What Every Veteran Should Know About the VA Home Loan: Straight Answers From the VA’s Patrick Zondervan

There are more than 19 million veterans in this country, and Patrick Zondervan wants every one of them who is thinking about buying a home to come to the table informed.

Zondervan is the Executive Director of Loan Guaranty Service at the VA, the office behind the VA home loan program. He spent more than 25 years at the VA, served in the Army before that, and carries a VA home loan himself. 

On this episode of Homeownership Heroes, he joined hosts Bryan Bergjans and Rick Bettencourt, who bring more than 40 combined years in the mortgage industry, for a conversation built on one idea: you earned one of the best benefits in the country. You shouldn’t have to figure it out on your own.

Here is what veterans, service members, and the professionals who serve them should take from it.

“Am I eligible for a VA home loan?” Answer that question first.

That’s the #1 question most veterans ask. And that’s often followed by another round of questions:

• How many years do I have to serve? 
• Do National Guard and Reserve members qualify? 
• Can surviving spouses use the benefit? 
• How do I get my Certificate of Eligibility?

In this podcast episode, Rick shares a story where he recently had to tell 3 service members in a single month that they were not eligible for the benefit. One had served 1 year, 11 months, and 16 days. 

A lender had already told him he was approved for a VA loan without ever verifying eligibility or asking about his service history and character of discharge. He was under contract and had to move into a conventional loan instead.

The lesson: confirm your eligibility before you fall in love with a house. And here is a myth worth clearing up while you’re at it. The VA does not require a minimum credit score. It evaluates residual income, though individual lenders can apply their own credit standards.

Get your Certificate of Eligibility before you start shopping

Your COE is the document that proves your eligibility to a lender. Since March 1, veterans who use the VA health and benefits app have been able to pull their COE straight from their phones, and thousands did within days of the change. You can also request it at va.gov, which walks you through every step for each VA benefit.

If your COE doesn’t appear in the app, that doesn’t automatically mean you aren’t eligible. It just means the paperwork needs a closer look.

Walking in the door with your COE in hand removes one of the most common points of failure in the entire process.

How to choose a realtor who knows the VA home loan

Educate yourself first, then interview the realtor. If you understand the benefit, you’ll recognize a good answer when you hear one. Ask pointed questions. 

• How many VA home loans have you closed? 
• Have you worked with buyers on PCS moves? 
• What have you heard about VA loans
• How do you feel about them compared to conventional financing?

The bottom line is veterans need an advocate, not a salesperson. A great agent also learns the local details, like state property tax exemptions for disabled veterans.

A VA appraisal is not a home inspection

This is one of the most common myths. A VA appraisal establishes the value of the property and confirms the home is safe, structurally sound, and sanitary. It does not test the heating system, the roof, or the plumbing the way an inspection does.

So get the independent home inspection. The VA is the only federal agency that publishes its appraisal turn times, currently averaging just over 7 days. And the VA updated its minimum property requirements this year, eliminating 5 of them, including peeling paint on homes built after 1978 and missing handrails. 

If an agent is still repeating appraisal horror stories from a decade ago, they are working with old information.

Your fixed-rate mortgage payment can still go up

Escrow generates more calls than any other VA home loan topic, and Patrick named it as the thing he most wants veterans to understand before they buy.

Your principal and interest are fixed. Your property taxes and homeowners insurance are not. If those are escrowed into your payment, your monthly amount will adjust every year, and over 5 years those adjustments add up. Budget with room to absorb them, because not everybody gets a raise every year.

One more detail that trips up veterans with a 100% service-connected disability: property tax exemptions vary by state, and some states require annual renewal. Miss the renewal and the full tax bill goes to your servicer, which pushes your escrow payment up until it is corrected. Staying current on that paperwork is the homeowner’s responsibility, not the servicer’s.

If money gets tight, call the VA early: 877-827-3702

Life happens. People get sick, lose jobs, deal with the unexpected. When it does, call your servicer first, and if you can’t get past the front line of customer service, call the VA directly at 877-827-3702.

Do not wait until you are 90 days behind. The VA is automatically notified once a loan reaches 61 days past due and will reach out to offer help, but the earlier you call, the more options you have and the more of your credit you protect. The VA sits between veterans and servicers, makes sure every available option is presented, and steps in when a servicer isn’t responsive.

The results speak for themselves. Out of more than 4 million active VA loans representing over $1 trillion, fewer than 1% end in foreclosure, in large part because the VA works with veterans and servicers to find solutions that keep veterans in their homes.

How the new VA partial claim program works

The partial claim is the newest option in the VA’s loss mitigation lineup, and Patrick walked through exactly how it works.

If a veteran falls a few months behind and other tools like special forbearance or restructuring don’t fit the situation, a partial claim may. The veteran first completes a trial payment plan: 3 on-time monthly payments at the regular amount, proving they are ready to resume paying. The VA then purchases the missed payments. That amount attaches to the loan interest-free, sits at the back end, and comes due when the home is sold, the loan is refinanced, or the mortgage is paid off.

The part that matters most in this market: the veteran keeps their existing interest rate. Someone sitting at 2.5% doesn’t have to refinance into today’s higher rates just to catch up. For veterans who meet the criteria and can resume their payments, it is a way to get back on track without giving up the loan they already have.

What agents and loan officers should know about VA lending

Roughly 500,000 VA loans were originated in fiscal year 2025, and the federal government guarantees 25% of the loan. VA loans carry the lowest default rate of any government loan program, and the portfolio performs on par with conventional. Lenders also get real support: WebLGY, the lender’s handbook, monthly training calls, industry toolkits, and a team that mediates when a borrower struggles.

Bryan added the data point he shares in every room he speaks to: today’s veteran is a strong, conventional-caliber borrower who often chooses 100% financing strategically, keeping cash liquid instead of tying it up in a down payment. The VA lender scorecard shows it year after year.

Listen to the full conversation

There is more in the episode, including Patrick’s push to educate veterans directly, the VA’s plan to combat decades-old myths, and what he learned in his first year leading Loan Guaranty Service.

Watch the full episode of Homeownership Heroes on YouTube, or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

We can help military and veteran families have access, clarity, and a fair opportunity to achieve homeownership.

Get in touch with us here if you are looking for more assistance with a VA home loan.

Homeownership Heroes is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.