Absolutely. For active-duty service members at Fort Carson, Peterson SFB, or Schriever SFB, or any other base, your Basic Allowance for Housing is stable, reliable income. Because BAH is tax-free, I can "gross it up" by 25% in your application, which significantly increases your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio and your overall buying power.

No. While many big-box banks and "retail" lenders impose their own "overlays" (extra rules) requiring a 620 or 640 score, the VA itself does not mandate a minimum credit score. At Peak Seven Mortgage, I work with specialized wholesale lenders who allow for much lower scores and even "no-score" profiles. If you’ve served, I believe you’ve earned the right to use your benefit!

There is a lot of misinformation here. A VA appraisal is simply designed to ensure the home is "Safe, Sound, and Sanitary" for a veteran. In a competitive market like Colorado Springs, I help you navigate the process. Plus, if an appraisal looks like it will come in in low, the VA has a unique "Tidewater" process that allows us to provide additional data to the appraiser—a protection no other loan types has..

Yes. This is a common misconception. If you have "remaining entitlement" (which I can check for you in about 5 minutes), you can absolutely own two, or more, homes with VA loans simultaneously. This is a great way for military families to start building a real estate portfolio as they PCS from station to station.

It's possible, but it requires a "Two-Bucket" strategy. Under the VA 4% Rule, a seller can pay all of your standard closing costs (Title, Appraisal, Recording etc, up to 2 points) and still contribute up to 4% of the home's value toward "concessions" like paying off your credit card debt or your VA Funding Fee. In a competitive market like Colorado Springs, I can help your agent structure the offer so you walk away with zero out-of-pocket.

For Veterans with full entitlement, there is no longer a VA loan limit—you can borrow as much as you qualify for with $0 down. If you have partial entitlement (meaning you already have one VA loan active or encumbered entitlement), the 2026 conforming loan limit for most of the U.S. has increased to $832,750. I can run the "Tier 2 Entitlement" math for you in minutes to see your exact zero-down threshold.

If you have 20% to put down, a Conventional loan will save you the Funding Fee. BUT! you really need to compare a conventional loan with 1.25% discount points against a VA loan, since the VA loan offers a lower interest rates (typically 0.5% lower than Conventional)
And of course, if you are exempt from the funding fee, the VA loan is a no-brainer.
Since I’m a broker, I’ll run a side-by-side comparison for your specific file so you can see the lifetime savings.

If the appraiser finds they can't find the value supporting the contract amount, they will issue a TIDEWATER declaration to me. I will then contact your agents, both the listing and buyer's agent, and tell them we have a Tidewater. I'll request they provide documentation supporting the contract value, usually comparable sales data from recently closed transactions. We have 48 hours to get that back to the appraiser.

This is a unique feature of the VA loan, not found anywhere else that is one more thing that protects veterans in their home purchase!

A Tidewater declaration is made before the appraisal is turned in. If, despite the Tidewater actions, the appraisal comes in low, there is one more recourse, the Reconsideration of Value (ROV). While this needs to originate with you, the veteran, I will help you draft a reconsideration that may take other things into consideration, such as location, unique features, or local influences.

The ROV is a formal letter to the VA, that bypasses the original appraiser, to review the appraisal for specific errors or to consider additional market data that was missed. Most retail lenders won't take the time to file an ROV, but at Peak Seven Mortgage, I have done many of these and will take the lead on this to protect your interest and your dream home. As a retired Navy vet myself, I take this VERY seriously!

While you can have a parent or other person co-sign a VA loan for you, there is a unique feature of the VA loan that they have to put down 12.5% of the purchase amount and qualify for their portion on their own. This is because the VA will only guarantee a part of the loan.
Income and assets are not blended together like in a conventional loan, so the vet has to qualify for their portion, and the non-vet has to qualify for theirs. This is called a joint loan, and requires prior approval from the VA.

You can request a COE online, but better yet, I can get your COE in about five minutes from the VA website.

The COE confirms that you've met the service requirements needed to get a VA loan. You'll need one every time you apply for a VA loan. For more information, go to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website.

If you’re a discharged member of the National Guard and were never activated, you’ll need this information:

- Your Report of Separation and Record of Service (NGB Form 22) for each period of National Guard service, and

- Your Retirement Points Statement (NGB Form 23) and proof of the character of service

You absolutely can. Many big box lenders like USAA and Veterans United do not allow manufactured home purchases, but this is not a VA requirement. The VA loan is the BEST way to buy a manufactured home!