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VA Residual Income Requirements: Tables and How They Work
VA loans use a residual income test in addition to debt-to-income ratio. Here is how the regional tables work, how family size changes the number, and how it interacts with your DTI.
Residual income is what's left in your pocket each month once the mortgage payment, taxes, insurance, other debts, and estimated living costs are covered. VA sets a minimum for that leftover amount based on household size and region, and lenders must confirm you clear it even when your debt-to-income ratio already looks fine. Think of it as a second, VA-specific safety check.
- ✓Residual income is what remains after your proposed housing payment and all recurring debts are subtracted from gross monthly income.
- ✓VA publishes minimum thresholds that vary by loan amount, family size, and region of the country (Northeast, Midwest, South, West).
- ✓A larger family size requires more residual income to meet the minimum.
- ✓Residual income works alongside, not instead of, debt-to-income ratio — VA loans still generally target a 41% DTI benchmark, with flexibility when residual income is strong.
- ✓Falling short of the residual income minimum can require compensating factors or a restructured loan amount.
What this means for you: a VA loan can sometimes approve a higher DTI than FHA or conventional loans because the residual income test independently confirms you can cover real monthly living costs.
Written by
Simply Approved Mortgages Team
Licensed Loan Officers · NMLS# 2620881
Get your personalized scenario summary
Complete the short request and a Simply Approved Mortgages Loan Officer sends back a written summary built from your own numbers: estimated payment breakdown, estimated cash to close, the loan structures that fit your file, and what documentation the file will need.
- Estimated monthly payment with taxes and insurance
- Estimated cash to close for your scenario
- Loan options your profile may fit
- Document checklist for your file
Takes about 3 minutes · Summary shown on screen and emailed to you
Illustration only, generated from the information you enter. Not a rate quote, lock, loan estimate, pre-qualification, offer, approval, or commitment to lend. Figures are subject to credit, income, asset and property review and full lender underwriting; binding numbers appear on your Loan Estimate.
Scenario summary
- Purchase price entered
- $412,000
- Down payment entered
- $20,600
- Estimated loan amount
- $391,400
- Estimated cash to close
- $14,300
- Programs reviewed
- 4
Sample layout with example figures — your own numbers replace these. Simply Approved Mortgages LLC · NMLS #2620881 · Equal Housing Opportunity.
VA Residual Income Calculator
Check your household against the VA minimum
Figures below reference the VA Lenders Handbook (VA Pamphlet 26-7), Chapter 4. Enter your loan amount, region, and family size to see the published minimum, then compare it against your estimated residual income.
VA minimum required
$1,003
South · family of 4
Your estimated residual income
$3,350
Gross income minus taxes, housing, and other debts.
Clears the published VA minimum
Your estimated residual income clears the table minimum for this family size and region. Underwriters still review the full file, including debt-to-income ratio.
Illustrative only, based on published VA Lenders Handbook tables. Actual underwriting also reviews debt-to-income ratio, credit, and compensating factors. This is not a quote, lock, offer, or commitment to lend. Binding figures appear on your Loan Estimate. Simply Approved Mortgages is not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Next steps
Emailing your VA residual income calculator scenario opens our secure request form so a Simply Approved Mortgages Loan Officer can review those numbers. Estimates are illustrative and are not a quote, lock, offer, or commitment to lend.
Assumptions, methodology, and limitations
Compares your entered gross income, estimated taxes, housing payment, and other debts against the published VA Lenders Handbook residual income table for your loan amount, family size, and region.
This is an estimate only. Actual underwriting verifies income and debts from documentation and may apply additional compensating-factor analysis.
Results are illustrative estimates only and are not a quote, lock, offer, or commitment to lend. No rate, APR, or program approval is implied. Binding figures appear on your Loan Estimate. Eligibility, terms, and availability vary by borrower, property, lender, loan program, and state.
Run your scenario with a loan officer
Share your numbers and a Simply Approved Mortgages Loan Officer sends back an estimated payment, estimated cash to close, and the structures that fit your file. Educational only — not a quote, lock, offer, or commitment to lend.
What residual income measures
Take your gross monthly income, subtract the full proposed housing payment (principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and any HOA dues), every recurring debt payment, estimated taxes, and obligations like childcare — what's left is residual income. VA built this test into the program because a debt-to-income ratio by itself can miss whether a household actually has enough left for ordinary living costs such as food, utilities, and transportation.
The regional and family-size structure
VA's residual income tables, published in the VA Lenders Handbook (VA Pamphlet 26-7), break the country into four regions — Northeast, Midwest, South, and West — because cost of living varies. Within each region, the minimum required residual income rises with family size and with loan amount. A family of four in the West needs meaningfully more residual income than a single borrower in the South, reflecting real cost differences.
Lenders count everyone who will live in the home, including dependents, toward family size, not just the borrowers on the loan. This is a frequent point of confusion — a large household can require significantly more residual income even if only one applicant's income and debts are being underwritten.
How residual income interacts with DTI
VA guidance generally references a 41% debt-to-income benchmark, but unlike FHA's or Conventional's harder ceilings, VA allows underwriters to approve loans above that benchmark when residual income is strong and other compensating factors are documented, such as sizable cash reserves, a long history of similar housing payments, or minimal payment shock. Conversely, a borrower with an acceptable DTI can still be declined if residual income falls short, because DTI does not account for family size or regional cost of living the way the residual test does.
In practice, both figures are calculated on every VA file, and an underwriter looks at whichever is more restrictive for your household.
What counts as income and what counts as a debt
Qualifying income generally includes base military or civilian pay, VA disability compensation, retirement income, and other stable, documented income sources. Recurring debts include installment loans, minimum credit card payments, student loan payments (calculated per VA and investor guidance), child support or alimony, and any other long-term obligations. Utility costs, food, and other ordinary living expenses are not listed separately — they are what the residual income figure is meant to represent as a buffer.
Want these numbers built around your file?
A short request is all it takes to get a written scenario summary back from a Simply Approved Mortgages Loan Officer. Binding figures appear on your Loan Estimate.
What happens if you fall short
If your calculated residual income comes in below the required minimum for your family size and region, a lender may look for a shortfall that is small enough to offset with documented compensating factors, suggest a lower loan amount or purchase price, or evaluate whether some proposed debt can be paid off before closing to improve the number. There is no way around the test on a VA loan — it applies regardless of credit score or down payment, since VA loans typically involve no down payment at all.
Why this test exists for VA loans specifically
VA loans allow financing with no down payment for eligible borrowers, which shifts more underwriting weight onto verifying genuine ability to sustain the payment long-term rather than relying on home equity as a cushion. The residual income requirement is one of the core protections VA built into the guaranty program to support sustainable homeownership for service members and veterans.
How a Simply Approved Mortgages Loan Officer helps
Because residual income depends on your exact family size, region, and full debt picture, a Simply Approved Mortgages Loan Officer will run the calculation early in your pre-approval, before you are shopping for homes at a price point that will not clear underwriting. If your number is tight, we will walk through realistic options, including adjusting the loan amount or documenting compensating factors, before you make an offer.
Figures and thresholds discussed on this page are illustrative and not a quote, lock, offer, or commitment to lend. Binding figures appear on your Loan Estimate.
How VA residual income requirements work
VA underwriting relies on residual income — the money left over each month after the mortgage payment and other obligations are paid — as a primary qualifying test, in addition to debt-to-income ratio. These are the rules that govern how it is calculated.
| What it is | How it actually works | Published by |
|---|---|---|
| What residual income measures | It is gross monthly income minus federal and state taxes, the proposed housing payment, other recurring debts, and an allowance for maintenance and utilities, leaving an amount meant to cover food, transportation, medical costs, and other family expenses. | U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Lender’s Handbook (VA Pamphlet 26-7) |
| Tables vary by region and family size | VA publishes minimum residual income tables broken out by loan amount, family size, and geographic region of the country (Northeast, Midwest, South, and West). | U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Lender’s Handbook (VA Pamphlet 26-7) |
| Debt-to-income ratio is a secondary flag, not an automatic disqualifier | VA guidance generally treats a debt-to-income ratio above a stated benchmark as a signal for closer review rather than an automatic decline, provided residual income and compensating factors support the loan. | U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Lender’s Handbook (VA Pamphlet 26-7) |
| Maintenance and utility allowance | A separate allowance for home maintenance and utility costs, calculated as a set amount per square foot of the home, is factored in before residual income is calculated. | U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Lender’s Handbook (VA Pamphlet 26-7) |
| Family size includes all household members | The residual income test counts the borrower, co-borrower, and dependents living in the household, not just the applicants on the loan. | U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Lender’s Handbook (VA Pamphlet 26-7) |
| Compensating factors | Where residual income is only marginally short of the guideline, VA underwriting allows consideration of compensating factors such as significant liquid assets, minimal increase in housing payment, or a strong credit history. | U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Lender’s Handbook (VA Pamphlet 26-7) |
| Applies to both purchase and cash-out refinance underwriting | Residual income analysis is required on VA purchase loans and VA cash-out refinances; IRRRLs use a reduced documentation standard that does not require the full residual income calculation in the same way. | U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Lender’s Handbook (VA Pamphlet 26-7) |
Program parameters above are published by the agencies and enterprises named in the right-hand column and can change. They describe program rules, not an offer; eligibility, terms, conditions, and availability vary by borrower, property, lender, loan program, and state, and all loans are subject to lender underwriting and approval.
Check where pricing sits before you decide
Review current rate context, then start a request so your own credit, income, and property details drive the numbers. Illustrative only — not a quote or commitment to lend.
Why VA uses residual income instead of relying only on debt-to-income ratio
Debt-to-income ratio treats a dollar of income the same everywhere in the country and at every income level, which is precisely where it breaks down: a household earning $9,000 a month with a 45% debt ratio has a very different amount of money left over than a household earning $3,500 a month at the same ratio. VA’s residual income test was designed to catch that gap by looking at what is actually left in dollars, not just the ratio, after the mortgage, other debts, taxes, and a maintenance and utility allowance are subtracted.
That is also why the residual income tables vary by region: cost of living differences across the West, South, Midwest, and Northeast are baked directly into the minimum dollar thresholds VA publishes, rather than leaving the underwriter to estimate regional cost of living case by case.
How the calculation is actually built, step by step
Underwriting starts from gross monthly income, subtracts estimated federal and state income tax withholding, subtracts the proposed total housing payment (principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and any HOA dues or mortgage insurance), subtracts other recurring monthly debts appearing on the credit report, and subtracts the maintenance and utility allowance calculated from the home’s square footage. What remains is compared against the VA minimum for the applicable region and family size. A shortfall does not automatically end the file — underwriters can weigh compensating factors — but a residual income figure that is well below the guideline, with no offsetting factors, is a real obstacle distinct from, and sometimes more restrictive than, the debt-to-income ratio.
Income sources counted (and not counted) in the residual income calculation
The gross income figure feeding the residual income test has to be qualifying income under VA rules.
| Type of income or evidence | How it is documented | Why it works for this product |
|---|---|---|
| Base salary and hourly wages | Paystubs, W-2s, and verification of employment. | Direct, continuing income counted at its gross documented amount. |
| Military allowances (BAH, BAS) | Leave and Earnings Statement. | VA counts these allowances as effective income even though they are non-taxable, which can meaningfully raise both qualifying income and residual income. |
| VA disability compensation | VA award letter. | Counted as stable, tax-free income, which increases residual income relative to an equivalent amount of taxable wages. |
| Self-employment income | Two years of tax returns and a profit-and-loss statement. | Counted at the documented net figure after a trend analysis, not gross business revenue. |
| Overtime, bonus, and commission income | Two-year history through W-2s or paystubs and employer verification. | Counted only where a consistent, likely-to-continue pattern is documented. |
Documentation requirements vary by lender, program, and file. The list above describes what underwriting commonly accepts, not a determination about your income or your approval.
VA residual income versus other qualifying standards
Residual income is distinctive to VA; other loan types generally rely on debt-to-income ratio alone.
| Option | Usually the better choice when | What you give up |
|---|---|---|
| VA residual income test | Household income and family size combination leaves real dollars after obligations, even if the debt ratio looks elevated. | A large family size or high regional threshold can make otherwise-qualifying income insufficient. |
| Conventional debt-to-income ratio | A borrower has a straightforward income and debt profile without VA eligibility. | Does not directly account for regional cost of living or true dollars remaining after debts. |
| FHA debt-to-income with compensating factors | A borrower does not have VA eligibility but has some of the same compensating factors VA would consider. | FHA’s standard is ratio-based rather than a residual dollar-amount test. |
Get a written summary of your options
Tell us the scenario you are working on and a Simply Approved Mortgages Loan Officer reviews it against real program guidelines, with no obligation.
How this applies in Florida and Colorado
Florida. Florida has no state income tax, which increases take-home pay relative to a similar gross income in a state with income tax, and that flows directly into a higher residual income figure for a Florida borrower, all else equal. Florida borrowers should still build accurate housing payment estimates that include property insurance, which can be a larger monthly line item in coastal counties than in much of the rest of the country, since understating it inflates residual income artificially.
Colorado. Colorado has a flat state income tax, which is subtracted in the residual income calculation and slightly reduces take-home pay relative to a no-income-tax state at the same gross income. Colorado borrowers in HOA-heavy Front Range communities or wildfire-interface counties should make sure HOA dues and realistic insurance premiums are reflected in the housing payment used for the calculation, since both directly reduce residual income.
Simply Approved Mortgages LLC arranges residential mortgage loans in Florida and Colorado, so the two applications above are the ones we can act on for a consumer file. Business-purpose loan products may be arranged in additional states only where permitted by applicable law and pursuant to applicable licensing requirements or exemptions.
How VA residual income is calculated during underwriting
The calculation is mechanical but depends on accurate inputs at every step.
- Establish gross qualifying monthly income. Include base pay, allowances, and any other documented qualifying income sources.
- Subtract estimated taxes. Federal and applicable state tax withholding are estimated and subtracted.
- Subtract the proposed total housing payment. Principal, interest, taxes, insurance, HOA dues, and mortgage insurance if applicable.
- Subtract other recurring debts. Installment and revolving debt payments from the credit report.
- Subtract the maintenance and utility allowance. A per-square-foot allowance tied to the home’s size.
- Compare the remainder to the regional table. The result is checked against VA’s minimum for the applicable region and family size.
Mistakes that cost people money on this
- Estimating the housing payment without HOA dues, mortgage insurance, or accurate property insurance, which overstates residual income.
- Forgetting that family size includes all household dependents, not just applicants on the loan.
- Assuming a high debt-to-income ratio automatically disqualifies a file when residual income and compensating factors may still support it.
- Not counting tax-free income sources like BAH or VA disability compensation at their full effective value.
- Using a national average maintenance and utility allowance instead of the correct calculation based on the home’s actual square footage.
- Overlooking regional table differences when comparing a file across two different parts of the country.
Is this the right move for your situation?
The honest answer depends on the file. These are the patterns we see on both sides.
Usually a good fit when
- Your household has real dollars left over each month after taxes, housing, debts, and the maintenance allowance, even if your ratio looks elevated.
- You have documentable compensating factors such as strong reserves or a minimal increase in housing payment.
- Your income includes tax-advantaged sources like BAH or VA disability compensation that a standard ratio-only calculation would undervalue.
Usually not the right move when
- Your household income, once accurately reduced by taxes, housing, and debts, falls meaningfully short of the applicable regional table with no compensating factors.
- Your family size is large relative to your income, pushing the required residual income threshold up.
- You have not documented the income sources being relied on well enough for underwriting to count them.
None of this is a determination about your file. A Simply Approved Mortgages Loan Officer can run your actual numbers and show you what your disclosures would say.
What you can do with this loan
Estimate whether your household will clear VA underwriting before shopping for homes.
Understand why a larger family may need a lower purchase price for the same income.
Identify compensating factors to document if your residual income is tight.
Compare how VA underwriting differs from FHA or Conventional DTI-only review.
Plan debt payoff strategically before applying to improve your residual income number.
Pros & cons — honest tradeoffs
Pros — Pros & cons
- +Can support approval at a higher DTI than FHA or Conventional loans when residual income is strong.
- +Accounts for real household size and regional cost differences, not just a flat ratio.
- +Provides an added underwriting safeguard that can support responsible long-term homeownership.
- +Applies uniformly regardless of down payment, since VA loans typically require none.
- +Transparent published tables mean your Loan Officer can estimate this early.
Cons / watch-outs — Pros & cons
- −A tight residual income figure can limit how much home you can afford, even with strong credit.
- −All dependents in the household count toward family size, which can catch borrowers off guard.
- −Large households in higher cost-of-living regions face notably higher minimums.
- −Falling short may require restructuring the loan amount or documenting compensating factors.
- −The calculation adds complexity compared with a simple DTI-only qualification.
Compare loan officer compensation on your mortgage quote
Loan officer compensation is part of the cost of a mortgage. On eligible residential loans, Simply Approved Mortgages generally uses 1.5% lender-paid compensation. Enter the compensation shown on another lender's Loan Estimate to see the difference in dollars.
Compensation difference on this illustration: $3,750.
How lower compensation can help you
When less compensation is built into pricing, there can be room for a lower interest rate, which may lower your monthly payment.
Depending on the rate you choose, pricing can sometimes include a lender credit toward third-party closing costs, so you may bring less cash to closing.
A lower rate means a lower monthly payment, which can lower your debt-to-income ratio and may help you qualify for more home on the same income.
As a mortgage broker we compare pricing from wholesale lenders instead of offering a single bank’s retail pricing.
Tip: On page 2 of your Loan Estimate, look at Section A, "Origination Charges." If the lender pays the loan officer, that compensation usually does not appear there as its own line; it is built into the interest rate. That is why comparing the rate and any lender credits side by side matters.
Already have a Loan Estimate from another bank or broker? Share it with a Simply Approved Mortgages Loan Officer, who will compare the rate, fees and credits side by side with options we can arrange. No cost to request a review.
Illustration only — not a quote, lock, offer, or commitment to lend; binding figures appear on your Loan Estimate. Lender-paid compensation is paid by the lender, not directly by you, and is part of the loan's pricing, so the loan is not free of costs. A lower compensation figure does not by itself guarantee a lower rate or lower closing costs; individual results vary by credit, loan type, property and market conditions. Residential lending in FL and CO only. Simply Approved Mortgages LLC · NMLS #2620881 · Equal Housing Opportunity.
Worked example
How this loan actually works — a full example
A family of four in the South region is evaluating a VA loan with combined gross monthly income of $7,200, a proposed housing payment of $2,100, and $450 in other monthly debts.
Inputs
- Gross monthly income
- $7,200
- Proposed housing payment
- $2,100
- Other monthly debts
- $450
- Family size
- 4
- Region
- South
Calculation
- 1Estimated taxes and other deductions~$1,300 (illustrative)
- 2Income remaining after taxes~$5,900
- 3Less housing payment and debts- $2,550
- 4Estimated residual income~$3,350
- 5Compare to VA minimum for family of 4, SouthUnderwriter checks published VA table
Illustrative only — not a quote, lock, offer, or commitment to lend. Binding figures appear on your Loan Estimate.
Purchase market update
What buyers should know this month
30-Yr Fixed · national avg
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15-Yr Fixed · national avg
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2026 buying power
Conforming baseline: $832,750
FHA floor / ceiling: $541,287 – $1,249,125
Regional and family-based
VA sets minimum residual income by region of the country and household size.
Works with DTI, not instead of it
Underwriters check both residual income and debt-to-income ratio on every VA file.
No down payment, more scrutiny
Because VA loans often require no down payment, this test verifies ongoing ability to pay.
Cost and payment tools
Run your payment, affordability, closing cost and refinance numbers
Monthly payment, affordability, closing costs, refinance break-even and early payoff, all on one screen. This page is not written for one state, so property tax, insurance and transfer or recording charges start at neutral placeholder assumptions rather than published averages — Transfer, documentary-stamp and recording charges are set by your state and county — enter your own figure, or open the state page for a sourced seed. Insurance and tax assumptions vary widely by state, county and property, so replace these starting values with quotes for your address. Every figure is an illustrative estimate, not a quote, lock, offer, approval, or commitment to lend.
Your inputs
Estimated result
- Down payment
- $20,000
- Loan amount
- $380,000
- Principal & interest
- $2,402
- Property tax
- $333/mo
- Homeowners insurance
- $167/mo
- Estimated total monthly
- $2,902/mo
Reference sources: Tax Foundation — property taxes paid as a percentage of owner-occupied housing value, NAIC — Homeowners Insurance Report, CFPB — Understanding your Loan Estimate.
Assumptions, methodology, and limitations
Principal and interest use the standard amortization formula on the loan amount you enter. This page does not target a single state, so the property tax and insurance fields start at neutral placeholder assumptions rather than published averages — replace them with figures for your own address, or open the matching state page for sourced seeds. Closing costs apply your state's transfer / documentary-stamp practice (0.00% of price used as the buyer-side seed) plus typical title, recording, appraisal, credit and prepaid escrow lines. Refinance break-even divides your entered costs by the monthly payment difference. Early payoff runs a month-by-month amortization with your extra principal.
These tools do not include mortgage insurance, funding or guarantee fees, HOA special assessments, flood or windstorm premiums, seller credits, lender credits, discount points, or county and municipal charges specific to your parcel. Statewide averages will not match any individual property. Figures are estimates only.
Illustrative only. Binding figures appear on your Loan Estimate, and terms vary by borrower, property, lender, program, and state.
Turn these estimates into real numbers
Send your scenario to a Simply Approved Mortgages Loan Officer and get a written summary back, or compare where rates sit today. Educational only — not a quote, lock, offer, approval, or commitment to lend.
VA residual income requirement FAQs
Answers to the most common VA residual income requirement questions, written by licensed loan officers.
Ask SAM anything about mortgages
SAM is the Simply Approved Mortgages AI assistant. It answers general questions using the reviewed guides published on this site and links you to the primary government source. It is educational only — it does not quote a rate, payment, APR, approval or commitment to lend. A Simply Approved Mortgages Loan Officer reviews every scenario before any terms are confirmed.
Hi, I'm SAM — an AI assistant for Simply Approved Mortgages. I can explain loan programs, closing costs, DTI, down payments and which calculator or guide to use. I'm not a licensed loan officer, and nothing here is a quote, approval or commitment to lend.
Ask Sam AI provides general educational information only. It is an automated assistant, may be incomplete or out of date, and does not provide legal, tax or financial advice. Nothing it produces is a rate quote, APR, pre-approval, offer or commitment to lend. Never share a Social Security number, ITIN, date of birth, account number or password in chat. Simply Approved Mortgages LLC (NMLS #2620881) arranges residential mortgage loans in Florida and Colorado. Eligibility, terms, conditions and availability vary by borrower, property, lender, loan program and state, and all loans are subject to lender underwriting and approval. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Sources & Citations
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — VA Lender’s Handbook, Chapter 4 (Credit Underwriting) — Residual Income
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations — 38 CFR 36.4337 – Underwriting standards
- State of Colorado — Colorado Department of Revenue, income tax rate
- State of Florida — Florida Department of Revenue, general tax information
Sources: government and agency publications listed above. Simply Approved Mortgages LLC is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by HUD, FHA, VA, USDA, or any government agency. Program rules change; the published source text governs.
Trusted government resources
These independent government resources can help you research mortgage programs, rates, and your rights before you apply.
VA
VA — Lenders Handbook (VA Pamphlet 26-7)
VA
VA — Home Loan Eligibility Requirements
CFPB
CFPB — Understanding Debt-to-Income Ratio
Simply Approved Mortgages is not affiliated with HUD, the CFPB, the FTC, the VA, or any other government agency. Links are provided for your independent verification.
How this page connects
Where this fits in the VA lending library
This page sits inside our VA lending coverage.
What most readers open next
- The entitlement worksheetBecause remaining entitlement decides whether a down payment is needed.
- VA appraisal and Minimum Property RequirementsBecause MPRs decide whether a property can be financed at all.
- The VA IRRRL refinanceBecause the streamlined path once the loan is in place.
Explore the full guide
Keep reading — the rest of the buying playbook
Each of these is a deep-dive on one piece of the purchase mortgage process. Bookmark whichever you need next.
Guide
VA Loans
Full overview of VA loan eligibility and underwriting.
Read the guide →Guide
VA Certificate of Eligibility
How to get the document that proves your VA eligibility.
Read the guide →Guide
VA Entitlement Restoration
Basic and bonus entitlement explained.
Read the guide →Guide
VA Funding Fees
Who pays the funding fee and who is exempt.
Read the guide →Guide
VA Loan Rates
Current VA loan rate trends and pricing factors.
Read the guide →Guide
Mortgage Pre-Approval
Get your income and debts reviewed before house hunting.
Read the guide →Guide
VA Loan Pre-Approval in Colorado
How residual income feeds into a Colorado pre-approval.
Read the guide →Guide
VA Loan Pre-Approval in Florida
How residual income feeds into a Florida pre-approval.
Read the guide →Guide
VA Loan Calculator
Estimate a payment before running the full residual income test.
Read the guide →Internal library
Related mortgage guides across our library
Follow the next relevant guide for your scenario.
Purchase mortgages
Buying a home
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Broker identification. Simply Approved Mortgages LLC is a mortgage broker and is not a direct lender. We arrange residential mortgage loans with third-party wholesale lenders and do not make the lender's final credit decision or fund the loan. We arrange residential mortgage loans in Florida and Colorado. Business-purpose mortgage products may be arranged in additional states only where permitted by applicable law and pursuant to applicable licensing requirements or exemptions.
Credit and program terms. All loans are subject to lender credit approval, underwriting, acceptable appraisal or valuation when required, title review, insurance, and supporting documentation. Eligibility, programs, rates, APRs, points, lender credits, fees, payments, terms, loan amounts, down-payment requirements, mortgage insurance, and availability may vary based on borrower, property, occupancy, credit profile, loan-to-value ratio, debt-to-income ratio, lender, loan program, and state and may change without notice. Not all applicants, properties, products, or programs will qualify or be available in every state. Nothing on this site constitutes a loan approval, rate lock, offer, commitment to lend, guarantee of approval, or guarantee of terms or closing.
Rates, payments and calculators. Rates, APRs, payments, down payments, loan amounts, home values, estimated equity, savings, affordability estimates, closing costs, and other calculator or scenario results displayed on this site are estimates or illustrations unless expressly stated otherwise. Actual loan terms may differ. Taxes, homeowners insurance, mortgage insurance, association dues, lender charges, broker compensation, discount points, third-party charges, and other costs may apply. Advertised rates, payments, APRs, down payments, and other credit terms are subject to the assumptions and disclosures presented with the applicable advertisement. Applicable loan terms and disclosures will be provided as required for the particular transaction.
Mortgage products. FHA, VA, USDA, conventional, jumbo, non-QM, HELOC, reverse mortgage, down-payment-assistance, investment-property, DSCR, and other mortgage products referenced on this site are subject to their individual eligibility, underwriting, property, occupancy, and program requirements. Product availability varies by lender and jurisdiction. References to a mortgage product or program do not constitute a determination that a borrower or property qualifies.
Government-backed programs. Government-backed or government-insured mortgage programs referenced on this site may be subject to requirements established by the applicable government agency in addition to lender requirements. Government insurance or guaranties generally protect participating lenders against certain losses and do not constitute a guarantee of borrower approval.
Business-purpose products. DSCR, investment-property, and other business-purpose mortgage products referenced on this site are intended for qualifying business-purpose transactions. Business-purpose loans may be subject to different requirements and protections than consumer-purpose residential mortgage loans. Borrowers are responsible for accurately disclosing property occupancy and intended use.
Down payment assistance. Down payment or closing-cost assistance programs referenced on this site may be administered by governmental entities, housing finance agencies, nonprofit organizations, lenders, or other third parties. Program availability, funding, assistance amounts, eligibility requirements, repayment or forgiveness provisions, and other terms vary and may change or become unavailable without notice. Listing or referencing a program does not guarantee funding, eligibility, or mortgage approval.
Government affiliation. Simply Approved Mortgages LLC is not a government agency and is not affiliated with, acting on behalf of, sponsored by, or endorsed by HUD, FHA, VA, USDA, or any other federal, state, or local government agency. References to government agencies, programs, benefits, data, forms, or resources are provided for informational purposes and do not imply government sponsorship or endorsement of Simply Approved Mortgages LLC.
Fair lending. Equal Housing Opportunity. Simply Approved Mortgages LLC conducts business in accordance with applicable federal and state fair-housing and equal-credit-opportunity laws and does not discriminate on any prohibited basis.
No professional advice. Content on this site is educational and general in nature and is not legal, tax, accounting, financial, investment, estate-planning, or individualized government-benefits advice. Consumers should consult appropriate qualified professionals regarding their individual circumstances.
Third-party content. References or links to government agencies, lenders, assistance programs, products, services, or other third-party websites are provided for informational purposes or convenience. Simply Approved Mortgages LLC does not control and is not responsible for third-party content, availability, accuracy, or privacy practices.
NMLS Consumer Access: Verify Simply Approved Mortgages LLC, NMLS #2620881.
Simply Approved Mortgages LLC, 633 W 5th St, Ste 2600, Los Angeles, CA 90071 · 877-813-7219 · support@simplyapprovedmortgages.com. State licensing details available at the NMLS Consumer Access link above. © 2026 Simply Approved Mortgages LLC.