06-Aug-2025
Buying your dream home is a multi-step process, and timelines can get confusing. For eligible veterans and service members who’ve already put in the hard work towards serving the nation, VA loans offer a valuable path towards home ownership. VA loans are recognized for their benefits in purchasing or refinancing a home for veterans, active-duty members, and eligible spouses with little to no down payment.
However, if you’re stuck wondering how long does it take a VA loan to close, don’t worry; you’re not alone. While the VA loan process can vary based on a number of factors, this blog helps break down the timeline with tips to streamline it.
Your VA loan process isn’t extremely different from the way you secure a regular home loan. Once you check eligibility for securing the VA loan, the next step is familiarizing yourself with the timeline.
Ideally, most VA loans close anywhere between 40 and 50 days based on the conventional timeline. In 2018, the Military Times reported that the average timeline for a VA loan was 49 days. Certain factors such as lender experience, buyer readiness, and appraisal timeline may slow down or expedite the speed of closing. However, with professional VA homeownership guides, you can typically close the VA loan within 40 days or less.
Pro Tip: If you already have a pre-approved VA loan and are looking to hasten the process, consider a VA IRRL for lower interest rates, lesser time, and reduced paperwork.
Buying a home is a huge commitment, and while VA home loans make homeownership affordable and easy for veterans, it is essential to be familiar with the timeline for the best results.
To become a pre-approved buyer, one needs to meet the lender’s basic requirement aside from veteran eligibility. A preapproval is highly beneficial to show the buyer’s financial commitment and reduce the chance of delays. During pre-approval, the lender will request your W-2s, tax returns, and additional documents to verify your income for a VA home loan.
This process may take anywhere from up to a few minutes (for online application) to 1-5 days. The pre-approvals ideally last for 60 to 90 days and improve your chance of buying your home hassle-free.
Not sure if you qualify? Go ahead and check eligibility as this will help you understand what VA loan options are the best fit for you and make sure you’re all set to move forward without surprises.
Committing to homeownership is a huge step – both financially and personally. House hunting is one of the most time-consuming processes involved in homeownership and can take anywhere from a few minutes after stepping into your dream property to a few weeks of house hopping.
Found your dream home but stuck in buyer and seller negotiations? Negotiations between the buyer and seller are important to finalize a contract that satisfies both parties. Aligning your moving-in dates to the seller’s timeline and finalizing the closing date is one of the most time-consuming processes and varies greatly.
A VA appraisal order is essential to get a VA home loan. This procedure involves meeting VA Minimum Property Requirements and a fair market value determination that must be processed by a VA-approved appraiser. Usually, it gets done within 10 days but can take anywhere from a week to two weeks from the initial request to the final report.
A final underwriting that verifies your financial details is absolutely imminent post-appraisal to close your VA loan. It typically takes a few weeks but may also extend based on any financial complexities.
Pro Tip: It is always the best practice to have your financial documents and Certificate of Eligibility sorted beforehand to ensure the process is seamlessly done.
Towards the end of the timeline, your lender will provide you with a conditional approval; i.e., if you resolve all the conditions, your loan will be approved. Once your VA loan gets fully approved, the lender will prepare the final documents of approval and work with your real estate agent to ensure all paperwork is in order so you can step into your new house fully prepared.
On closing day, you’ll complete the final paperwork, funds will be released, and ownership of the home will be formally handed over to you.
Under certain circumstances, your VA loan closing can be significantly delayed depending on the factors involved. Property-related issues such as necessary repairs, a lower purchase price value, or not meeting the minimum property requirements can push the appraisal process by a few weeks.
Similarly, complexities in the financial situation, insufficient documents, and difficulty in verifying assets may cause delays in the underwriting process. A lender inexperienced with VA loans may further hinder your process due to non-familiarity with the system.
We highly recommend consulting with experienced VA loan lenders to ensure your documentation is in order and your financial situation is sorted before applying for your VA loan.
There’s one important update regarding VA home loans. You can check it out.
Time is money, and speeding up the VA loan process makes it easier for you to get the keys to your dream home. To make sure your VA loan gets approved speedily, follow these tips:
| Type of VA Loan | Average Closing Time |
| VA Loan | 40 to 50 days |
| VA IRRL | 25 to 30 days |
| VA Cash-Out Refinance | 40-55 days to 6 months |
While the average closing time for a VA home loan is 40 to 50 days, with seasoned VA loan lenders, it is possible to close a loan under 30 days with proper documentation, properties that meet the minimum eligibility requirement, and fast processing of appraisal and underwriting.
VA loans are designed to make house purchasing a more affordable process for eligible veterans and thus require comparatively more documentation, such as the Certificate of Eligibility (CoE). However, apart from that, the paperwork is more or less similar to a regular home loan.
The VA appraisal is ordered by your lender after the offer is accepted, and it takes anywhere between a week and 10 days. Appraisal is an essential step to ensure the property is safe, sound, and properly valued according to market standards.
Securing your dream home is no longer a time-consuming process. Reap the benefits of your service and secure a VA home loan that takes between 40 and 50 days to close and brings you closer to your new home.
With an experienced lender, make steps like appraisal and underwriting a cakewalk and organize all your paperwork, finances, and documentation for a smooth, predictable, and high-value approval.
