the first-use funding fee financed, a thirty-year term at the current Freddie Mac benchmark, and property taxes and insurance estimated at typical national rates. 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 cash-out refinance quote; a VA loan is priced by the lender at lock. The total loan, funding fee included, is capped at the program leverage on the reasonable value; the fee follows the tier chosen. The cash available is what the cap allows less the balances paid off and the fee, before closing costs, which are not included. The HELOC line is the line program’s combined loan-to-value ceiling applied to the same value and balance. Taxes and insurance are editable estimates. The debt-to-income figure is a guideline; residual income decides a VA file. Licensed in sixteen states for consumer mortgages.
Picture a veteran who buys a home with a VA loan. A few months later a lender offers to pull cash out. Without a waiting period, that could repeat every few months, with costs added each time. The waiting period slows that cycle down.
The rule is not complicated, but people miscount it all the time. The mistakes usually come from using the wrong start date.
Which Refinances Get the Test
The test is tied to what you are paying off. It follows the old loan, not the new one.
| Loan being paid off | Does the VA seasoning test apply? |
|---|---|
| Existing VA loan (VA-to-VA cash-out) | Yes |
| VA loan, streamline (IRRRL) | Yes, same 210-day and six-payment test |
| FHA, USDA, or conventional loan | Not the federal VA test |
| Other liens of record | Not the federal VA test |
If you are paying off a non-VA loan, some lenders still add their own waiting rules. Those are lender overlays, meaning extra conditions on top of the federal rule. Ask which ones apply to your file.
The Lendmire VA cash-out refinance program page covers the broader loan.
How a Lender Counts the Two Clocks, Step by Step
Here is how a lender works through it. Nothing is hidden.
1. Identify the loan being paid off. If it is a VA loan, seasoning applies. If it is another loan type, the VA test does not.
2. Find the first payment due date on the old note. This is the date the first payment was due, not the closing date.
3. Add 210 days to that date. This is your day-count mark.
4. Count the payments. The lender confirms six full payments, each made in its own month, across six successive months.
5. Take the later of the two dates. The new loan’s note date must land on or after it.
6. Certify and close. The lender certifies the count when requesting the VA loan guaranty certificate.
Why the later date? Because both tests must pass on their own. Six payments do not shorten the 210 days. Waiting 210 days does not excuse a gap in payments.
Across the wholesale programs Lendmire places VA files with, the most common surprise is a start date counted from the wrong event. People count from closing. The count starts at the first payment due date, which usually falls a month or two after closing.
What “consecutive” really means
The VA Lenders Handbook (Pamphlet 26-7), Chapter 6 says six individual payments must be made in full, in the month each is due, across six successive months. It gives an example of a borrower who paid quarterly. That borrower did not meet the requirement, even though payments were applied in six separate months.
So paying ahead does not help. Neither does a lump sum. The history has to show one payment per month, month after month.
Worked Example: Purchase Loan to First Cash-Out
These dates are modeled for illustration, not tied to any real file. Suppose your VA purchase loan closed on March 8. Your first payment was due May 1.
- Day-count mark: 210 days after May 1 is November 27.
- Payment-count mark: Payments due May 1 through October 1 make six. The sixth lands in October.
- Later date: November 27.
The new note date has to be November 27 or later. Planning around the later date, not the earlier one, is how a closing avoids a failed or delayed settlement.
The handbook uses almost the same pattern in its own worked example, so this is the standard calendar logic.
Worked Example: Cash-Out to Cash-Out
This is the case most pages skip. Say you already did one VA cash-out and now want a second.
The loan being paid off is now the cash-out loan. It is a new VA loan with its own note and its own first payment due date. The dates from your original purchase loan do not carry over. The definition of seasoning is the age of the existing VA loan being refinanced, and that loan is the cash-out.
Here is a modeled timeline. Your first cash-out loan has a first payment due on September 1.
- Day-count mark: 210 days after September 1 is March 30.
- Payment-count mark: Six payments run September 1 through February 1.
- Later date: March 30.
So the second cash-out cannot close with a note date earlier than March 30. Starting a new loan restarts the clock. That is one reason to think about the whole sequence before taking cash out at all.
A second cash-out also brings a different funding fee tier. Across the programs Lendmire works with, the VA cash-out funding fee is 2.15% on first use and 3.3% after, and exempt veterans pay none. The fee can be financed, subject to lender guidelines.
Type I and Type II Cash-Outs
VA splits cash-outs into two types, and it helps to know which one you are in.
| Item | Type I | Type II |
|---|---|---|
| New loan amount, including funding fee | At or below the payoff | Above the payoff |
| Seasoning applies VA-to-VA | Yes | Yes |
| Fee recoupment test | Yes, VA-to-VA | No |
| Count wording to rely on | First payment due date, consecutive payments | Confirm with lender |
VA’s Circular 26-19-05 says seasoning applies to both types. Some third-party sites claim Type II counts differently. VA’s own text does not confirm that. Treat the Type I wording as the safe standard, and ask your lender how it counts a Type II file.
Recoupment is a separate test from seasoning. It asks whether the costs of the refinance get paid back by the savings. Per the handbook, it applies to VA-to-VA Type I loans only.
Late, Missed, or Early Payments
Payment history is where files get stuck. Here is how common situations play out.
| What happened | Effect on the count |
|---|---|
| A payment was missed before seasoning | Breaks “consecutive”; earliest date moves back |
| A payment was late before seasoning | Same risk; the lender reviews the history |
| Payments were made quarterly | Does not meet the requirement |
| Extra principal paid early | Does not shorten the clock |
| A payment was missed after seasoning | Does not reset the loan |
The handbook says that once a loan is seasoned, it does not need to be re-seasoned after a later delinquency. That is a real relief. Still, a recent late payment can matter to the lender’s credit review, which is a separate question from seasoning.
If you missed a payment early in the loan, ask your lender exactly which payments it will count. Do not guess.
How the Lender Proves the Count
The lender checks the servicer’s payment history or a credit supplement. It does not take your word for it. Then it certifies, when requesting the loan guaranty certificate, that six or more consecutive payments have been made on the loan being refinanced.
That certification is why closing dates matter. A lender cannot certify seasoning that has not happened yet. If your date slips past a deadline, the closing moves too.
Why Websites Disagree
Search for this topic and you will find conflicting answers. Some say VA cash-out has no seasoning at all. Some call it a lender preference. Neither matches VA’s own material.
VBA Circular 26-19-22 states that the updated seasoning guidance applies to all VA refinance loans, including IRRRLs and cash-outs. Circular 26-19-05 says seasoning applies to cash-outs that refinance a VA-guaranteed loan. Congress also told VA to define seasoning for cash-outs when it passed the 2018 law, as the Federal Register notice on revisions to VA cash-out refinance loans explains.
So the federal rule exists for VA-to-VA. Where lenders differ is the overlay layer: extra conditions some lenders add on top. A useful question is, “Which part of your requirement is VA’s and which part is yours?”
The IRRRL Contrast
An IRRRL is VA’s streamline refinance. It uses the same 210-day and six-payment seasoning test. It adds a rate-reduction test and a net tangible benefit requirement, and it carries a 0.5% funding fee unless exempt. The general rule is that it cannot give you cash proceeds. If your goal is cash, an IRRRL does not get you there. Lendmire’s piece How a VA Lender Counts Cash Out Requested on an IRRRL covers that edge case.
Timing Beyond the Calendar
Seasoning is only one gate. Passing it does not mean the loan is approved. Other items run alongside it, all subject to lender guidelines and full file review.
- Net tangible benefit. The refinance must give you a real financial benefit, and the lender must show it. The test list in 38 CFR 36.4306 includes a shorter term, removing mortgage insurance, and converting an adjustable loan to a fixed one.
- Loan amount. The VA cash-out reaches 100% of the appraised value, including the financed funding fee.
- Credit and income. Residual income is the controlling test. Wholesale programs start at a 580 decision score, though some lenders set a higher floor.
- Entitlement. Your certificate of eligibility decides what you have available.
A cash-out replaces your entire mortgage. The interest rate, term, and monthly payment all change. A Type II loan raises your balance. Think about whether the cash is worth that change before you chase a date. VA does not limit how you use cash proceeds, but the lender still has to see a benefit.
Pre-Application Checklist
Before you apply, ask your lender these questions.
- Is the loan I am paying off a VA loan?
- What is the first payment due date on that note?
- What date does your count give me for the 210 days?
- Which six payments are you counting, and are they all in successive months?
- Is this a Type I or Type II cash-out?
- Do you add any overlay beyond the federal seasoning rule?
- What note date should I plan around?
Write the answers down. If the lender’s count differs from yours, find out why.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the 210-day count start at closing?
No. It starts at the first payment due date on the loan being refinanced. That date usually falls a month or two after closing, so counting from closing makes you think you are eligible too early.
Do I need both 210 days and six payments?
Yes. VA’s handbook requires both, and the later date controls. Six on-time payments do not make up for a short day count, and 210 days do not make up for a gap in payments.
If I miss a payment after my loan is seasoned, does it reset?
No. The handbook says a seasoned loan does not need to be re-seasoned after a later delinquency. A missed payment before seasoning is different, because it breaks the consecutive chain. Either way, a late payment can still affect the lender’s credit review.
Does seasoning apply if I am paying off an FHA or conventional loan?
The federal VA seasoning test does not apply when the loan being refinanced is not a VA loan. Some lenders set their own ownership or payment-history rules. Ask which, if any, apply.
Can I do a second VA cash-out right after the first?
Only after the first cash-out loan seasons. That loan has its own first payment due date, so the 210 days and six payments start over. Other tests, such as net tangible benefit, apply too.
A Next Step
If you are weighing a cash-out refinance against keeping the loan you have, Lendmire can help you compare the programs and the equity each one reaches. Lendmire is a mortgage broker, so it arranges VA loans through wholesale lenders and does not lend directly. Every figure here is subject to lender guidelines and full file review, and nothing here is a commitment to lend.
For your own numbers, request a scenario review with Lendmire.
About Lendmire
As a mortgage broker (NMLS# 2371349), Lendmire helps homeowners and home buyers in 16 states with FHA, VA, conventional and jumbo purchase and refinance loans arranged through wholesale lenders. Lendmire is never the lender; program terms are set by the lender and the agency guidelines. Scotsman Guide named Lendmire a Top Mortgage Workplace in both 2025 and 2026.
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References
1. VA Lenders Handbook (Pamphlet 26-7), Chapter 6: Refinancing Loans
3. Federal Register: Loan Guaranty: Revisions to VA-Guaranteed or Insured Cash-Out Home Refinance Loans
This article is part of Lendmire’s VA cash-out refinance program — full qualification details, guidelines, and scenarios live on the program page.
Related reading: How a VA Cash-Out Refinance Counts Home Equity and the Value Cap · Can a VA Cash-Out Refinance Pull Out All Your Equity? · How a VA Lender Sequences VA Cash-Out Refinance Approval
Brandon Miller
Founder & CEO, Mortgage Loan Originator, Lendmire LLC
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Compliance and disclosures. Lendmire (NMLS# 2371349) is a licensed mortgage broker and is not a direct lender, depository institution, financial advisor, or tax professional. Content in this article is general market analysis and educational information — not financial, legal, or tax advice for any specific situation. Lendmire does not guarantee loan approval; every transaction is subject to underwriting by the funding lender. Mortgage pricing and loan program guidelines are subject to change at any time without notice and vary by borrower characteristics, property type, and state regulations. Lendmire complies with Equal Housing Opportunity. Licensure verification: NMLS Consumer Access.