VA home loans for active-duty service members

How to buy with a VA loan while you're serving: eligibility, PCS moves, using BAH as income, deployments and keeping your home when you move.

Written by the FLO Mortgage team · Licensed mortgage broker, NMLS #1835856 · Updated October 2026

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At a glance

Eligible after 90 continuous days
BAH and allowances can count as income
Buy ahead of a PCS move
Spouse can meet occupancy

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Active duty

You don't have to wait until you separate to use your VA home loan. Active-duty service members generally become eligible after 90 continuous days of service, and many buy at their first or second duty station.

Eligibility90 continuous days of active duty

Proof of serviceStatement of service from your command

IncomeBase pay plus BAH, BAS and other allowances

Funding feeWaived for Purple Heart recipients

What you'll need

A statement of service signed by your commander or personnel office
Your most recent Leave and Earnings Statement (LES)
PCS orders, if you're buying at a new duty station
Bank statements for funds to close

PCS moves and buying ahead

With orders in hand, lenders can document your income and your intent to live in the home, so you can often line up a purchase before you report. If you're deployed or arrive after closing, your spouse can meet the occupancy requirement. See VA occupancy rules.

When you PCS again

Many service members keep their home as a rental when they move. Depending on your remaining entitlement, you may be able to buy again at the next duty station with another VA loan. Our entitlement estimator gives a rough picture, and VA entitlement and second VA loans explains how it works.

Questions, answered

Can I get a VA loan while on active duty?

Yes. You're generally eligible after 90 continuous days of active duty.

Does BAH count as income for a VA loan?

Yes. BAH, BAS and other regular allowances on your LES can count toward qualifying.

Can I buy a house before my PCS?

Often, yes. Lenders can use your orders to document income and your intent to occupy the new home.

Do active-duty members pay the VA funding fee?

Most do, unless exempt. Active-duty Purple Heart recipients are exempt, as are service members with a proposed or memorandum disability rating issued before closing.

Can I keep my VA home when I move?

Yes. You can rent it out and may be able to buy again with remaining entitlement.

Talk to a FLO Mortgage loan officer

Every FLO loan officer helps veterans, service members and military families with VA loans. Have a question these guides don't answer? Ask our team.

Meet the team Call (386) 882-9980

This is not a commitment to lend. All loans are subject to credit approval, underwriting guidelines, property eligibility and program availability. Lender requirements may be stricter than the program guidelines described here. Not all applicants will qualify. Figures reflect 2026 VA guidelines and may change without notice. FLO Mortgage is licensed in Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Company NMLS #1835856. Equal Housing Opportunity. FLO Mortgage is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or any government agency. Licensing & Disclosures.

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Every FLO Mortgage loan officer can walk you through this program, run the numbers for your situation and compare it with your other options. Have questions? Call our main office at (386) 882-9980.

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VA loans for active duty