VA Loan Calculator: Estimate Your Military Home Loan Payment
Calculate VA loan payments with no down payment and no PMI. Compare to DSCR for investment properties.
Payment Breakdown
Base Loan Amount
$350,000
VA Funding Fee
$7,525
Total Loan (with fee)
$357,525
Down Payment
$0
Monthly P&I
$2,086
Monthly Taxes
$350
Monthly Insurance
$150
PMI
$0 (none)
Total Monthly Payment (PITIA)
$2,586
Cost Summary
Total Interest Paid
$393,586
Total Cost (30 years)
$938,636
VA Loans: The Best Deal for Your Primary Residence
VA loans are one of the most powerful mortgage products available - offering zero down payment, no private mortgage insurance, and competitive interest rates. If you are an eligible veteran, active-duty service member, or qualifying spouse, a VA loan is almost always the best option for buying your primary residence. The VA funding fee (typically 2.15% for first use) replaces PMI and can be rolled into the loan amount.
However, VA loans come with one critical limitation for investors: they are designed for primary residences only. You must certify that you intend to occupy the property as your primary home. There are some exceptions - you can use a VA loan on a multi-unit property (up to 4 units) if you live in one unit and rent the others, which is a popular house-hacking strategy. But you cannot use a VA loan to purchase a pure investment property you do not plan to live in.
This is where many veteran investors hit a wall. You have used your VA benefit for your home - great. Now you want to build a rental portfolio. Conventional loans work for the first few properties, but income documentation, DTI ratios, and the 10-property cap eventually become obstacles. Self-employed veterans who take write-offs on their taxes face even bigger hurdles with conventional qualifying.
VA for Your Home, DSCR for Your Rentals
The smart play for veteran investors is to use both: VA for your primary residence (where you get the best possible terms) and DSCR loans for your investment properties. DSCR loans qualify based on the property's rental income, not your personal income. No tax returns, no W-2s, no DTI calculations. If the rent covers the mortgage, you qualify.
DSCR loans also have no property count limits, so you can scale your portfolio to 10, 20, or 50+ properties. You can close in an LLC for asset protection. And DSCR programs are available with as little as 15-20% down on investment properties.
- VA loan - use for your primary residence, 0% down, no PMI
- DSCR loan - use for investment properties, no income docs, no property limits
- House hack - VA multi-unit for your first, DSCR for everything after
Investing in rental properties? DSCR loans require no military service - check rates
Get instant DSCR loan pricing from hundreds of lenders. No tax returns, no W-2s, no income verification.