Down payment
A full VA entitlement buys with nothing down. The cash you keep stays yours.
PMI, ever
No monthly mortgage insurance. That line item that follows conventional buyers for years does not exist here.
The seller's rate
VA loans are assumable. A buyer can take over a seller's existing rate, and when that rate starts with a 2 or a 3, that is the whole ballgame.
Why Tucson
Tucson runs on the VA benefit
Davis Monthan and a deep veteran community make this one of the strongest VA markets in the country. Most agents treat a VA offer like a hurdle to clear. We treat it like the advantage it is, on both sides of the deal. The veteran who knows how to use the benefit buys more home for less cash, and the seller who carries a low VA note holds an asset the open market cannot match.
The benefit
What the VA loan actually gives you
The headlines are zero down and no PMI. The full picture is better than that.
- No down payment with full entitlement, on a purchase up to the conforming limit and beyond with a partial down payment.
- No monthly PMI conventional buyers pay it for years. VA buyers never do.
- A one time funding fee rolled into the loan, waived entirely for veterans with a service connected disability rating.
- Capped buyer closing costs the VA limits what you can be charged, which keeps the cash to close honest.
- No prepayment penalty pay it down or refinance whenever it makes sense, free.
- An assumable note the rate you lock today can be handed to your buyer years from now. That is rare and valuable.
The move most agents miss
The assumption play, step by step
When a seller carries a low VA rate, a qualified buyer can take over that loan instead of originating a new one at today's number. Here is how it actually runs.
Confirm the loan is VA and assumable
We pull the loan type and the servicer. Most VA loans written after 1988 are assumable with approval.
Qualify the buyer with the servicer
The buyer is underwritten by the existing lender. Credit and income still matter. This is a real approval, not a handshake.
Decide the entitlement question
A veteran buyer can substitute their own entitlement so the seller gets theirs back. A non veteran buyer can still assume, but the seller's entitlement stays tied up until payoff. We make sure you choose this on purpose.
Pay the assumption funding fee and close
A modest VA funding fee plus the lender's processing, and the buyer takes the balance at the original rate. No fresh origination at today's number.
We closed 1525 South Cape Verde as a 350,000 dollar VA assumption that handed the buyer a rate the open market could not touch. If you are selling a home with a low VA loan, that loan is a marketing asset. We price and position it that way.
Selling with a low rate
Your old rate is a selling point
If your note started with a 2 or a 3, that is one of the strongest things a Tucson listing can offer right now. We put it in the marketing, qualify buyers for the assumption up front, and turn the rate you locked years ago into the reason your home sells before the one down the street. Lopez & Lopez is seller side first, so we know exactly how a VA offer reads to the other side of the table and how to make yours the one that wins.
Eligibility
Who it is for
Active duty, veterans, National Guard and Reserve with qualifying service, and surviving spouses with entitlement. The Certificate of Eligibility is straightforward and we walk you through pulling it. On the sell side, any owner with an assumable VA loan should know what that note is worth before listing.
Questions, answered
VA questions we hear most
Does a VA loan really mean zero down?
Yes. With full entitlement you can finance 100 percent of a purchase. There is a one time funding fee, but it is rolled into the loan, so you can buy a home in Tucson without writing a down payment check.
What is the VA funding fee and who is exempt?
It is a one time fee that funds the program, typically a small percentage of the loan and financeable. Veterans receiving VA disability compensation, and many surviving spouses, are exempt from it entirely. We confirm your status before anyone quotes you a number.
Can anyone assume a VA loan, or only another veteran?
A qualified buyer of any kind can assume a VA loan with lender and VA approval. The nuance is entitlement: if a non veteran assumes the loan, the seller's VA entitlement stays tied up until the loan is paid off. If a veteran buyer substitutes their own entitlement, the seller gets theirs back. This matters and most agents miss it. We do not.
What does a VA assumption cost the buyer?
Far less than a new loan. There is a modest VA funding fee on the assumption and the lender's processing fee, but no fresh origination at today's rate. The buyer takes over the existing balance and rate, which is the entire point.
Will the VA appraisal hurt me as a seller?
VA appraisals are thorough on health and safety, not punitive on value. We prep the home so the items an appraiser flags are handled before they cost you a delay. Treated as a checklist, it is a non event.
I have a low VA rate. Is my loan worth advertising?
Absolutely. A 2 or 3 percent assumable note is one of the strongest selling points in this market. We position it in the listing, qualify buyers for the assumption, and turn your old rate into the reason your home sells first.
Talk to Lopez & Lopez
Joel Pielemeier
Sales Partner · runs the VA lane for the team
Tell me where you are
VA buyer, seller with an assumable loan, or just figuring out the benefit. One message starts it and Joel calls you back.
More in the network