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Announcing #missionzero—A Campaign to Educate All Veterans on $0 Down Payment VA Home Loans

By Realtor.com Creative Studio

Our country was built on sacrifices and dedication from those in the Armed Forces. While that work is rewarding in many deeply personal ways, it also rightfully comes with some practical benefits—including access to a $0 down payment VA home loan.

If this is your first time learning about the option to put zero down, you aren’t alone: According to a recent survey, only 3 in 10 Veterans know their benefit helps them buy without a down payment. To help more Veterans and active duty service members own a piece of the American Dream, we’re shining a light on this benefit through the new #missionzero campaign in partnership with a unique alliance of realty, media, mortgage and Veteran Service Organizations.

Joining Realtor.com® in the effort are some of News Corp’s most popular media properties, such as the New York Post and the Wall Street Journal, along with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Veterans United Home Loans.

How to support #missionzero

Whether you are a Veteran or a civilian supporter, you can help spread the word about $0 down payment VA loans by using the hashtag #missionzero on your social media channels, sending this article to friends and family, or even telling a Veteran you know about the benefit. We believe nothing should stand in the way of home—especially a down payment. It’s our goal this Veterans Day and beyond to make sure that every Veteran and active duty service member knows about their VA home loan benefit.

While we’re raising awareness through #missionzero now, the VA home loan program has a long and rich legacy that dates back nearly 80 years. Created under the GI Bill of Rights in 1944, the VA home loan program has empowered generations of military members and Veterans to purchase a home. The VA has backed more than 28 million loans and counting.

Of course, the housing market is very different from when the program originated during World War II—which makes the option to put 0% down with a VA loan even more beneficial. There are a few different paths to VA home loan eligibility. These include:

  • Serving 90 consecutive days of active service during wartime.
  • Serving 181 days of active service during peacetime.
  • Six years of service in the National Guard or Reserves or 90 days of service (at least 30 of them consecutively) under Title 32 orders.
  • You are the spouse of a service member who died while serving or due to a service-related disability.

Even Veterans who don’t meet those basic service requirements may still be eligible based on discharge terms. The VA home loan experts at Veterans United can help answer any and all questions about eligibility.

By being able to put no money down while also foregoing private mortgage insurance (PMI) payments—an additional monthly payment required for most conventional loans when the down payment is less than 20%—active duty service members and Veterans can skip a traditional homeownership barrier to entry.

That’s a big deal, especially in today’s market. The latest real estate data shows the median down payment for homebuyers in the United States tops $24,000. In contrast, with a VA loan and no money down, Veterans can keep thousands of dollars in their pockets. When the market is hot, that enables Veterans to be more competitive with their offers.

We owe service members and Veterans our gratitude for defending the American Dream. With a $0 down payment VA loan, they can own a piece of the dream, too.

Source: The 3-in-10 statistic is based on a national survey conducted in October 2023 by data and analytics firm Sparketing.

VeteransUnited.com | 1-800-884-5560 | 550 Veterans United Drive, Columbia, MO 65201| Veterans United Home Loans NMLS # 1907 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). A VA approved lender; Not endorsed or sponsored by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs or any government agency. Licensed in all 50 states. For State Licensing information, please visit http://www.veteransunited.com/licenses/. Equal Opportunity Lender.

This content was paid for by an advertiser and created by the realtor.com advertising department. The realtor.com News & Insights editorial team was not involved in the creation of this content.