Selling a House with a VA Mortgage

Selling your home with an existing mortgage balance is certainly possible. In fact, many homeowners do just that if they’re looking to upsize or downsize before the end of the loan term.

Mortgage Payoff Quote

Your mortgage payoff amount is the amount needed to close the loan. This is slightly different from your remaining balance, as it includes accrued interest and other fees the lender might add. It’s important to note that a payoff quote has an expiration date, which is usually between 10 to 30 days. After that, you’ll need to get an updated one.

Determining Home Equity

Home equity is the financial stake you have in your home. It's the difference between what you currently owe on your mortgage and what your house is worth on the market. Equity also represents what you earn on your home when you sell it, minus the loan payoff and other sales-related expenses. Subtracting the amount owed on your mortgage from the approximate market value of your home will help determine your total home equity.

Short Sale

A short sale takes place when your lender lets you sell the home for less than what remains on the loan. This allows the lender to recoup at least some cash, while avoiding the hassle and expense of foreclosure.

Keep in mind that a short sale could negatively impact your ability to purchase a new home in the future. Additionally, you’ll forfeit your original down payment and your credit score will likely take a hit.

Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC)

A HELOC is a line of credit that uses your home equity as collateral. This means you can pull out money from your earned equity without having to sell your home.

HELOCs consist of a draw period and a repayment period. These periods can last anywhere from 15 to 30 years and can put your home equity into negative territory, making it more difficult to sell.

VA Cash-Out Refinance

A cash-out refinance creates a new loan on your home, allowing you to convert your home equity into cash. You can borrow up to 90% of your home's value, as long as you meet specific VA guidelines which include at least six monthly payments on your current loan, and a refinance date at least 210 days after the first payment was due on your current loan.

While this option can give you extra cash similar to HELOCs, it also can create negative home equity.

Outstanding Mortgage With a Typical Home Sale

During a typical home sale, you should be able to sell your home for more than what you owe on the mortgage. Those funds are typically used to pay off additional expenses from the sale, with the leftover representing your profit. It is important to check your estimated profit from selling your home before starting the process, so you have an idea of how much equity your house has.

Here's how the proceeds from your home sale are directed:

1. Existing Mortgage

The majority of funds generated from the sale will first go toward the remaining mortgage balance on the home you sold. In most cases, you should be able to pay that loan off, with some funds left over.

2. Additional Loans and Liens

If there are existing home equity loans or tax liens against the house you sold, this must be paid off by the sales proceeds. These loans might include HELOCs or second mortgages.

3. Transactions and Closing Costs

Other fees connected to home sales can include agent commission, transfer taxes, title insurance fees, attorney costs and any repairs or remediations made to the home.

4. Remaining Money

Anything remaining after the above has been paid off is your profit; you can do whatever you wish with that extra money.

Impact of Selling Your Home on VA Loan Entitlement

Every time you use a VA loan, you lose a portion of your VA loan entitlement. Your entitlement is tied up with your property until the loan is fully repaid. If you sell your home and pay off the loan balance, you can restore your entitlement. If you're selling your home through a short sale, however, you won't be able to pay the entire loan back.

This means that the portion of your VA entitlement used on your home loan will no longer be accessible. The only way to restore that entitlement is to reimburse the VA, which is typically not a good financial decision. However, you could have enough remaining entitlement, or what’s called second-tier entitlement, to purchase a future home without a down payment.

It is possible to sell your home with an existing mortgage, and many homeowners do just that. For more information, talk with a loan specialist here at Veterans United concerning next steps and available options.

You can also use Veterans United Realty to sell your home. Veterans United Realty is an independent affiliate partner of Veterans United Home Loans with a nationwide network of Veteran-friendly real estate agents to help you find a locally-licensed agent.

^{Veterans United Realty. Veterans United Realty is not affiliated with any government agencies, including the VA. Licensed Real Estate Brokerage 1400 Forum Blvd., Ste. 19A, Columbia, MO 65201. For full licensing information, visit www.veteransunitedrealty.com Equal Housing Opportunity}

^{*Veterans United Realty and Veterans United Home Loans offer a bundled service program involving the Veterans United Realty rebate in the form of a lender credit at closing, which can be applied toward costs or to lower the mortgage rate. Veterans United Realty (VUR) offers a rebate in the form of cash back after closing on a qualifying real estate transaction with a referred Veterans United Realty network agent and is not conditioned on the consumer's choice of lender. *Due to state law, the rebate is not available in the following states. AL, AK, IA, KS, LA, MO, MS, OK, OR, or TN. VUR will process the rebate upon confirmation of a qualifying real estate transaction, typically in the form of a closing disclosure. The amount of the rebate is based on price of the home and is paid by Veterans United Realty. For example, Veterans United Realty provides a rebate of $100 for a home price up to $249,999. The offer is valid to customers who opt-in to Veterans United Realty services effective 7/9/2018. This offer is also valid to customers who initially opted-in to Veterans United Realty services prior to 7/9/18 and who are referred to Veterans United Realty again after a period greater than 365 days from their initial opt-in. This is not a solicitation if you are already represented by a real estate broker. Cannot be combined with other offers.}