VA Loans With Your Spouse
Married and buying with a VA loan? A spouse who is not a veteran can be on the loan without making it a joint loan, and at least one program lets your spouse be on title without signing the note.
Quick answer
Saxton Mortgage does. At least one VA program we offer treats a loan to a veteran and a spouse who is not a veteran as a standard VA loan, not a joint loan, and at least one lets the veteran’s legal spouse take title without signing the note.
How a spouse fits on a VA loan
Each item below is a VA rule or a requirement of at least one VA program we offer.
- A loan to a veteran and a spouse who is not a veteran is not treated as a joint loan.
- A veteran spouse who will not use their own entitlement does not make it a joint loan.
- When both spouses are veterans and both use entitlement, at least one program accepts it as a joint loan.
- At least one program requires the qualifying veteran to be the first borrower on the application.
- At least one program lets the veteran’s legal spouse take title without signing the note.
- In community property states, the spouse’s debts count in qualifying even if the veteran applies alone.
Your spouse can join the loan
Spouse on title only
Two veterans, two entitlements
Engaged before closing
Credit when spouse is off the loan
Community property states
Can Your Spouse Be On Your VA Loan?
Yes. A spouse who is not a veteran can be on the loan, and VA does not treat it as a joint loan.
VA treats a married couple differently from other co-buyers. A loan involving a veteran and a spouse is not a joint loan if the spouse is not a veteran, or is a veteran who will not use their own entitlement. If both spouses are veterans and both use entitlement, at least one program accepts it as a joint loan.
Your spouse does not have to sign the loan to be on title. At least one program allows only borrowers who sign the note to take title, with one exception: the veteran’s legal spouse. Buying with someone other than a spouse is a different case, covered on our joint VA loan page.
If your spouse stays off the loan, their credit generally does not need to be considered. Two exceptions apply: you are relying on alimony, child support, or maintenance from that spouse, or you are in a community property state. There, the spouse’s debts and obligations count in qualifying even if you apply alone.
Why choose Saxton for a VA loan with your spouse
This page is for married veterans, and veterans about to marry, deciding how a spouse fits on the loan and the title.
Not A Joint Loan
A veteran and a spouse who is not a veteran get a standard VA loan, not a joint loan.
Your Spouse Can Be On Title
At least one program lets the veteran’s legal spouse take title without signing the note.
Two Veterans, One Loan
When both spouses are veterans and both use entitlement, at least one program accepts the joint loan.
Engaged Counts Too
A veteran and fiance who marry before closing and take title as spouses are treated as a veteran and spouse.
The Veteran Comes First
At least one program requires the qualifying veteran in the first borrower position on the application.
Scores From 500
Credit eligibility starts at a 500 score with at least one VA program we offer.
Hear From Homeowners Like You
Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers about VA loans with your spouse.
Saxton Mortgage does. At least one VA program we offer treats a loan to a veteran and a spouse who is not a veteran as a standard VA loan, not a joint loan, and at least one lets the veteran’s legal spouse take title without signing the note.
Not if your spouse is not a veteran, or is a veteran who will not use their own entitlement. If both of you are veterans and both use entitlement, at least one program accepts it as a joint loan.
Yes, with at least one program. It lets only borrowers who sign the note take title, except the veteran’s legal spouse.
Generally no. It must be considered if you rely on alimony, child support, or maintenance from that spouse, or if you are in a community property state.
The spouse’s debts and obligations must be considered even if the veteran gets the loan alone, and at least one program orders a credit report for the non-purchasing spouse. At least one program does not weigh that spouse’s credit score.
Yes, if you marry before closing and take title as veteran and spouse. The loan is treated as a loan to a veteran and spouse, conditioned on the marriage, not a joint loan.
At least one program does not accept co-borrowers who are not the veteran’s legal spouse. VA treats a veteran and a non-spouse on title as a joint loan.
Find out what you qualify for
Tell us who will be on the loan and the title, and we will show you the VA options that fit.
Get Pre-Qualified- Department of Veterans Affairs, eligibility for VA home loan programs
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VA home loan types
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VA funding fee and closing costs
*Loan amounts, rates, terms, and down payment requirements are subject to credit approval, income and asset verification, and program eligibility. VA eligibility and entitlement are set by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Down payment and cash-out limits vary by occupancy, credit score, and documentation type. Not all applicants will qualify. Saxton Mortgage, LLC is an Equal Housing Lender.