{"id":23511,"date":"2018-09-13T20:12:06","date_gmt":"2018-09-13T20:12:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/09\/13\/using-a-va-loan-here-are-7-questions-to-ask-your-lender\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:44:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:44:17","slug":"using-a-va-loan-here-are-7-questions-to-ask-your-lender","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/home-hq\/2018\/09\/13\/using-a-va-loan-here-are-7-questions-to-ask-your-lender\/","title":{"rendered":"Using a VA loan? Here are 7 questions to ask your lender"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You don\u2019t buy a home every day. For that, count yourself lucky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But because you don\u2019t, it\u2019s easy to miss a couple of questions when you are \u201cinterviewing\u201d your prospective loan<\/a> officer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember, this is going to be one of the biggest purchases you\u2019ll ever make. Getting it right can be easy if you know the right questions to ask. Here are seven, with some guidance on what the answers should be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. How many <\/b>VA home loans<\/b><\/a> do you, personally, close each month?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my experience, a good loan officer will close at least five VA purchase loans every month. This number could fluctuate a bit by region<\/a> \u2014 areas with very few veterans may offer limited opportunities for VA loans \u2014 but experience closing these loans is critical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. What is the average time it takes to close on a home, from contract to closing date, with your company?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In competitive markets, the average time is 30 days or less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. What do you charge for the VA origination fee?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The maximum charge is 1 percent, but some lenders may charge less.<\/p>\n\n\n\t