Guides › Can you assume a VA loan if you're not a veteran?

Assuming a VA loan: who can, what it costs, and how long it takes

Anyone who qualifies with the loan servicer can take over a seller's VA loan, rate and all. You don't have to be a veteran. Right now 542 Georgia homes for sale have a VA loan from 2020 to early 2022, 343 of them under 3% (the rate from loan records on most, estimated on the rest).

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Who can assume a VA loan

Any qualified buyer. You need to meet VA's credit and income standards, and the loan has to be current. Veteran status isn't required.
The servicer decides. Servicers with VA's "automatic authority" approve it themselves; others send the file to VA. They can't add their own extra requirements, and a denied buyer or seller can appeal to VA within 30 days.
No occupancy rule for non-veterans. Living in the home is required only when a veteran buyer substitutes their entitlement (below).

What happens to the seller's VA entitlement

If you aren't a veteran, the seller's entitlement stays tied to the loan until it's paid off, which limits their next VA loan. That's why some sellers prefer veteran buyers. A veteran buyer can substitute their own entitlement if they have a Certificate of Eligibility with at least as much entitlement as the loan used and plan to live in the home. Separately, the seller can be released from liability to VA once the assumption is approved.

What it costs

VA funding fee: 0.5% of the loan balance, paid in cash at closing (it can't be added to the loan). It's waived for veterans who receive VA disability compensation, surviving spouses who receive DIC, and a few others.
Servicer's processing fee: up to $300 ($250 when VA has to approve), plus the actual cost of the credit report. Since February 2024 servicers can add a locality amount, which is $404 in the South, including Georgia. So expect at most about $704 plus the credit report, before title, recording, and escrow charges.
Cash to assume: you pay the seller the difference between the price and the loan balance, in cash or with a second loan if the servicer allows one. This is usually the biggest cost.

A bill in Congress (H.R. 6047) would raise the assumption funding fee to 1%. It passed the House in May 2026 but isn't law as of October 2026.

How long it takes

VA requires the servicer to decide within 45 days of a complete application, extendable only for documented third-party delays. Closings often take 45 to 90 days in practice, so ask the listing agent which servicer holds the loan and start early.

A real Georgia example

108 Sunnymeade Dr, Valdosta is listed at $285,000 with a VA loan recorded in Jan 2020, at 2.25% (from the loan's public records).

$155,963cash to assume (estimate)
$594/mopayment if assumed
$296/moless than a new loan at 7.36%

Estimates from public records: principal and interest only. Confirm the balance and rate with the seller's servicer.

Before you make an offer

Ask the listing agent to confirm the loan is a VA loan and that the seller is open to an assumption.
Get the exact balance, rate, and payment from the servicer. Our numbers are estimates from public records.
Work out the cash to assume and how you'll cover it.
If you're a veteran, decide whether to substitute your entitlement; the seller will likely ask.

Questions about a VA assumption?

Ask about assuming a loan before you make an offer: how much cash you'd really need, whether a 2nd loan is likely, and what the servicer will want from you. Free, by email, no account needed.

Talk to an assumption expert Answered by Joey Thompson, who runs Find Assumables. Not a real estate agent.

Homes with assumable loans by city: Atlanta (43) · Savannah (29) · Dallas (28) · Grovetown (25) · Lawrenceville (25) · McDonough (24) · Douglasville (22) · Marietta (22) · Evans (21) · Canton (20) · Valdosta (20) · Augusta (18). See also assuming an FHA loan and finding assumable homes in Georgia.

Sources

Rules as of October 2026. Not legal or financial advice; your servicer has the final word.

Rates come from each loan's public records (HUD's FHA records or the lender's federal HMDA report) where we can match the loan; the rest are estimates from the average 30-year rate in the month the loan was recorded (VA loans usually came in lower; FHA loans landed on both sides). Balances are estimates: the original loan amount from public records, paid down to today. Prices are from the listing when we first found it; check the listing for the current price. Savings compare the same loan amount at today's average rate. Not a brokerage, lender, or advisor; confirm everything with the listing agent and the loan servicer.