The Department of Veterans Affairs backed 630,000 mortgages in fiscal year 2013, an all-time high for the benefit program. That record volume punctuates an incredible recent run for VA loans, which have experienced tremendous growth in the wake of the financial collapse.
VA loan volume has soared 372 percent since fiscal year 2007, driven in large part by historically low interest rates and a more restrictive lending environment that made conventional and even FHA financing tough to secure.
In addition to the record volume, the VA made history in 2013 by guaranteeing its 20 millionth mortgage, which went to the surviving spouse of an Iraq War veteran.
The need for higher credit scores and bigger down payments has reinvigorated this home loan program. VA loans have no required down payment and feature more flexible and forgiving requirements.
Despite that flexibility, they’ve had the lowest foreclosure rate of any mortgage on the market for nearly all of the past five years, according to statistics from the Mortgage Bankers Association.
To find out more about how you can use VA loans to own a home, see this article AND/OR contact Cole, the mortgage man with a heart cole@coleholmes.com
According To Cole 