By Duane Buziak, NMLS #1110647
UpLending is Duane Buziak’s own independent mortgage brokerage, not a rate-comparison website or third-party platform. UpLending VA loan benefits come in two layers: the advantages built into the VA program (no down payment for eligible borrowers, no monthly mortgage insurance, flexible credit review) and the advantages of working with a broker who compares hundreds of wholesale lenders and can start with a soft credit pull.
The first layer is the same no matter who arranges your loan. The second decides how well you use it, because VA sets the rules of the program but each company that funds a VA loan sets its own standards on top. Below: how a VA loan works through a broker, the benefits veterans use most, the funding fee and other costs, a worked $400,000 example, a side-by-side comparison, and answers to common questions.
Who Runs UpLending and How a VA Loan Works Through a Broker
UpLending is run by me, Duane Buziak (NMLS #1110647). It is my own independent mortgage brokerage. When you work with UpLending, you work with me directly, not with a lead-generation site that passes your information along.
A VA loan is a mortgage made by a private company and partially guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. VA does not make the loan. The guaranty is what lets the funding company offer terms it otherwise would not, such as no down payment. To use it, you need a Certificate of Eligibility (COE), the document showing you have earned the benefit through your service. VA explains who qualifies on its VA home loan eligibility page, and a COE can be requested through VA’s COE page. I can also help you pull it.
A mortgage broker is a licensed professional who arranges your loan with a wholesale lender, a funding company that sells loans only through brokers. Instead of one company’s product shelf, I can compare VA programs from hundreds of wholesale lenders and match your file to the one whose guidelines fit it.
That matters because wholesale lenders do not all treat the same borrower the same way. One may accept a score another will not, or price a particular situation better. A broker with many sources can shop that difference for you; a single-shelf company can only offer what is on its own shelf.
I am a licensed mortgage broker in Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia. If you are buying or refinancing in one of those states, I can help.
The VA Loan Benefits Veterans Actually Use
Core program benefits
- 0% down for eligible borrowers. You can finance the full purchase price when your entitlement and the lender’s guidelines allow it.
- No monthly private mortgage insurance. Conventional loans with under 20% down usually carry it. VA loans do not, though they have a separate one-time funding fee (covered next).
- No VA-set loan limit for full entitlement. Borrowers with full entitlement are not capped by a VA loan limit, though the amount still has to fit your income and the funding company’s rules. County limits apply to borrowers with reduced entitlement. See VA’s loan limits page.
- Limits on certain closing costs. VA restricts which fees a veteran may be charged, which keeps some costs off your side of the table.
Flexible qualifying, and where overlays come in
VA sets no minimum credit score. In practice, individual wholesale lenders add overlays, extra requirements beyond VA’s own, and those vary. VA underwriting also looks at residual income, the money left each month after major obligations and living expenses, along with your debt-to-income ratio and COE. Overlays are exactly where shopping many wholesale lenders pays off: a file one source declines may fit another’s guidelines.
Broker-side benefits: soft pull first
I start veterans with my NoTouch Credit Pull, my process for reviewing your credit with a soft credit pull mortgage review, so there is no hard inquiry at the first step. That gives you a no hard inquiry mortgage pre-approval path: you see where you stand and which programs fit before your score takes any hit. A hard pull generally comes later, when you choose a loan and move to a full application with a specific wholesale lender. A mortgage pre-approval without hard pull is a starting point, not a final commitment.
This is how I put Dare to Compare into practice: compare real options first, commit second.
Beyond purchases
The program also covers refinancing, including the VA Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan (IRRRL) and the VA cash-out refinance. Rules vary by situation, so see VA’s IRRRL page for the details.
VA Funding Fee, Exemptions, and Other Costs to Plan For
The VA funding fee is a one-time charge paid to VA that helps keep the program running. It is not mortgage insurance, and it is not monthly. Most borrowers can roll it into the loan rather than pay it at closing.
As of 2026, the purchase fee on VA’s funding fee page works like this (verify current figures on VA.gov’s funding fee page before you rely on them):
- First use, less than 5% down: 2.15% of the loan amount
- Subsequent use, less than 5% down: 3.3%
- 5% to under 10% down: 1.5%
- 10% or more down: 1.25%
Fees for IRRRLs and cash-out refinances differ, so ask about your specific transaction.
Who pays no funding fee
Veterans receiving VA compensation for a service-connected disability are exempt, as are certain surviving spouses. Some service members who are eligible for disability compensation but still receiving retirement or active-duty pay may qualify too. If this could apply to you, confirm it on your COE or on VA’s funding fee page, because it can save thousands of dollars.
Other costs
“No down payment” is not “no costs.” Expect these:
- Appraisal: VA assigns the appraiser and sets minimum property standards.
- Title and settlement charges: title insurance, recording, and similar fees.
- Prepaid items: homeowners insurance, property tax escrow deposits, and prepaid interest.
Where seller concessions or credit structures apply, we can often build no-out-of-pocket closing options so that you bring little to nothing to closing. That depends on the contract, the property, and the loan, so I look at it case by case rather than promise it up front.
Worked Example: A $400,000 Home With 0% Down vs. 5% Down Conventional
The numbers below are an illustration, not a quote. I use 6.00% on a 30-year fixed loan purely for comparison; your actual rate depends on credit, property, market conditions, and the wholesale lender. Principal and interest comes from the standard formula: payment = loan × [r(1+r)n] ÷ [(1+r)n − 1], with r = 0.06 ÷ 12 = 0.005 and n = 360. At 6.00%, that works out to about $5.9955 per month per $1,000 borrowed.
Scenario 1: VA loan, 0% down, first use
- Price: $400,000. Down payment: $0
- Funding fee: 2.15% × $400,000 = $8,600, financed
- Loan amount: $408,600
- Principal and interest: 408.6 × $5.9955 ≈ $2,450 per month, with no monthly mortgage insurance
Scenario 2: Conventional, 5% down
- Down payment: 5% × $400,000 = $20,000
- Loan amount: $380,000
- Principal and interest: 380 × $5.9955 ≈ $2,278 per month
- Plus monthly private mortgage insurance, which varies with credit score and down payment. I leave out a dollar figure here because it differs so much by borrower. The CFPB explains it on its private mortgage insurance page.
What the comparison shows
The VA borrower keeps $20,000 in cash and finances $8,600 on top of the loan. The financed fee adds roughly $52 a month (8.6 × $5.9955). The VA principal and interest payment is about $172 higher than the conventional one, but the conventional payment is incomplete until mortgage insurance is added, which narrows that gap. A veteran exempt from the funding fee would borrow the full $400,000 and pay about $2,398 per month in principal and interest, with no fee at all.
Comparison Table: Broker Independence vs. Single-Shelf Direct Mortgage Companies
Rocket Mortgage and Movement Mortgage are well-known national companies that originate VA loans. The differences below come from how each business is built, not from any judgment about quality. Details are as of November 2026 and can change, so verify competitor processes on their websites.
| Feature | UpLending by Duane Buziak | Rocket Mortgage | Movement Mortgage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business model | Independent mortgage brokerage | Direct mortgage company | Direct mortgage company |
| Loan sources | Hundreds of wholesale lenders | The company’s own loan products | The company’s own loan products |
| Credit check at the start | Soft pull through NoTouch Credit Pull; hard pull later at full application | Verify current process on its website; a full application typically involves a hard pull | Verify current process on its website; a full application typically involves a hard pull |
| VA program breadth | Purchase, IRRRL, and cash-out options across many sources | VA purchase and refinance offered; scope set by the company | VA purchase and refinance offered; scope set by the company |
| Overlay shopping | Yes, I can move your file to another wholesale lender if overlays block it | Overlays are those of one company | Overlays are those of one company |
| Licensed states | Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia | Check the company’s licensing | Check the company’s licensing |
| Who services the loan | The funding wholesale lender or a servicer it designates; servicing can transfer | May retain servicing; verify | May retain servicing; verify |
Two points keep the comparison fair. A broker’s leverage is breadth: hundreds of wholesale lenders instead of one rate sheet. And NoTouch Credit Pull means starting digitally and with a soft pull is not a trade-off you accept by choosing a broker. On credibility, my Scotsman Guide Top Originator ranking (#114) and more than 1,400 five-star reviews reflect the volume and service behind that process.
VA Loan Benefits FAQ
What is UpLending?
UpLending is Duane Buziak’s own independent mortgage brokerage (NMLS #1110647). It is not a rate-comparison aggregator. I arrange VA loans with hundreds of wholesale lenders and handle your file personally from the first soft pull review through closing.
Who is eligible for a VA loan?
Eligibility depends on service history: veterans, active-duty members, National Guard and Reserve members who meet service requirements, and certain surviving spouses. A Certificate of Eligibility confirms it. See VA.gov’s eligibility page for current requirements.
Is there a down payment on a VA loan?
Eligible borrowers with full entitlement can often buy with 0% down. A down payment is optional and, at 5% or more, lowers the funding fee. You still plan for other closing costs, though seller credits and structure can sometimes leave little to nothing out of pocket at closing.
Is there PMI on a VA loan?
No. VA loans have no monthly private mortgage insurance, which is a major reason payments can run lower than on a low-down-payment conventional loan. The VA funding fee is a separate one-time charge, not PMI, and some veterans are exempt from it.
What is the VA funding fee?
A one-time fee paid to VA, usually financed into the loan. As of 2026, first use with under 5% down is 2.15% of the loan amount. Veterans receiving service-connected disability compensation are generally exempt. Check VA’s funding fee page for current rates.
Does shopping for a VA loan hurt my credit?
Not if you start the right way. My NoTouch Credit Pull is a soft credit pull, so there is no hard inquiry at the start. That makes a mortgage pre-approval without hard pull possible. A hard pull comes later, at full application. The CFPB’s homebuying guidance covers shopping around.
Is there a minimum credit score for a VA loan?
VA itself sets no minimum score. Individual wholesale lenders add their own overlays, which differ from one to the next. That is why shopping hundreds of them matters: a score one source turns away may be acceptable to another.
Where is Duane Buziak licensed?
I am a licensed mortgage broker in Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia. In Florida, I am a Florida-licensed broker serving clients statewide. You can confirm my license at NMLS Consumer Access.
Turning VA Loan Benefits Into a Loan You Can Close
The VA program gives you the foundation: no down payment for eligible borrowers, no monthly mortgage insurance, and flexible underwriting. A broker who compares hundreds of wholesale lenders, starting with a soft pull, helps make sure your file lands with the funding company whose guidelines fit your situation. Know your funding fee status first, because it changes your numbers more than any other single item.
Ready to experience a fast, simple, and stress-free path to homeownership or refinancing? Connect with our trusted mortgage experts today and discover the right loan solution tailored to your unique financial situation, whether you’re a first-time buyer, seasoned investor, or anywhere in between. To start a NoTouch Credit Pull with Up Lending by Duane Buziak, call 804-212-8663.