How Many Days a VA Loan Purchase Takes and Where the Appraisal Fits

The Quick Read: No federal rule sets a total number of days for a VA purchase. The length depends on how fast the appraisal comes back, how complete the file is, and how many conditions pop up before closing. The appraisal is the biggest swing factor, and one federal clock, the three-business-day Closing Disclosure wait, sets a floor at the end.

What Does “Days” Actually Mean on a VA Purchase?

It depends on where you start the clock. Some people count from the signed contract. Others count from preapproval. Others count from the first application. That is why articles online give conflicting ranges.

No primary VA source publishes a current average for days to close, so this article does not hand you one. Treat any single number you see with suspicion unless it says where the clock starts and stops.

The practical way to think about it: the purchase has six moving parts. Each has an owner, and each can add or save time.

How the Loan Is Underwritten, Step by Step

Across the wholesale programs Lendmire places VA files with, the sequence is consistent. The details below reflect how these files move.

1. Contract and application. You sign the purchase contract and apply. The lender issues a Loan Estimate and starts collecting income, credit, and asset documents. Your certificate of eligibility (COE) comes from VA, and the file needs it.

2. Appraisal request. The lender asks VA for an appraisal. VA assigns the appraiser from its panel, so neither you, your agent, nor the lender picks one. That is a common surprise.

3. Inspection and report. The appraiser visits, then uploads the report. A VA staff reviewer or the lender’s own approved reviewer desk-reviews it.

4. Notice of Value (NOV). The NOV is the official value the loan is based on. The appraiser’s opinion is reviewed first, so the appraiser does not have the final say.

5. Underwriting. This runs alongside the appraisal, not after it. The underwriter reviews credit and income. On VA files, residual income is the controlling test. The 41% debt-to-income figure is a guideline, not a cap. A ratio above it needs residual income well above the table. Subject to lender guidelines and full file review.

6. Closing Disclosure, then the wait. Clear to close does not mean closing tomorrow. The Closing Disclosure has to be in your hands first.

Underwriting conditions are where files stall. Missing pay stubs, an unexplained deposit, or a repair that was never completed are the usual culprits. Clean documentation up front removes preventable gaps.

Where the Appraisal Fits

The appraisal is mandatory on a VA purchase, according to the VA Buyer’s Guide. It does two jobs. A VA-approved appraiser checks that the home meets minimum property requirements and gives an opinion of value, as VA explains for home buyers.

It is not a home inspection. VA says so directly. A third-party inspection is optional, but a good idea, because the appraisal will not catch everything a buyer would want to know.

Appraisal speed is measured against the local conventional market. The VA Lenders Handbook sets timeliness guidelines in Chapter 11, which a VA regional loan center guide summarizes this way: fee appraisers should finish VA assignments as promptly as conventional ones in the same area. An exception needs documented extenuating circumstances. So a busy rural area or a heavy moving season can stretch the wait, and that is why one national number does not exist.

Some lenders are approved to review appraisals and set reasonable value themselves. That can help the file move. But extra lender-side reviews are lender practice, not a VA rule, and they can add time too.

Three Paths: Clean, Repairs, Low Value

The appraisal can send a file down one of three paths. Each moves the calendar differently.

Clean path. The home meets the property requirements, and the value supports the price. The NOV arrives, underwriting finishes, and the deal works toward the Closing Disclosure.

Repairs path. Required repairs usually have to be finished before closing. VA’s materials note that if a home fails a minimum property requirement, a waiver can be discussed with the lender. Contractor availability and a re-inspection are what add days here.

Low value path. The value comes in under the price. VA describes the buyer’s options as a Reconsideration of Value with valid sales data, renegotiating the price, or paying the difference at closing. You can also walk if your contract allows it.

What Happens If the Appraisal Comes in Low?

It is not the end of the deal. VA has built-in steps for this.

• Before the NOV. If the appraiser expects a value below the price, they notify the requester, and the parties get a short window to submit comparable sales data. This is called the Tidewater process. It shares market data only. It does not instruct the appraiser to hit a set number.
• After the NOV. You can request a Reconsideration of Value (ROV) with better comparable sales. VA staff review it, and a field review may follow.
• Renegotiate. Ask the seller to lower the price to the value.
• Pay the gap. The no-down-payment structure holds only if the price is not above the appraised value. If you cover the difference in cash, the cash needed at closing goes up.

VA calls its tools (ROV, Tidewater, and others) unique to the VA program, per its lender toolkit. Several details of how these steps are timed come from secondary summaries of the Handbook, so confirm specifics with your loan officer rather than counting on a figure.

The Closing Disclosure Wait

This is the one hard clock. Under the CFPB’s TRID rules, the Closing Disclosure must reach you no later than three business days before closing, per the CFPB’s TRID FAQs.

A corrected Closing Disclosure restarts that wait only in three situations: the APR becomes inaccurate, the loan product changes, or a prepayment penalty is added, as the CFPB explains. Most other changes can be fixed with a corrected disclosure at or before closing. A late product change is the one to avoid, because it pushes your move-out and lock dates.

Where the General Rules Break

A few edge cases change the picture.

• Condos. The project generally has to be on VA’s approved list, or the appraisal cannot be used. Confirm this before you write an offer.
• New construction. VA describes a separate sequence: the appraisal comes after the foundation stage, with re-qualifying and re-appraising where appropriate.
• No site visit. In some circumstances, VA says an appraiser can complete the work without stepping onto the property.
• Refinances. An interest rate reduction refinance generally does not need a VA appraisal, but a cash-out does. That is a refinance question, not a purchase one. For that, see Lendmire’s piece How Many Weeks a VA Cash-Out Takes and What Slows It.
• Appraisal validity. How long an appraisal stays valid can vary, so ask your loan officer for the current window instead of assuming one.

Common Misconceptions

“The appraisal is an inspection.” It is not. It checks property requirements and value.

“The lender picks the appraiser.” VA assigns one from its panel.

“VA loans always close much slower.” A 2018 Army Times report quoted a VA official calling that a myth, and industry data at the time showed only a small gap. Those are old figures, so use them as context, not a current average. Today’s timeline depends on appraisal turnaround, file completeness, and conditions.

“A low appraisal kills the deal.” Not necessarily. There are four routes forward.

“Clear to close means closing tomorrow.” The Closing Disclosure wait still applies.

What the Borrower’s Decision Looks Like

Buying with a VA loan is a calendar problem as much as a money problem. A few decisions matter.

Set the contract dates with room. Build space for the appraisal, a possible ROV, repairs, and the Closing Disclosure wait. A closing date set too tight can force an extension, and sellers dislike extensions.

Know your cash exposure. The loan can reach 100% financing with no mortgage insurance, and there is no VA loan limit with full entitlement. With remaining entitlement, a down payment may be required, so speak with a loan officer. The funding fee ranges from 1.25% to 3.3% depending on use and down payment. The fee is waived for veterans receiving compensation for a service-connected disability and for other exempt groups.

Keep the file clean. Respond to underwriting conditions the same day when you can. The wholesale programs Lendmire works with generally start at a 580 decision score and serve amounts to $4,000,000 with full entitlement, subject to lender guidelines.

Plan for the gap. If value falls short, decide ahead of time whether you would pay the difference, renegotiate, or walk.

For a seller who worries a VA buyer is a risk, the honest answer is this: the appraisal is the only extra step, and the contract can be written to give it room. Lendmire’s piece How Many Weeks a Jumbo Loan Purchase Takes and What Slows It shows how another program handles a similar appraisal-driven sequence.

Key Terms Defined

Certificate of eligibility (COE): The VA document that confirms you qualify for the benefit.

Minimum property requirements: VA’s standards for a home’s safety, soundness, and sanitation.

Notice of Value (NOV): The official value document the loan is based on.

Reconsideration of Value (ROV): A request to review the value using better comparable sales.

Tidewater process: A pre-NOV window to share comparable sales data when a low value is expected.

Residual income: The money left each month after major obligations, the controlling test on VA files.

If you are buying a home and want to see whether a VA loan fits your file, Lendmire can help you compare the options and what each one asks of the file. Explore Lendmire’s VA loan programs or call 828-256-2183. Program figures are 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

Lendmire is a mortgage brokerage (NMLS# 2371349) licensed for consumer mortgage lending in 16 states, arranging FHA, VA, conventional and jumbo purchase and refinance loans through a wholesale lending network. Eligibility is determined by the lender on each file. Scotsman Guide named Lendmire a Top Mortgage Workplace in both 2025 and 2026.

References

1. VA Buyer’s Guide

2. VA.gov: Buying a home with a VA-backed loan

3. VA Regional Loan Center fee panel guide

4. VA LGY toolkit for real estate professionals

5. CFPB TRID FAQs (PDF)

6. CFPB – TRID FAQs (web)

7. armytimes.com: Closing Time Report Shows VA Loans Take Longest But Not by Much