Residential · Calculator
VA + Non-Veteran Co-Borrower
Down payment math when a veteran buys with a non-veteran. VA guarantees only the veteran's portion — the non-veteran's share needs the full 25% covered by down payment.
Property
Set equal to sales price unless you have a low appraisal.
Borrower Mix
Default 50% on a vet + single-non-vet purchase. Adjust if the parties hold title in unequal shares.
Loan Terms
Down Payment Required
$75,000
12.50% of purchase price — covers the 25% guaranty on the non-veteran portion only.
Borrower Split
50% vet / 50% non-vet split — 12.5% down required on non-vet portion
Cash to Close
Why this works the way it does: VA only guarantees the veteran's portion of a joint loan. When a non-veteran (spouse, fiancé(e), partner, parent, sibling) is on the loan, that person's share gets no VA backing — so the lender requires the standard 25% combined coverage on the non-vet portion via down payment. The veteran's 25% guaranty doesn't extend to the non-vet's share. An "eligible spouse" with their own COE qualifies as a joint VA loan instead — different math, full guaranty.
Frequently asked
About this calculator.
Can a non-veteran be on a VA loan?
Yes — VA explicitly allows it. A veteran can take a VA loan jointly with a non-veteran co-borrower (spouse, fiancé(e), partner, parent, sibling, business partner). However, VA only guarantees the *veteran's* portion of the loan. The non-veteran's share has no government backing, which means the lender requires standard 25% combined coverage on that portion via down payment.
How much down payment is required when buying with a non-veteran?
On a typical 50/50 vet + non-vet purchase: 12.5% of the total purchase price. The math: VA covers 25% × 50% (vet share) = 12.5% via guaranty. The non-vet's 50% share needs 25% × 50% = 12.5% covered by down payment. If the split is different (75% vet / 25% non-vet, for example), the down payment scales proportionally — 25% × 25% = 6.25% in that case.
What about a married veteran buying with a spouse?
Two scenarios. (1) If the spouse is also an eligible veteran or active-duty service member with their own COE, the loan is a "joint VA loan" — full guaranty on the entire loan amount, no down payment required. (2) If the spouse is a civilian (no VA eligibility), this calculator's math applies — non-vet co-borrower scenario, down payment required on the non-vet's share. In community-property states, an automatic 50/50 split is common; in other states, the parties can choose any title-share that's legally valid.
Can I avoid the down payment by leaving the non-veteran off the loan?
Yes — if the non-veteran does not need to be on the loan to qualify, leaving them off makes the deal a sole-veteran VA loan with full 25% guaranty and zero down. The veteran is then the sole borrower of record (the non-veteran can still be on title). Common when the veteran has sufficient income to qualify alone and the non-veteran's credit or income would otherwise hurt the file. Worth running both scenarios — sole-veteran often wins on monthly payment even if the joint application would have qualified.
What is the funding fee on a vet + non-vet loan?
Standard VA funding fee, calculated against the full loan amount (not just the veteran's portion). On a $600K purchase with 12.5% down, the loan amount is $525K. First-use funding fee at 1.50% (for a 5–9.99% down purchase tier — wait, actually 12.5% down lands in the ≤90% LTV tier, so 1.25%). The funding fee follows the same LTV-based table as any other VA purchase.
Does the non-veteran sign the note and the deed?
Yes to both — joint borrowers sign the note (creating joint and several liability for repayment) and the deed (creating joint title ownership). The non-veteran's income and credit are pulled and counted toward qualifying. Only the VA guaranty itself is limited to the veteran's share — everything else about the loan operates as a joint mortgage.
How is title typically held?
Joint tenants with right of survivorship is the most common — when one party dies, their share passes automatically to the survivor. Tenants in common is the alternative — each party owns a defined share, which passes per their will or state intestacy rules at death. Vesting depends on the parties' relationship, estate planning, and state law. We don't give legal advice but we coordinate with the title company to make sure the vesting matches what the borrowers intend.
Vet + non-vet purchases need real math
Run both scenarios — joint and sole-veteran.
In many cases the sole-veteran VA loan wins on monthly payment even if the joint application qualifies. Twenty-minute call — we'll quote both side-by-side and tell you which structure produces the better outcome.
Prefer to talk first? Call (707) 583-3666