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Veterans United is currently the largest lender of VA loans, and it earned "best overall" in our guide to the best VA mortgage lenders. It's a good option for several types of mortgages — though VA loans are its strongest products. The lender ranks extremely high in customer satisfaction, and it also offers free credit counseling for VA borrowers who don't yet meet its credit requirements.
Veterans United Home Loans
Veterans United Home Loans, NMLS 1907
Insider’s Rating
4.22/5
Perks
Offers free assistance to borrowers with poor credit scores
Recommended Credit
620
Types of Loans Offered
Conforming, jumbo, FHA, USDA, VA, refinance
Pros
- Largest VA lender in the U.S.
- Ranks high in customer satisfaction
- Free credit counseling
Cons
- No home equity loan, HELOC, reverse mortgage, or construction loan
- Can't see customized interest rates online
Insider’s Take
Veterans United is currently the largest lender of VA loans, and it earned "best overall" in our guide to the best VA mortgage lenders. It's a good option for several types of mortgages — though VA loans are its strongest products.
Product Details
- Offers mortgages in all 50 US states and Washington, DC
- Branches in 17 US states
- Refinancing options for VA, conforming, and jumbo mortgages
- Minimum credit score listed is for VA mortgages, which usually do not require a down payment
Understanding Veterans United Home Loans
VA Loan Specialists
Veterans United is the largest originator of VA loans in the U.S., according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The company has been around since 2002, and it has a ton of experience working with VA loan borrowers and helping them close on their loans.
Loan Options
Veterans United specializes in VA mortgages, but it also offers:
- Conforming loans
- Jumbo loans
- FHA loans
- USDA loans
It can be hard to find information for non-VA loans on its website.
Nationwide Lending and Local Branches
Veterans United originates mortgages in all 50 states and Washington, DC. You can apply online, over the phone, or get started at a branch near you. Veterans United has branches in the following states:
- Alabama
- California
- Colorado
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Kentucky
- Nebraska
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
- Washington
Veterans United Home Loans Mortgage Interest Rates and Fees
In our review of the latest Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data, we found that Veterans United's rates are slightly higher than average.
You can see sample VA mortgage rates for different credit score ranges on the Veterans United website. But you'll need to start an application or talk to a loan officer to see rates for other types of mortgages, or to get a personalized rate.
In 2022, the average borrower getting a conventional loan from Veterans United paid $2,700 in origination charges, according to HMDA data. This is slightly low compared to other lenders. VA loan borrowers paid $2,125 on average.
Veterans United Home Loans Overall Lender Rating
Loan Types: 3.5 out of 5
Veterans United has pretty standard loan offerings, including both conventional and government-backed mortgages. But you won't find any home equity options or niche mortgages types with this lender.
Affordability: 3.5 out of 5
Veterans United earns points in affordability for having multiple low down payment mortgage options and low average fees. It also offers free credit counseling for hopeful VA loan borrowers who don't meet the loan's credit requirements. But its average rates are a bit high compared to other lenders.
Customer Satisfaction: 4.89 out of 5
Veterans United doesn't qualify to rank in the J.D. Power 2023 Primary Mortgage Origination Satisfaction Survey because it doesn't meet certain criteria, but J.D. Power notes that the lender would rank highly if it was eligible.
This lender also has a lot of positive online customer reviews. On its Zillow lender profile, it earned a 4.78 out of 5 stars based on over 5,000 customer reviews. On TrustPilot, it has a 4.9 out of 5 star rating based on over 11,000 customer reviews.
Trustworthiness: 5 out of 5
The Better Business Bureau gives Veterans United an A+ rating. A strong BBB score indicates a company responds effectively to customer complaints, advertises honestly, and is transparent about business practices.
Veterans United doesn't have any recent public scandals.
Veterans United Home Loans Pros and Cons
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Top VA Lender With a Reputation for Great Customer Service
Veterans United has more than two decades of experience lending to veterans, military families, and other borrowers. It's currently the largest VA loan lender in the country.
This experience and expertise is reflected in customer reviews and its J.D. Power rating. Though the lender didn't meet the criteria to rank in J.D. Power's satisfaction study, it earned a higher score than the No. 1 lender, Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation.
Free Credit Counseling
If you want to get a VA loan with this lender but your credit score isn't high enough to qualify, you may be eligible for free credit counseling from Veterans United. They may recommend opening a secured credit card or resolving previous defaults to boost your score.
No Niche Mortgage Types
While Veterans United's loan options should meet most borrowers' needs, if you're looking for a less common type of mortgage (like a reverse mortgage or a physician loan), you'll need to look elsewhere.
It also doesn't offer home equity loans or HELOCs.
What Borrowers Are Saying About Veterans United Home Loans
Business Insider looked at positive and negative customer reviews, online forums, BBB complaints, and other sources to understand what borrowers think about Veterans United.
Knowledgeable Pros, Fast Process
This lender stands out for offering excellent customer service. In reviews, previous borrowers said their Veterans United loan officers were extremely helpful and kept them informed throughout the process. We also saw many comments that the mortgage process with this lender was smooth and quick.
How Veterans United Home Loans Compares
Veterans United vs. Navy Federal Credit Union mortgages
Navy Federal Credit Union also ranks high in customer satisfaction (though not as high as Veterans United), and it has a number of affordable mortgage options for both VA and non-VA borrowers.
Navy Federal's Military Choice and Homebuyers Choice programs offer 0% down mortgages for those who have exhausted their VA loan benefit or borrowers who don't qualify for a VA loan. It also offers home equity loans and HELOCs. But unlike Veterans United, it doesn't offer FHA or USDA loans.
Navy Federal Credit Union Mortgage Review
Veterans United vs. USAA mortgages
USAA Mortgage offers an extremely limited range of mortgages that includes conventional and VA loans. USAA is a popular VA loan lender, and you might like it if you have a USAA membership.
But USAA doesn't rank as high in customer satisfaction compared to Veterans United. If customer service is important to you, you might prefer Veterans United.
USAA Mortgage Review
Veterans United Home Loans FAQs
Does Veterans United have high closing costs?
Based on the latest HMDA data, Veteran United's origination charges (which make up part of your closing costs) are on the low end compared to other lenders.
Is Veterans United a direct lender?
Yes, Veterans United is a direct lender. This means it originates its own loans, as opposed to amortgage broker, which connects borrowers with multiple lenders to find the best match.
Are Veterans United's rates better than other lenders?
When we reviewed HMDA data, we found that Veterans United's mortgage rates were slightly high compared to other lenders.
Does Veterans United offer good customer service?
Veterans United has a reputation for offering great customer service, and earns high satisfaction ratings from previous borrowers.
Can anyone get a loan through Veterans United?
Veterans United doesn't require a membership like some other popular VA lenders do, so anyone who qualifies can get a loan from this lender.
Should I use Veterans United or a local lender?
Since Veterans United is such a large lender, you may also want to get a quote from a smaller, local lender to compare their rates and fees. Many times, local lenders can be more affordable.
What are some alternatives to Veterans United?
You might want to explore some other lenders that specialize in VA loans, like USAA or Navy Federal. There are also many lenders that don't focus on VA loans that are still good VA lenders. Do some research and get multiple quotes to see who can offer you the best deal.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed Veterans United Home Loans
To review Veterans United, we used our methodology for reviewing mortgage lenders.
At Business Insider, we look at four factors — loan types, affordability, customer satisfaction, and trustworthiness — and give each a rating between 1 and 5. Then we average these individual ratings for the overall lender rating. Lenders get higher ratings if they offer a high number of loan types with affordable features, have positive customer reviews, and don't have any recent public controversies.
Mortgage Reporter
Molly Grace is a mortgage reporter for Business Insider with over six years of experience writing about mortgages and homeownership.ExperienceIn addition to her daily mortgage rate coverage, Molly also writes mortgage lender reviews and educational articles on homebuying and analyzes data and economic trends to give readers actionable and up-to-date information about the housing market.She also tracks affordable mortgage and down payment assistance programs offered throughout the country to keep her readers informed of homebuyer programs available to them.Before Business Insider, Molly was a blog writer for Rocket Companies and helped to create Rocket Mortgage’s Shorty Award-winning podcast Home. Made.Molly is passionate about covering personal finance topics with empathy. Her goal is to make homebuying knowledge more accessible, especially for groups that may think homeownership is out of reach.ExpertiseMolly is an expert in the following topics:
- Mortgages and mortgage lenders
- Home equity
- The housing market
- The economy and the forces that impact mortgage rates
- Budgeting and saving
- Credit
- Insurance
- Retirement savings
EducationMolly earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Indiana University.She is based in Michigan and has a dog and two cats.
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