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About Veterans United Home Loans
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Veterans United Home Loans (NMLS #1907) is a mortgage lender headquartered in Columbia, Missouri, that specializes in VA purchase loans and refinancing. It has closed more VA home purchase loans by volume than any other lender for six years running (as of October 2021), according to federal lending statistics.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Specializes in VA loan programs
- Available nationwide
- Highly informative website
Cons
- Not useful for other kinds of loans
Bottom Line
Veterans United provides a variety of VA loans. Because of this, its rates tend to be lower than national averages for other types of purchase loans. Veterans United doesn’t serve everyone, though, so your first step should be making sure you’re eligible for VA loan programs.
Top Veterans United Home Loans Reviews
To be able to win a bid on a home, close, and move into it in less than 3 weeks is unbelievable. Veterans United helped with so much along the way, especially since I’m a first ti...
Read full reviewThird time buying a home with VU. Another great experience! My loan team worked with us to ensure we not only met our closing date but closed 9 days early! Communication was great...
Read full reviewRates
Most VA loans are backed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which allows lenders to offer lower rates than they otherwise would. Since 2019, Veterans United’s average home purchase rates have been consistently lower than the national average (0.15% lower in 2021). Just remember that rates vary, and your financial situation will affect what rates you qualify for.
Veterans United average home purchase rate vs. national average
| Year | Difference from national average |
|---|---|
| 2021 | -0.15% |
| 2020 | -0.15% |
| 2019 | -0.08% |
Application process
You can apply for a mortgage from Veterans United online, in person or by phone, but the first step in getting a VA loan is making sure that you meet the eligibility criteria from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
From there, you can get preapproved for a loan through Veterans United. Your process from here on out will vary depending on whether you’re buying a home or refinancing, but your loan officer should be able to guide you to closing.
Multiple reviews on our site say the process is extremely easy and the team is very helpful. David, a ConsumerAffairs reviewer from Ozark, Alabama, had this to say about their experience:
“Their website was absolutely filled with all the information you will need to understand the process of obtaining a loan for your new home. Our loan specialist would respond to any text, call or email anytime to answer any question or concerns we had. He worked hard to get us the lowest rate possible.”
Veterans United application features
| Features | Availability |
|---|---|
| Online application | |
| Mobile document upload | Undisclosed |
| Physical branches | 26 |
| Publishes minimum rate on website | |
| Rate lock | Undisclosed |
| Pre-qualification (no hard credit pull) | X |
| Certified approval letter |
Loan types
Veterans United provides VA purchase loans, VA streamline refinancing (interest rate reduction refinance loans or “IRRRLs”) and VA cash-out refinancing.
The Veterans United website also says the company offers other financing options for homebuyers, like USDA loans, FHA loans and traditional mortgages. However, it’s not transparent about the details of these loans — they might be handled by the lender’s partners rather than Veterans United itself.
Loan applications for home purchases only by year
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home purchase applications | 114,936 | 98,470 | 76,632 |
| Home purchase loans closed | 77,371 | 66,954 | 52,371 |
| Home purchase applications denied | 8,076 | 7,405 | 6,119 |
| Home purchase preapprovals denied | 42 | 57 | 72 |
Refinancing
Veterans United mostly focuses on VA purchase loans. However, in 2020, more of its loans were for refinancing than the previous year, likely due to the historically low interest rates during the pandemic. When interest rates are low, refinancing becomes a more attractive option since it can save many borrowers thousands of dollars over the course of their loans.
Veterans United’s VA IRRRLs generally require less paperwork to complete and are faster than conventional refinances. They also come with fewer out-of-pocket costs. On the other hand, a VA cash-out refi lets borrowers access their homes’ equity to pay for other expenses.
Home purchase vs. refinance loans by year
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home purchase loans | 71.82% | 71.13% | 78.79% |
| Refinance loans | 19.7% | 23.88% | 13.12% |
| Cash-out refinance | 8.48% | 5% | 8.08% |
Requirements
Not everyone is eligible for VA loans. To get a VA loan from Veterans United, you need to:
- Meet eligibility requirements from the Department of Veterans Affairs
- Have a valid Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
- Satisfy the lender’s own requirements for borrowers
According to Veterans United, you may be eligible for a VA loan if you meet one or more of the following criteria:
- You served 90 consecutive days of active service during wartime.
- You served 181 days of active service during peacetime.
- You have six years of service in the National Guard or Reserves.
- You are the spouse of a service member who has died in the line of duty or as a result of a service-related disability.
If you don’t meet these minimum service requirements, you may still be eligible, though. (The VA’s criteria are more nuanced than the above guidelines provided by Veterans United.) One of the company’s home loan specialists can help you navigate your options.
You also have to meet Veterans United’s mortgage loan requirements, which affect how much mortgage you can afford. Veterans United doesn’t specifically state its own lending criteria, but it does provide general guidelines for meeting other VA lenders’ requirements. Notably, it recommends borrowers to have a credit score of at least 620, which is higher than industry norms.
If you’re also considering other types of loans, check out our guides on mortgage lenders, FHA lenders and USDA lenders to learn more about their requirements.
Cost and fees
VA loans tend to be more affordable than traditional mortgages because they generally don’t require down payments.
VA loans also don’t require private mortgage insurance (PMI), which can lower your total closing costs and monthly payments. (Conventional mortgages generally require this insurance until the homeowner has built up 20% equity.) However, Veterans United does charge other traditional mortgage fees, like application and origination fees.
With Veterans United, you’ll also have to pay a one-time VA funding fee unless you’re exempt. This fee ranges from 0.5% to 3.6% of your home’s purchase price, depending on the type of loan you need and if you've used a VA loan before. The average veteran pays a 2.3% funding fee the first time they use a VA home loan.
FAQ
Is there a minimum credit score requirement?
Yes. A credit score of 620 is typically required.
Does Veterans United have an office in my area?
Veterans United has offices in 21 states, but the company services loans in all 50 states. Veterans United offers online services for people living in areas without a local office.
You can find Veterans United branches in the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington.
What is the maximum loan I can get with Veterans United?
Veterans United offers VA loans and VA jumbo loans. Borrowers can secure loans up to $1.5 million through Veterans United.
Can I get a home equity loan with Veterans United?
Veterans United does not offer home equity loans or HELOCs, but you can refinance your loan with Veterans United.
Veterans United Home Loans Reviews
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During the pandemic I began the process of buying a home. To no fault of ours I was listed deceased by the credit bureaus. It took months to have this corrected and during this time I worked with a different mortgage company that obviously didn’t have my best interest at hand. My daughter worked double time to have the bureaus correct my information. She then found Veteran’s United and EVERYTHING turned around! I really can’t stress enough how wonderful OUR TEAM is. With Clayton and Bethany we were viewed as family and they literally walked us through the process hand in hand!!! It literally took 3 days to find out forever home and the process went like a charm.
Of course we had bumps in the road and initial closing date pushed back BUT GOD and OUR TEAM came through and showed out!!! To close on our FOREVER HOME and move in was a fairytale in the making! My wife passed January 2020 and I knew she wanted me to be happy. I know and believe this because the home VETERANS UNITED helped me purchase is literally across the street from a house numbered **. When I met my wife we purchased and lived in our home at ** for over 50 years! Did I also mention our first day in our new home a golden butterfly landed on the porch and rested for 5 minutes. My grandfather was able to capture the video and this confirms new beginnings and blessings. Thank you VETERANS UNITED!!!!
Amazing informative team who have helped me secure a home loan even when I never thought it be possible. I had a lot going on in my life in the last few years almost dying with brain abscesses, a bitter long divorce, and custody issues with my ex. I found that after the divorce the home I lived in was awarded to my ex wife. With little money, and not sure if I would ever have the chance of home ownership again the folks at Veterans United talked me through the process and gave me a shot at being a homeowner again. I just closed on my house. Things are looking up for my future. I have to give a huge shout out to Julia ** of the Veterans United team. She walked me through the process and kept in touch the entire time.
It was an amazing experience. Can't give everyone on the team enough praise. It was all worth it in the end. Not hard to do at all, they broke everything down simple for me. When I had questions they really helped me out. Huge shout out to them and their team. Thank you all again for the chance at Home Ownership. I appreciate you all and everything you did to help me out. I rave to all the other vets I see about you all. I will always refer them your way if they are in the market to buy a home. You all are rock stars. Thank you again and again.
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Wow where to begin. My Wife and I never thought we would get to this point of our lives. When my wife and I married never in our wildest dreams did we think we would own a home. We would sit down every week and struggle with what bill to pay, how much could we spend on groceries for the month. I can't explain the sheer fear we had together day in and day out wonder if we would own a home. My wife and I would for years flip through Trulia, Zillow and all the other home selling websites that exist dreaming of the day we would honestly be able to buy a home for our family. We finally sat down and put pen to paper and said this is our goal. We have 5 years to save up money and get a home. We started to put extra time in at work and putting money aside praying one day that the home we dreamed about would actually exist.
Fast forward 6 years later through stress, hard nights thinking it would never happen and we just signed our paperwork on our new home and My wife and I have nothing but absolutely gratefulness for the Veterans United Family that has been so wonderful to us. We sit now in our new home though very empty still. We dream about what furniture will go where. What color we will paint the walls and look around the house and think about all the memories we will create in this home and none of this would have been possible without Veterans United. Again thank you so much for everything again.
RespectfullyThe **
Omg, you kidding me? You're the highest score they have. You are A number 1. Have your boss call me. I have the best Luck being all **. Happy Saint Patrick's Day!I've worked with 10Ks Of people. And you're so professional about your passion for people and families you serve. You earned it working with me. You truly are the best at your job. You close Real Estate deals. And you're very good at it. Talk about 1 1/2Years working on this and you never gave up on me. He will always get my business and yes I will tell ten friends. To contract with you. I've already sent a fireman referral to you. I'll send others.
I'm a member at Madeira Beach American Legion top five legions in the nation on the ocean front I will put up a poster for members. I'm close friends with a current State Republican Representative, State Legislature aid, and the Mayor of Madeira Beach. Volunteered for the campaign the past year for door knocks On hundreds of homes for General elections in past November for current State Representative, who won. And of course I bought a home from Steve. He is the best. I'll see you soon for new business. It's just I bought a home with Steve and Veterans United yesterday. 1 mile from the beach in Clearwater Florida. It don't get better that for a 20 year Navy Veteran. Remember Keep the sun in your face and the wind behind you. Smooth sailing and until we meet again. Mark **. PS I do have a LinkedIn account for campaigning. Take a look. Thanks Steve!!!
When I decided on Veterans United Home Loan and started the online paperwork, I was able to have a phone call with my loan officer and home buying concierge that same day, with pre-approval letter coming in just a few hours. Once we were under contract, my team took excellent care of us and kept us informed every step of the way. We received emails every time something was added to our To Do list with brief explanations on how to complete each step. The digital signatures were very easy to use and it was by far the best user experience I have had where the technology is concerned.
Our loan officer, Kollin **, was stellar. He seemed like he really cared and even put in after hours work with us to ensure we were able to close on time. He was very transparent and personable, which is not how I would have thought to describe a loan officer prior to working with him. Once we were clear to close, the team worked to send a mobile notary out to us in order to for us to sign as we were not in person at the time of closing. We also had a great experience with our concierge, Nate, who basically took on a huge chunk of our non-loan To Do list items like home security quotes, utility info, and moving quotes. Everyone I interacted with throughout the whole process was fantastic, if I ever need to refinance or purchase a new home again I will use them in the future.
They worked with us to ensure everything was done on time so we could get the loan approved and meet our closing deadline of approximately 3 weeks. I would highly recommend Veterans United to any veterans looking to purchase a home.
VA home loan team was great and made the process easier than I expected. I love my first home and would recommend it to any veteran! From the first contact to meeting my agent l, it became a smooth process. The loan officer and concierge were there at all times to help and answer all my concerns. Real estate agent did an amazing job building rapport and creating a well planned out list of showings. Thank you!
The overall team we dealt with were great. Very easy to set up and get information we needed. Only area I would say to improve were last few things prior to closing, like ordering and paying for the appraisal. It was not clear that we had to pay and initiate that process.
My experience with V.U was unmatched & I pray that your experience with them is as great as mine was! I think they are especially good with first timers! Having a whole team dedicated to you feels like a VIP treatment and they are always ready to answer any concerns you have step by step!
From beginning to end the home loan process was smooth and straightforward. The online tools were easy to utilize during the application and underwriting process. Our loan officer, Casey **, and others were consistent and timely with their follow-ups to any questions and keeping us informed.
- Sources
- ConsumerAffairs writers primarily rely on government data, industry experts and original research from other reputable publications to inform their work. To learn more about the content on our site, visit our FAQ page. Specific sources for this article include:
- Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), “HMDA Dataset Filtering.” Accessed September 15, 2022.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Lender Statistics.” Accessed August 30, 2022.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Eligibility requirements for VA home loan programs.” Accessed August 30, 2022.
Veterans United Home Loans Company Information
- Company Name:
- Veterans United
- Website:
- www.veteransunited.com
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