VA Loan Pre-Approval Checklist for JBSA Service Members

What we need on day one

A real pre-approval means underwriting has reviewed income and credit, not just a loan officer eyeballing a number. Here is the short list that gets you there.

• Certificate of Eligibility, or permission for us to pull it for you.
• Your two most recent Leave and Earnings Statements.
• DD-214 if you have separated or retired.
• Government-issued photo ID.
• Authorization to pull credit — one pull, no shotgunning to multiple lenders.

What we do not need yet

You do not need a property, an address, a realtor, or a down payment. You also do not need perfect credit — we work down to a 500 FICO, and a soft look costs you nothing.

Special items for JBSA files

If you receive BAH, we count it as qualifying income and gross it up appropriately. If you have a service-connected disability rating, bring the award letter — it exempts you from the funding fee, which changes your loan amount. If you are on PCS orders, send them; we time the file around your report date.

How fast this moves

With the five items above, most JBSA pre-approvals are back the same or next business day. That matters in San Antonio, where a strong listing near Randolph or Alamo Ranch can go under contract over a weekend and listing agents will not present an offer without a pre-approval letter attached.