Veterans, active-duty service members, and eligible surviving spouses
VA Home Loans — from a Loan Officer Who Served
VA loans let eligible Veterans, active-duty service members, and surviving spouses buy a home with $0 down, no private mortgage insurance, and competitive rates. As a Marine Corps Veteran and VA loan specialist, Cris Pacheco has helped hundreds of fellow Veterans across Orange County and California use the benefit they earned.
★★★★★ 210+ five-star reviews · Free consultation · No credit pull to start
Why Veterans choose a VA loan
The VA loan is the strongest mortgage product in America — if you know how to use it. No down payment on most purchases, no monthly mortgage insurance, limited closing costs, flexible credit requirements, and a benefit you can reuse for life.
The catch: many lenders treat VA files as an afterthought, and many listing agents still (wrongly) see VA offers as weak. Working with a loan officer who is himself a Marine Veteran — and who realtors across Orange County already know closes VA deals on time — changes how your offer is received.
How the process works
1. Certificate of Eligibility — we pull your COE for you, usually same-day. 2. Pre-approval — full credit and income review so your offer is bulletproof, not a 10-minute pre-qual. 3. Shop with confidence — we brief your agent on how we present VA offers to listing agents. 4. VA appraisal & underwriting — we manage timelines so you close on schedule. 5. Keys.
Full entitlement means no loan limit — VA jumbo purchases in coastal Orange County are absolutely doable, and they're one of our specialties.
VA loan options we handle
- ✓ VA Purchase — $0 down, including VA jumbo for high-cost OC markets
- ✓ VA IRRRL (Streamline Refinance) — lower your rate with minimal paperwork
- ✓ VA Cash-Out Refinance — access equity for debt consolidation or investment
- ✓ VA Renovation & Construction loans
- ✓ Funding-fee exemptions for Veterans with service-connected disability ratings
The Process
Getting a VA loan done
Most people put this off because it feels enormous. It isn't. Here's the whole thing.
- 0115 minutes
A real conversation
Tell Cris what you're trying to do. He'll tell you honestly what's possible, what it costs, and what to fix first. No credit pull, no obligation, English or Spanish.
- 0224–48 hours
A pre-approval that holds up
Full credit and income review — not a 10-minute pre-qual. Your agent gets a lender who calls listing agents to vouch for your file, which is how offers get accepted.
- 03Typically 21–30 days
Close on time
You get updates before you have to ask for them. Texts get answered the same day — usually within the hour. That's what 210+ five-star reviews are actually describing.
VA Loans — Questions We Get Every Week
+Who is eligible for a VA loan?
Veterans who meet minimum service requirements (generally 90 consecutive days of active duty during wartime or 181 days during peacetime), members of the National Guard or Reserves with six years of service, and surviving spouses of service members who died in the line of duty or from a service-connected disability. We verify your Certificate of Eligibility for you at no cost.
+Can I use a VA loan more than once?
Yes. The VA loan is a lifetime, reusable benefit. With full entitlement restored, you can buy again with $0 down. You can even have two VA loans at the same time in some situations, such as a PCS move.
+Is there a VA loan limit in Orange County?
No — if you have full entitlement, there is no VA loan limit. Veterans buy $1M+ homes in Orange County with $0 down. If you have reduced entitlement from a prior VA loan, county limits may apply, and we'll calculate exactly what you qualify for.
+What is the VA funding fee?
A one-time fee that keeps the program running: typically 2.15% for first use with $0 down, 3.3% for subsequent use, reduced with a down payment. Veterans receiving VA disability compensation are usually exempt — a detail some lenders miss and we always check first.
Rather just talk it through?
Call or text Cris directly. English or Spanish, no pressure, and no credit pull to get a straight answer about VA loans.
★★★★★ 210+ five-star reviews · Texts answered same day · Ready to apply? Start your application