What Is a VA Loan? Overview and Example

What Is a VA Loan?

By Kristi Waterworth – Updated Jan 3, 2026 at 6:39 PM EST | Fact-checked by Frank Bass

Key Points

VA mortgages offer zero down payment and no mortgage insurance for eligible veterans.
Interest rates for VA mortgages are typically lower due to government backing.
VA loans require the home to be owner-occupied, limiting use for rentals or flipping.

Many homebuyers are looking for affordable mortgage options, which may steer them to specific products. But if you're a military veteran, you have another option -- a Veterans Affairs (VA) mortgage. VA mortgages are some of the most powerful and affordable options on the market, if you can qualify.

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A military couple is cuddling with their baby in front of a home. — Image source: Getty Images.

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About the Author

Kristi Waterworth has been a contributing real estate and financial expert at The Motley Fool, covering real estate, investing, and personal finance topics, since 2020. Kristi has been interviewed by various TV media outlets and podcasts for her real estate investing expertise – from residential real estate to digital real estate and everything in between. Kristi’s journalist career spans over 25 years, and she has written about real estate investing, homeownership, and home construction specifically for the last decade. She was also previously a licensed Realtor and general building contractor before the Great Recession and housing market collapse. She holds a bachelor’s degree in American history from Columbia College in Missouri.

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