The Craziest VA Loan Advice I've Heard in Years
Jun 10, 2026
After nearly 20 years in the mortgage industry, I thought I'd heard just about everything.
Then I got a phone call that genuinely stopped me in my tracks.
A veteran and his spouse called my team after being told by one of the largest VA lenders in America that the only way they could buy a house was for him to re-enlist in the military.
No, seriously.
If you'd rather watch or listen to the full breakdown, here's the video.
When my team first told me the story, I assumed there was a missing piece of information. There had to be a misunderstanding somewhere.
There wasn't.
And the entire situation is a perfect example of why veterans need to be careful about who they trust for mortgage advice.
The Phone Call That Started It All
One of my team members, Alyssa, received a call from a military family who had been working with a very large VA lender.
The couple explained that the loan officer they were working with had told them that if they wanted to move to another state and buy a home, the husband would need to re-enlist in the military.
Naturally, Alyssa asked an important question:
"Does he want to re-enlist?"
The answer was no.
Not even a little.
This wasn't someone actively separating from the military or someone considering returning to service. This was a veteran who had already moved on with his civilian career and family life. Yet they had been led to believe that re-enlisting was necessary to qualify for a mortgage.
It Got Even Worse
As Alyssa continued the conversation, another issue surfaced.
The lender had also told the couple that if they moved to a new state and obtained new jobs, they would need to work in those positions for two full years before the income could be used to qualify for a mortgage.
That is simply not true.
In many situations, borrowers can use income from a new employer without waiting two years.
Lenders can often use a new position when there is a valid employment offer letter outlining:
- Salary or hourly income
- Employment terms
- Start date
- Any contingencies attached to employment
The employer does not have to be the same company.
The borrower does not need two years with the new employer.
There are guidelines and documentation requirements, but the blanket advice this family received was incorrect.
So I Called the Family Myself
At that point, I honestly thought there had to be a misunderstanding.
Maybe the veteran was still on active duty.
Maybe he was approaching separation.
Maybe there was some unusual circumstance.
So I called the family myself.
And that's when I learned the detail that made the story even more unbelievable.
The veteran had been out of the military for 10 years.
Ten years.
Not ten months.
Not one year.
Ten years.
He had built a civilian life, established a career, and was simply trying to buy a house.
Yet he had been told that re-enlisting was the solution.
Think About What That Advice Actually Means
This is where the situation becomes especially concerning.
A mortgage isn't just a financial decision.
Re-enlisting in the military isn't just a piece of paperwork.
Re-enlistment impacts:
- Career choices
- Family life
- Geographic location
- Future opportunities
- Long-term lifestyle decisions
A loan officer might only be looking at a military contract as a source of qualifying income.
But for the veteran and their family, that contract represents an entirely different life path.
You don't re-enlist because a lender tells you to.
You re-enlist because you genuinely want to do it.
Those are two very different things.
The Danger of Bad Mortgage Advice
This story highlights something I talk about all the time:
Just because a company does a lot of VA loans does not mean every loan officer at that company understands VA lending.
That's a hard truth, but it's true.
Large companies have thousands of employees.
Some are fantastic.
Some are inexperienced.
Some are highly trained.
Some are not.
Consumers often assume that a large lender automatically guarantees expertise.
Unfortunately, that's not always the case.
What matters is the individual professional you're working with and whether they're giving advice based on actual guidelines rather than assumptions.
The Advice Wouldn't Have Solved the Problem Anyway
What makes this situation even more frustrating is that the proposed solution may not have worked in the first place.
The loan officer was focused on obtaining military income, but the actual loan requirements involved additional factors that still needed to be addressed.
In other words, this veteran could have potentially changed the entire direction of his life and still not achieved the desired outcome.
That's why accurate guidance matters.
Mortgage decisions impact real people, real families, and real futures.
Bad information can create consequences far beyond a loan application.
Don't Assume Bigger Means Better
One of the biggest lessons from this story is that consumers need to ask questions.
If something sounds unusual, ask why.
If something doesn't make sense, ask for clarification.
If someone tells you that you need to make a major life decision in order to qualify for a mortgage, get a second opinion.
Whether it's:
- Re-enlisting in the military
- Changing careers
- Paying off large amounts of debt
- Selling assets
- Making major financial changes
Always understand the reasoning behind the recommendation before moving forward.
A second opinion can save you from making decisions based on misinformation.
Good Mortgage Advice Should Empower You—Not Redirect Your Life
The purpose of a mortgage professional is to help you understand your options.
It's not to tell you how to live your life.
A good lender should:
- Explain the guidelines clearly
- Review available options
- Help you understand risks
- Provide accurate information
- Allow you to make informed decisions
The goal should always be education and empowerment, not pushing borrowers toward life choices they never intended to make.
If Something Sounds Crazy, Get a Second Opinion
When I first heard this story, I thought there had to be missing information.
There wasn't.
Sometimes bad advice is simply bad advice.
If a lender is telling you something that sounds completely unreasonable, don't assume they're right just because they're a large company or a well-known name.
Ask questions.
Verify the information.
Talk to another lender.
Because major life decisions deserve accurate information.
And nobody should be considering re-enlisting in the military simply because a loan officer misunderstood mortgage guidelines.
If you're buying a home, using your VA loan benefit, or you've been told something that doesn't sound quite right, my team and I are always happy to help you understand your options and separate fact from fiction.
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