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VA Loan Intelligence

The VA loan calculator lenders don't want you to use.

No email. No phone calls. Just the math — including the costs they bury in the fine print.

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  • Nothing saved to any server
  • Built by veterans
BAH Reality Check

What your BAH actually buys.

Dependents
Select a station or enter a ZIP code
Battle Buddy Reminder
BAH stops the day you separate. Budget based on your projected civilian salary, not your current military compensation.
True Cost Calculator

The number your lender won't show you.

VA Use
Who pays no funding fee?
  • You receive VA compensation for a service-connected disability
  • You're eligible for VA disability compensation but receive retirement or active-duty pay instead
  • You're on active duty and, before closing, received a proposed or memorandum rating saying you're eligible for compensation
  • You're on active duty and received the Purple Heart, with evidence provided on or before closing
  • Certain surviving spouses of veterans
Monthly Payment (PITI)
$3,160
Principal & Interest$2,796
Property Tax$243
Insurance$121
HOA$0
VA Funding Fee
$8,600 added to your loan
Total loan: $408,600
True 30-Year Cost
$1,137,549
Total Interest$597,849
Total Taxes$87,600
Total Insurance$43,500

Sources: VA — Funding fee and closing costs (Circular 26-23-06 Exhibit B) (as of loans closing on or after 2023-04-07)

Lender Ceiling vs Honest Max

What they'll approve you for vs. what you should spend.

Lender Ceiling
41% back-end DTI — VA’s review threshold
$295,961
Monthly PITI$2,425
% of Income32%
Leftover Monthly$4,425
The honest number
36% of income on all debt — the back-end guideline — leaves room for life
$241,153
Monthly PITI$2,050
% of Income27%
Leftover Monthly$4,800
If you invest the $375/mo difference at 7% for 30 years
+$457,489
That's the cost of buying more house than you need.

Sources: 38 CFR 36.4340(d), with (c)(2) and (c)(3) (as of 2026); Fannie Mae Selling Guide B3-6-02 (the 36% leg); 12 CFR 1026 App. Q (front/back definition) (as of 2026)

Shopping Tracker

Compare every quote side by side.

No quotes yet.
Add a quote each time a lender gives you one. Once you have two, this table shows what the difference actually costs you over 30 years.
The 5 Mistakes

Five ways veterans lose money on VA loans.

Buying at your maximum approval amount
VA's 41% debt-to-income figure is a guideline that includes all monthly debts, not an approval amount. Lenders can go higher when your residual income is strong — which doesn't mean the payment fits your budget.
$400-800/mo in unnecessary risk
Ignoring the funding fee
First-time VA borrowers pay a 2.15% funding fee with less than 5% down (1.5% with 5% down, 1.25% with 10%). It's waived if you receive — or are eligible for — VA disability compensation, if you're on active duty with a proposed or memorandum rating, or if you're an active-duty Purple Heart recipient. Rolled into your loan, the fee is added to your principal and earns interest for the life of the loan.
About $12,583 of interest over 30 years on a financed $8,600 fee at 7.28%
Skipping the rate comparison
VA lenders vary by 0.25-0.75% on rate and charge wildly different origination fees. Most veterans get exactly one quote and assume "VA loan = VA loan." Three quotes takes 30 minutes and saves five figures.
$20,000-60,000 over 30 years
Forgetting BAH expires
If you're using BAH to qualify, remember: it stops the day you separate. Your mortgage doesn't. Budget based on your projected civilian salary, not your current military compensation.
Potential foreclosure risk
Not using your VA loan benefit at all
The $0 down payment, no PMI, and competitive rates make VA loans one of the best financial tools available to veterans. Some avoid it because they heard the process is "too complicated." It's not — it just requires a lender who actually knows VA loans.

Sources & limits

Educational estimate, not financial, legal or medical advice. Boots and Bearings does not originate loans. Always verify rates and fees against your lender's official Loan Estimate.

Funding fee: VA — Funding fee and closing costs (Circular 26-23-06 Exhibit B) (loans closing on or after 2023-04-07; last checked Aug 21, 2026).41% debt-to-income guideline and residual income: 38 CFR 36.4340 (last checked Aug 24, 2026).Default interest rate: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, 30-year fixed average, 7.28% as of Oct 1, 2026. VA rates are often lower; use your own quote. This is the 2026 rate — it will be updated to 2027 rates when they are available.Property tax and insurance defaults: Estimates — replace with quotes.