Kentucky VA Home Loans 2026 | $0 Down VA Mortgage Lender KY

Home › Kentucky Mortgage Loans › VA Loans 2026

Kentucky Veterans & Active Duty

Kentucky VA Home Loans: $0 Down for Veterans in 2026

No down payment. No monthly mortgage insurance. No loan limit if you have full entitlement. Here is exactly how a VA mortgage works in Kentucky — and what it costs.

• $0 Down Payment
• 20+ Years Experience
• 1,300+ KY Families Helped
• All 120 Counties
• Same-Day Pre-Approval

Get Your Free VA Pre-Approval

Last updated: July 2026  |  Reviewed by Joel Lobb, Mortgage Loan Officer, NMLS #57916  |  Louisville, Kentucky

A Kentucky VA home loan is the strongest mortgage program available to veterans, active duty service members, National Guard and Reserve members, and eligible surviving spouses. It is the only widely available loan that combines zero down payment with no monthly mortgage insurance — a combination FHA, USDA, and conventional financing cannot match.

The Department of Veterans Affairs does not lend the money. VA guarantees a portion of the loan, which is what allows an approved lender to finance 100% of the purchase price. Since January 1, 2020, veterans with full entitlement have no VA county loan limit at all — the cap depends on what a lender will approve, not on where in Kentucky you buy.

This guide covers the 2026 rules as they actually stand: current funding fee percentages, how entitlement math works, the residual income figures Kentucky falls under, and where VA policy ends and individual lender overlays begin. If you want your own numbers run, call or text 502-905-3708.

On this page

1. How a Kentucky VA loan works
2. Who is eligible & the COE
3. 2026 credit & income requirements
4. Loan limits & entitlement math
5. 2026 VA funding fee chart
6. Closing costs & seller concessions
7. VA refinance: IRRRL & cash-out
8. VA vs FHA vs USDA vs conventional
9. Kentucky-specific VA rules
10. Document checklist
11. Frequently asked questions
12. Get pre-approved

The Kentucky VA Loan at a Glance

2026 Program Snapshot

$0Down payment required

$0Monthly mortgage insurance, ever

NoneLoan limit with full entitlement

2.15%Funding fee, first use, $0 down

0%Funding fee with service-connected disability

120Kentucky counties served

Figures reflect VA policy in effect July 2026. Funding fee per VA Circular 26-23-06, effective for loans closing on or after April 7, 2023.

Watch: Kentucky VA Loan Myths Busted — What Veterans Need to Know. Joel Lobb, NMLS #57916

How a Kentucky VA Home Loan Actually Works

VA does not issue mortgages. It guarantees roughly 25% of the loan amount against loss, and that guaranty is what convinces a lender to finance 100% of the purchase price with nothing down. You apply through a VA-approved lender; VA stands behind the loan.

That structure produces five advantages you will not find together in any other program:

• 1 True zero down payment

  VA finances up to 100% of the purchase price or appraised value, whichever is lower. On a $300,000 Kentucky home with full entitlement, the required down payment is $0 — compared with $10,500 on FHA at 3.5% down.

• 2 No monthly mortgage insurance

  FHA charges monthly MIP that usually never falls off. Conventional loans under 20% down charge PMI. VA charges neither. On a $300,000 loan, skipping FHA's monthly MIP alone saves roughly $150–$175 every month.

• 3 No loan limit with full entitlement

  The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act removed county loan limits for full-entitlement borrowers effective January 1, 2020. Limits now apply only if part of your entitlement is tied up in another VA loan.

• 4 The residual income test

  VA is the only major program that measures actual dollars left over after your bills each month, not just a debt ratio. This is why veterans with higher debt ratios often get approved for VA when they would be declined elsewhere.

• 5 Assumable and no prepayment penalty

  A VA loan is one of the few fixed-rate mortgages a qualified buyer can assume. If you lock a low rate today and rates are higher when you sell, that assumable loan becomes a real selling advantage. You can also pay off early with no penalty.

• 6 Reusable benefit

  VA entitlement is not one-and-done. Sell the home and pay off the loan, and your entitlement is restored for the next purchase. In some relocation situations you can even hold two VA loans at once.

Kentucky note: VA loans are for primary residences you occupy. They cannot be used for vacation homes or rental property. You can, however, buy a 2–4 unit property and rent the other units as long as you live in one of them.

Find Out What You Qualify For Today

I will pull your Certificate of Eligibility, review your income and credit, and tell you your real purchase price — usually the same day.

Call or Text 502-905-3708

Who Is Eligible for a VA Loan in Kentucky?

Eligibility is based on service history. You may qualify if any one of the following applies:

• Active duty service

  • 90 continuous days during wartime, or
  • 181 continuous days during peacetime
  • Currently serving with 90+ continuous days also qualifies

• National Guard & Reserves

  • Six years of service, or
  • 90+ days of active-duty service, at least 30 of them consecutive
  • Kentucky Guard members frequently qualify and do not realize it

• Surviving spouses

  • Unmarried spouse of a veteran who died on active duty or from a service-connected disability
  • Spouses who remarried at or after age 57 and on or after December 16, 2003 may still be eligible
  • Spouse of a service member MIA or a POW for at least 90 days — one-time use

• Certificate of Eligibility (COE)

  • The COE is the only document that proves your entitlement
  • Most COEs come back electronically in minutes — I pull them at no cost
  • Have your DD-214 handy; Guard and Reserve may need a statement of service or NGB-22

Do not let a missing DD-214 stop you. If you cannot find your discharge paperwork, I can usually still obtain your COE electronically. Requesting a replacement DD-214 from the National Archives takes weeks; the COE usually does not.

Kentucky VA Loan Requirements in 2026

This is the section most websites get wrong, because they blur the line between what VA requires and what an individual lender requires on top of it. Those are two different things, and the difference decides plenty of approvals.

Credit score: VA sets no minimum

VA publishes no minimum credit score. Its standard is that the borrower represents a satisfactory credit risk, and VA training material states plainly that a lack of credit history is not by itself viewed as a negative.

Lenders then add their own overlays. In 2026 that generally looks like:

Typical 2026 lender credit overlays on VA loans — lender policy, not VA policy.

Credit score	What to expect
660 and above	Best pricing, widest lender choice, smooth automated approval
620–659	The most common overlay floor; approvals are routine
580–619	Workable with a VA-focused lender or broker; fewer options, compensating factors help
Below 580	Harder, but not automatically dead — manual underwrite with strong residual income and clean recent history

Because I work as a broker rather than a single retail lender, I can shop your file against several VA investors. A score that one lender declines is often approvable at another with a lower overlay.

Residual income — the test unique to VA

After your mortgage payment, taxes, insurance, HOA, and every other monthly debt is subtracted from your gross income, VA requires a minimum number of dollars left over for living expenses. Kentucky sits in VA's South region. These are the figures your file is measured against:

VA residual income requirements — South region (includes Kentucky), loan amounts of $80,000 and above.

Family size	Required monthly residual
1 person	$441
2 people	$738
3 people	$889
4 people	$1,003
5 people	$1,039
Each additional	Add $80 per person, up to a family of 7

For loan amounts under $80,000 the South-region figures are lower: $382 for one person, $641 for two, $772 for three, $868 for four, and $902 for five, adding $75 for each additional member.

Debt-to-income: why 41% is a signpost, not a wall

VA's benchmark debt-to-income ratio is 41%. It is not a hard cap. When your DTI exceeds 41%, the loan can still be approved — and here is the rule that matters: if your residual income exceeds the required figure by at least 20%, the underwriter does not need to document additional compensating factors for the high ratio.

Worked example. A Kentucky family of four needs $1,003 in residual income. Clear $1,003 × 1.20 = $1,203.60 per month after every bill, and a DTI above 41% stops being an obstacle on its own. This is exactly why veterans with student loans or a car payment still get approved for VA when conventional underwriting says no.

One more piece that helps Kentucky veterans: VA disability compensation is non-taxable income and can be grossed up for qualifying purposes, which lowers your ratio on paper without changing a dollar of what you actually receive.

Employment and income stability

VA looks for a two-year history of stable income. Base pay and military allowances, including BAH, count as qualifying income when they are stable and expected to continue. Self-employment generally needs two years of filed returns averaged together. Gaps in employment need a reasonable written explanation, and schooling or trade training in your field can count toward the two years.

After bankruptcy, foreclosure, or a short sale

VA seasoning guidance after derogatory credit events. Individual lenders may impose longer waits.

Event	VA guidance	Shorter path
Chapter 7 bankruptcy	2 years from discharge	1–2 years may work if the cause was outside your control and credit is re-established
Chapter 13 bankruptcy	No 2-year wait required	12 months of on-time plan payments plus trustee or court permission — you can still be in the plan
Foreclosure	2 years from the sale date	1 year possible with documented extenuating circumstances and re-established credit
Short sale / deed-in-lieu	No VA-mandated waiting period	Judged on your overall credit profile; most lenders overlay 2 years

Important: if the foreclosure or short sale was on a VA loan that closed at a loss, the entitlement tied to that loss is not restored. There may be no time bar, but your available entitlement is reduced — which affects how much you can borrow with nothing down. Worth checking before you shop.

Kentucky VA Loan Limits and Entitlement in 2026

Almost every outdated page on the internet still tells Kentucky veterans to look up their county loan limit. For most borrowers, that is no longer how it works.

If you have full entitlement, there is no VA loan limit. Effective for loans closed on or after January 1, 2020, under the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019, VA guarantees 25% of the loan amount with no dollar cap. Your ceiling is what a lender will approve based on your income and credit — not a county chart.

Do you have full entitlement?

You have full entitlement if you have never used your VA benefit, or if you used it, paid the loan off in full, and sold the property so your entitlement was restored. You have partial entitlement if you currently have an active VA loan, or a prior VA loan ended in a loss that was never restored.

How the math works with partial entitlement

Only in the partial-entitlement case does the conforming loan limit come into play. For 2026 the baseline one-unit conforming limit is $832,750, and every one of Kentucky's 120 counties uses that baseline — Kentucky has no high-cost county designations.

2026 conforming loan limits used in Kentucky VA partial-entitlement calculations.

Property type	2026 Kentucky limit
1-unit	$832,750
2-unit	$1,066,250
3-unit	$1,288,800
4-unit	$1,601,750

A real Kentucky entitlement calculation

Say you have $60,000 of entitlement tied up in a VA loan on a home you kept as you relocated, and you want to buy again in Kentucky with nothing down:

Worked example: remaining entitlement and zero-down buying power, Kentucky 2026.

Step	Calculation	Result
Total entitlement pool	$832,750 × 25%	$208,187.50
Less entitlement in use	$208,187.50 − $60,000	$148,187.50 remaining
Zero-down buying power	$148,187.50 × 4	$592,750
Buying above that	On a $650,000 purchase: ($650,000 − $592,750) ÷ 4	$14,312.50 down

Note how favorable that last line is. Even when you exceed your zero-down capacity, you only put down 25% of the overage — not 25% of the purchase price. Most Kentucky veterans in this position are shocked at how small the required down payment turns out to be.

VA Funding Fee Chart for 2026

The VA funding fee is a one-time charge paid to the Department of Veterans Affairs. It is what keeps the program running without taxpayer subsidy and without charging you monthly mortgage insurance. You can pay it at closing or roll it into the loan.

These are the rates in effect for loans closing in 2026, per VA Circular 26-23-06. The temporary higher rates from the Blue Water Navy Act expired on April 7, 2023 — if you see 2.3% quoted anywhere, that page is out of date. The separate, higher fee that once applied to Guard and Reserve members is also gone; there is now one unified table.

VA funding fee — purchase and construction loans, effective April 7, 2023 through 2026.

Down payment	First use	Subsequent use
Less than 5% (including $0 down)	2.15%	3.3%
5% to 9.99%	1.5%	1.5%
10% or more	1.25%	1.25%

VA funding fee — refinance and other transaction types.

Loan type	Funding fee
Cash-out refinance, first use	2.15%
Cash-out refinance, subsequent use	3.3%
IRRRL / Streamline refinance	0.5%
Loan assumption	0.5%
Native American Direct Loan (purchase)	1.25%

What that costs in real dollars

Funding fee on a $300,000 Kentucky home purchase.

Scenario	Loan amount	Funding fee
First use, $0 down	$300,000	$6,450
Subsequent use, $0 down	$300,000	$9,900
5% down	$285,000	$4,275
10% down	$270,000	$3,375
Service-connected disability	$300,000	$0 — exempt

Who pays no funding fee at all

You are exempt from the VA funding fee if you:

Funding fee exemptions

• Receive VA compensation for a service-connected disability
• Are eligible to receive service-connected disability compensation but instead receive retirement or active-duty pay
• Receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation as a surviving spouse
• Are a surviving spouse of a veteran who died in service or from a service-connected disability
• Are a service member with a proposed or memorandum rating dated before closing that establishes entitlement to compensation from a pre-discharge claim
• Are an active-duty service member who provides evidence of receiving the Purple Heart before closing

Worth money: retroactive disability ratings. If you close a VA loan, pay the funding fee, and are later awarded a service-connected disability rating with an effective date before your closing date, you can claim a refund of the funding fee. On a $300,000 first-use purchase that is $6,450 back. Veterans miss this constantly — if your rating came through after you bought, call me.

Not Sure How Much Entitlement You Have Left?

I pull Certificates of Eligibility at no charge and usually have an answer back in minutes, not weeks.

Email Me Your Question

Closing Costs and Seller Concessions on a Kentucky VA Loan

Zero down does not mean zero cost. There are still closing costs on a VA purchase — but VA limits what you can be charged, and there are several ways to cover the rest.

The 4% seller concession rule

A Kentucky seller can contribute up to 4% of the property's reasonable value in concessions. Critically, ordinary closing costs are not counted inside that 4%. A seller can pay your customary closing costs — title insurance, appraisal, origination, recording fees, normal discount points — on top of the 4%.

What counts toward the VA 4% seller concession cap, and what does not.

Counts inside the 4%	Does NOT count (seller may pay on top)
Seller paying your VA funding fee	Title insurance
Prepaid taxes and insurance escrows	Appraisal fee
Temporary interest-rate buydown funds	Loan origination charge
Payoff of your credit balances or judgments	Recording fees
Points above market-rate discount points	Normal, market-rate discount points
Gifts such as a vehicle or appliances	Buyer-broker fees paid by the seller

Combined properly, a motivated Kentucky seller can put a veteran into a home for close to nothing out of pocket. That is the single most under-used lever in this program, and it is worth writing into the offer.

Buyer-agent commission

Following the changes to how buyer-agent compensation is handled, VA issued a temporary variance allowing veterans to pay reasonable and customary buyer-broker charges where the market requires it. Two conditions matter: the charge cannot be financed into the loan, and it counts against your liquid assets to close. A seller paying your buyer-broker fee is still not treated as a seller concession.

Fees VA caps or prohibits

• Lender origination is generally limited to 1% of the loan amount
• No commissions or buyer-broker fees may be charged to you as ordinary lender fees
• The lender, not VA, sets the interest rate and discount points — which is exactly why shopping matters
• Adding the funding fee and costs into the loan can leave you owing more than the home is worth; weigh it rather than defaulting to it

VA Refinance Options in Kentucky

Two VA refinance programs matter, and they serve very different purposes.

VA IRRRL (Streamline Refinance)

The Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan is the fastest refinance in the mortgage business. No income verification, no appraisal in most cases, minimal paperwork. It is available only if you already have a VA loan. Current 2026 requirements:

• Seasoning

  • The first payment due date on your current loan must be at least 210 days before the new closing
  • You must have made six consecutive monthly payments

• Rate reduction test

  • Fixed to fixed: at least a 50 basis point (0.50%) rate drop
  • Fixed to ARM: at least a 200 basis point (2.00%) rate drop

• 36-month recoupment

  • All fees and closing costs must be recouped by the monthly payment savings within 36 months
  • Taxes, escrow amounts, and the funding fee are excluded from that calculation

• Other conditions

  • Funding fee is just 0.5%
  • No cash out permitted
  • Maximum two discount points may be financed
  • You only need to certify you previously occupied the home — you do not have to live there now
  • Up to $6,000 of energy-efficiency improvements can be rolled in

You are not stuck with your current servicer. No lender is required to do your IRRRL, and you are free to shop it. The company you mail your payment to is a starting point, not your only option — and it is frequently not the cheapest.

VA Cash-Out Refinance

The cash-out program lets you tap equity, and it also lets a homeowner with a conventional or FHA loan refinance into a VA loan. Key facts for 2026:

• VA permits up to 100% loan-to-value — but many lenders overlay a 90% cap, so this is worth shopping
• The funding fee counts inside the 100% and cannot push you past it
• Same 210-day and six-payment seasoning as the IRRRL
• Must pass a net tangible benefit test — lower rate, lower payment, shorter term, dropping mortgage insurance, ARM to fixed, or higher residual income
• Full credit and income underwriting applies, unlike the IRRRL
• Owner-occupied primary residences only

The FHA-to-VA move. If you are a Kentucky veteran currently paying FHA mortgage insurance every month, refinancing into a VA loan eliminates that premium entirely. For many borrowers that alone justifies the refinance even without a meaningful rate change. Run the numbers before you assume it is not worth it.

VA vs FHA vs USDA vs Conventional in Kentucky

If you are eligible for VA, it is almost always the strongest option. Here is the honest side-by-side:

Kentucky loan program comparison, 2026.

Feature	VA Loan	FHA Loan	USDA Loan	Conventional
Minimum down payment	0%	3.5%	0%	3% to 5%
Monthly mortgage insurance	None, ever	Required, usually for the life of the loan	Required, lower than FHA	Required under 20% down, removable at 20% equity
Upfront fee	2.15% funding fee, first use — $0 if disability-exempt	1.75% upfront MIP, no exemptions	1% guarantee fee	None
Minimum credit score	No VA minimum; lenders typically 580–620	580 (500 with 10% down)	Typically 640+	620+
Loan limit	None with full entitlement	$541,288 in Kentucky for 2026	Income-limited rather than loan-limited	$832,750 in Kentucky for 2026
Property location	Anywhere in Kentucky	Anywhere in Kentucky	USDA-eligible rural areas only	Anywhere
Assumable	Yes, by a qualified buyer	Yes	Yes	No
Who it fits	Any eligible veteran, service member, or surviving spouse	First-time buyers with lower credit	Low-to-moderate income rural buyers	Strong credit, long-term savings

When a VA loan is not the best fit

Honesty matters more than a sales pitch. A conventional loan can beat VA if you have 20% or more to put down — you avoid the funding fee entirely and you would not be paying mortgage insurance anyway. A few veterans with substantial cash reserves land in that category. For everyone else, VA wins on cost, and it usually is not close.

Kentucky VA loan advantages

• No down payment required
• No monthly mortgage insurance at any loan-to-value
• No loan limit with full entitlement
• Competitive rates, often below conventional
• Residual income test helps higher-debt borrowers qualify
• Funding fee waived entirely with a service-connected disability
• Assumable by a qualified buyer
• No prepayment penalty
• Reusable benefit for life
• VA offers loan servicing help if you hit financial trouble

Things to weigh

• Funding fee of 2.15% to 3.3% unless you are exempt
• Primary residence only — no vacation homes or pure rentals
• Property must meet VA minimum property requirements
• VA appraisal is required and ordered through VA, not the lender
• Some sellers and listing agents still carry outdated bias against VA offers
• Financing the funding fee can leave you slightly underwater at first
• Lender overlays vary widely, so one decline is not the final answer

Kentucky-Specific VA Loan Rules

Termite and wood-destroying insect inspection

Kentucky requires wood-destroying insect information statewide on VA loans. Here is where a lot of Kentucky real estate advice is out of date: the old rule prohibiting the veteran from paying the termite inspection fee was removed by VA in June 2022. Veterans may now be charged the WDI inspection fee where the Notice of Value requires it, and Kentucky has no state-specific carve-out on VA's current fee deviations list. Any treatment or repairs found remain a negotiation item.

VA appraisal and minimum property requirements

Every VA purchase and cash-out refinance requires a VA appraisal, ordered through VA's system rather than by the lender. The property must be safe, structurally sound, and sanitary, and must appraise at or above the contract price.

VA revised its minimum property requirements effective May 1, 2026. Among the changes: the full radon testing requirement was eliminated, lead-based-paint standards for pre-1978 homes were revised, guidance on detached structures was simplified, and standards for non-vented heaters were clarified. Net effect for Kentucky buyers — fewer appraisal hang-ups on older housing stock than in past years.

Farm and acreage properties

Kentucky has plenty of rural and acreage listings, and VA financing can work on them with conditions. There must be a residence on the land and you must occupy it as your primary home. VA does not limit the number of acres. The appraised value cannot include livestock, crops, or farm equipment, and non-residential improvements like barns and stables are valued at fair market value. What you cannot do is use a VA loan to buy a working farm as a business.

Energy-efficient improvements

You can add up to $6,000 to your VA loan for energy-efficiency improvements. Up to $3,000 requires documented costs only. Between $3,000 and $6,000, the lender must also certify that projected monthly energy savings exceed the increase in your mortgage payment. Improvements generally must be completed within six months of closing.

Kentucky VA Loan Document Checklist

Have these ready and your file moves fast:

• Copy of your DD-214 (or statement of service if currently serving)
• Certificate of Eligibility — I can pull this for you at no cost
• One full month of recent pay stubs
• Last two years of W-2s
• Last two years of tax returns with all schedules, if self-employed or using commission, dividend, or rental income
• Names, addresses, and phone numbers for all employers over the last two years
• Names, addresses, and phone numbers for all landlords over the last two years
• Last two months of bank statements for all accounts
• Documentation of your funds to close
• VA disability award letter, if applicable — this drives your funding fee exemption
• Social security, pension, or retirement award letters, if applicable
• Written explanation for any derogatory credit
• Bankruptcy petition and discharge paperwork, if applicable
• Divorce decree and settlement paperwork, if applicable

Kentucky VA Loan FAQs

What credit score do I need for a VA loan in Kentucky?

VA itself sets no minimum credit score. Most Kentucky lenders overlay a 620 minimum, though a number of VA-focused lenders and brokers will go to 580, and manual underwriting can work below that with strong compensating factors. Because overlays differ by lender, a decline at one bank does not mean you are ineligible for a VA loan.

Is there a VA loan limit in Kentucky in 2026?

Not if you have full entitlement. Since January 1, 2020, VA guarantees 25% of the loan amount with no dollar cap for full-entitlement borrowers, so your limit is what a lender will approve. County limits only apply when part of your entitlement is tied up in another VA loan. In that case Kentucky uses the 2026 baseline conforming limit of $832,750 in all 120 counties.

How much is the VA funding fee in 2026?

For a purchase with less than 5% down it is 2.15% on first use and 3.3% on subsequent use. With 5% to 9.99% down it drops to 1.5%, and with 10% or more it is 1.25%. A VA IRRRL is 0.5%. Veterans receiving compensation for a service-connected disability pay nothing.

Do I really pay $0 down on a Kentucky VA loan?

Yes, on the down payment. VA finances 100% of the purchase price or appraised value, whichever is lower. There are still closing costs, but a Kentucky seller can contribute up to 4% of the property's value in concessions plus your customary closing costs on top of that, which often gets a veteran to the closing table with very little out of pocket.

Can I get a VA loan after bankruptcy or foreclosure?

Yes. VA guidance is two years from a Chapter 7 discharge or a foreclosure sale, and as little as one year if the cause was outside your control and you have re-established credit. Chapter 13 is more flexible still — twelve months of on-time plan payments plus trustee permission can be enough, and you may still be in the plan. Short sales have no VA-mandated waiting period.

Can I use my VA loan more than once?

Yes. Entitlement is a lifetime benefit. Sell the home and pay off the loan and your entitlement is restored for the next purchase. You may also be able to hold two VA loans at once in certain relocation situations, using your remaining partial entitlement for the second home.

Does VA disability income count when qualifying?

Yes, and it helps twice. VA disability compensation is stable qualifying income, and because it is non-taxable it can be grossed up for qualifying purposes, which lowers your debt-to-income ratio on paper. Receiving compensation for a service-connected disability also exempts you from the funding fee entirely.

What is residual income and why does VA care?

Residual income is the actual dollars left each month after your mortgage payment, taxes, insurance, and all other debts. Kentucky is in VA's South region, where a family of four needs $1,003 per month remaining on loans of $80,000 or more. It is the reason VA approves veterans whose debt ratios would sink a conventional application — VA measures whether you can genuinely afford to live, not just a ratio.

Can I buy a multi-unit property with a VA loan in Kentucky?

Yes, up to four units, as long as you occupy one of them as your primary residence. You can rent the other units. What you cannot do is use VA financing for a property you will not live in.

How long does a Kentucky VA loan take to close?

Typically 30 to 45 days from contract, similar to other loan types. The VA appraisal is the piece with the least flexible timeline — VA reported average appraisal turn times of about seven business days as of mid-2026. Getting fully pre-approved before you shop is the single best way to shorten the whole process.

Who pays the termite inspection on a VA loan in Kentucky?

Kentucky requires wood-destroying insect information statewide. Since June 2022, VA permits the veteran to pay that inspection fee, and Kentucky has no state-specific exception. The older guidance saying the seller must always pay it is out of date, though it remains negotiable in the purchase contract.

Can I refinance an FHA or conventional loan into a VA loan?

Yes, through the VA cash-out refinance program, and you do not have to actually take cash out to use it. For a Kentucky veteran currently paying FHA mortgage insurance every month, moving to a VA loan eliminates that premium permanently, which can justify the refinance on its own.

Get Your Free Kentucky VA Pre-Approval

Twenty-plus years, 1,300+ Kentucky families, and every county in the Commonwealth. No cost, no obligation, and usually a same-day answer.

I will pull your Certificate of Eligibility, confirm your entitlement, and tell you your real number.

Call or Text 502-905-3708 Email kentuckyloan@gmail.com

Contact Joel Lobb — Kentucky VA Mortgage Specialist

Name

Joel Lobb, Mortgage Loan Officer

NMLS Individual ID

#57916

Company NMLS ID

1738461 (EVO Mortgage)

Phone / Text

502-905-3708

Email

kentuckyloan@gmail.com

Address

911 Barret Ave, Louisville, KY 40204

Website

www.mylouisvillekentuckymortgage.com

Service area

All 120 Kentucky counties — Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green, Owensboro, Covington, Elizabethtown, Radcliff, Fort Knox, Fort Campbell area

Equal Housing Lender. Subject to credit approval. Not a commitment to lend. Verify NMLS status at www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org

Kentucky VA Loan Resources

• VA.gov — Official VA Home Loan Program
• VA.gov — Request Your Certificate of Eligibility
• VA.gov — Funding Fee and Closing Costs
• VA.gov — Entitlement and Loan Limits
• Kentucky FHA Loans — 2026 Guide
• Kentucky USDA Rural Housing Loans
• KHC Down Payment Assistance Programs
• Kentucky First-Time Home Buyer Programs

Disclaimer: This website is not endorsed by or affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, FHA, USDA, or any government agency. It is an independent platform created to educate and assist Kentucky veterans and homebuyers. Loan limits, funding fees, rates, and program rules are subject to change — the figures on this page reflect VA guidance in effect as of July 2026. Always verify current information with your licensed loan officer before applying. Call or text 502-905-3708 or email kentuckyloan@gmail.com with your Kentucky mortgage questions.

Call / Text Email Joel