When I sit down with a Veteran buyer, the conversation almost always opens with "I know VA loans are zero down." That's true, and it's great. But it's also the least interesting thing about the program.
No monthly mortgage insurance, ever
Conventional buyers with less than 20% down pay private mortgage insurance every month until they hit equity thresholds. FHA borrowers pay it for the life of the loan in most cases. VA buyers pay none. On a $400,000 loan, that's often $150–$250 a month that stays in your pocket — every month, for as long as you own the home.
The funding fee isn't always the villain
The one real cost on a VA loan is the funding fee, rolled into the loan. It sounds scary until you compare it to PMI over time — and it's waived entirely for veterans with service-connected disabilities. For most borrowers, the math still comes out well ahead of any other low-down option.
You can reuse your benefit
A lot of veterans think the VA loan is a one-shot deal. It's not. You can restore your entitlement after selling, and in some cases you can even carry two VA loans at the same time. If you're PCS-ing or moving up, this is worth a 20-minute conversation before you assume you need to go conventional.
Assumable loans — the quiet superpower
VA loans are assumable. If rates rise, that feature becomes a real asset when you go to sell. A buyer can take over your low-rate loan instead of financing at the current market rate — which can widen your pool of interested buyers dramatically. Most veterans don't find out about this until it's too late to plan around it.