If you have served in the military, a VA loan is a benefit you earned, and it can be used to buy a home in Exton. The Department of Veterans Affairs backs part of each loan with a guaranty, which lets private lenders offer flexible terms to eligible borrowers. Your eligibility depends on your service record and is confirmed through a Certificate of Eligibility before a lender in Pennsylvania moves forward.
Call to speak with a licensed loan officer about VA loans in Exton. Programs vary by borrower, property and investor.
Veterans and VA lending in Exton
About 194 veterans live in Exton, 3.7% of the adult civilian population. VA-guaranteed loans accounted for 2% of 2024 originations in Chester County (256 loans).
How the VA Guaranty and Entitlement Work
Entitlement is the heart of the VA program. It reflects how much of a loan the VA is willing to back on your behalf, and it appears on your Certificate of Eligibility. Veterans with full entitlement have the most flexibility, while those who still have an active VA loan or lost entitlement in a past foreclosure may have less.
Entitlement can be restored after you sell a home and pay off its VA loan, and a one-time restoration may be possible if you paid off the loan but kept the property. These rules are detailed, so ask a loan officer who handles VA files regularly to read your certificate with you before you start touring homes.
Start your application in a few minutes. A licensed loan officer reviews it and follows up with your options.
- Takes a few minutes
- Reviewed by a licensed loan officer
- No obligation to proceed
Prefer to talk first? Call (888) 912-6746. Applying is not a loan approval or commitment to lend; programs vary by borrower, property and investor. ClearPoint Mortgage Advisors, NMLS #173855. Properties in FL, NY, NJ, PA, CT and VA only.
Who May Be Eligible for a VA Loan in Exton
VA eligibility is based on service. Active-duty service members, veterans with qualifying discharges, and members of the National Guard and Reserves who meet service requirements may be eligible. Certain surviving spouses of service members who died in service or from a service-connected disability may qualify as well.
Meeting service requirements is only the first step. The lender still reviews your credit, income and residual income, which is the money left over each month after major expenses. VA loans are for homes you will occupy, though a spouse may satisfy occupancy while an active-duty borrower is deployed. Every loan is subject to credit approval.
Who this tends to fit
- You plan to build a new home and want to ask about VA construction financing
- You serve or served in the National Guard or Reserves
- You receive VA disability compensation and may be exempt from the funding fee
- You are a veteran who has not used the home loan benefit in years
- You want financing without monthly mortgage insurance
Local offices and Pennsylvania rules to know
Pennsylvania's state housing finance agency is Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA). Its homebuyer programs include HFA Preferred (Lo MI), Keystone Home Loan Program, Keystone Government Loan Program. These programs work through participating lenders and have their own eligibility rules. See our Pennsylvania first-time buyer programs guide.
The Funding Fee and the VA Appraisal
Most VA borrowers pay a one-time funding fee that helps keep the program running for future veterans. The fee depends on factors like whether this is your first use of the benefit and how much cash you put toward the purchase, and it can usually be financed into the loan. Veterans receiving VA compensation for a service-connected disability, and certain others, are exempt.
The VA appraisal is ordered through the VA system and assigned to an independent appraiser. Along with value, it checks the home against VA minimum property requirements, such as safe utilities, a sound roof and adequate access. If the value comes in low, a reconsideration of value process is available.
Before you call
- Your DD-214 or a statement of service from your command
- Your report date if you are relocating on PCS orders
- Your VA disability award letter if you may be exempt from the funding fee
- Recent pay stubs, Leave and Earnings Statements or retirement income letters
- A household budget, since VA underwriting weighs residual income
Questions Exton borrowers ask about VA loans
What if the VA appraisal comes in below the price?
If the appraised value is lower than the contract price, you have choices. You can request a reconsideration of value with supporting sales data, renegotiate with the seller, or cover the difference with your own funds. VA purchase contracts include an escape clause that lets you walk away without losing your earnest money in that situation. Ask your agent to explain how the clause works before you sign.
What is a VA IRRRL?
An Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan, or IRRRL, is a streamlined way to refinance an existing VA loan into a new VA loan. It often requires less paperwork than a standard refinance, and an appraisal may not be needed. The new loan must provide a net tangible benefit to you, such as a lower monthly payment or a move from an adjustable to a fixed rate. Approval depends on lender guidelines and payment history.
Can a surviving spouse use a VA loan?
Some can. Surviving spouses of service members who died in service or from a service-connected disability, and certain spouses of service members missing in action or held as prisoners of war, may be eligible. Remarriage rules apply and depend on age and timing. Surviving spouses typically apply for a COE through the VA with supporting documents, and a loan officer familiar with these files can help.
Can I build a home with a VA loan?
VA construction loans exist, but fewer lenders offer them because building adds risk and paperwork. The builder usually needs a VA builder ID, and the finished home must meet VA requirements. Some borrowers use a separate construction loan and then refinance into a VA loan once the home is complete. Ask lenders directly whether they handle VA construction and what documents they require from you and the builder.
Get answers about VA loans for a home in or around Exton. Subject to credit approval; programs vary.
Other loan options in Exton
LendersCompaniesBrokersHome loansRefinanceCash-out refinanceHELOCHome equity loanFHAFirst-time buyerUSDAJumboReverse mortgageConstructionRenovation
VA Loans near Exton
- VA Loans in Lionville, PA (2 mi)
- VA Loans in Downingtown, PA (4 mi)
- VA Loans in West Chester, PA (5 mi)
- VA Loans in Paoli, PA (7 mi)
- VA Loans in Phoenixville, PA (9 mi)
- VA Loans in Coatesville, PA (11 mi)
- VA Loans in Audubon, PA (13 mi)
- VA Loans in Kennett Square, PA (14 mi)
Related guides
- VA Construction Loans: Building a Home With a VA-Backed Loan
- How Mortgage Preapproval Works
- Documents Needed for a Mortgage
VA Loans across Pennsylvania · VA Loans guide · Pennsylvania overview
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates
- 2024 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data for Chester County