★ Proudly Serving Those Who Served ★Mike Alkema · NMLS #642953

Official VA connection

Check your VA home loan eligibility

Your Certificate of Eligibility—usually called a COE—is the official VA document that confirms whether your service history qualifies you for the VA home loan benefit.

Official government process

Request your COE securely on VA.gov

You’ll leave this private mortgage website and continue on the official U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website. VA may ask you to sign in through its secure identity-verification process.

Go to VA.gov

Who may be eligible?

VA eligibility depends on service history, duty status and, in some situations, the reason for discharge. These are starting points—not an official eligibility decision.

Active-duty service members

VA says current service members generally meet the minimum active-duty service requirement after at least 90 continuous days.

Veterans

Minimum service depends on when you served. For many Gulf War–era veterans, paths include 24 continuous months or the full period of at least 90 days for which you were called to active duty.

National Guard and Reserve

Certain Guard and Reserve members may qualify based on active-duty service or qualifying years of service. Let the COE—not an assumption—answer the question.

Surviving spouses

Certain unremarried surviving spouses and spouses of service members who are missing in action or prisoners of war may qualify.

Three ways to get a COE

01Request it directly from VAUse the official digital VA Form 26-1880 process on VA.gov.
02Let Mike request itVA allows participating lenders to retrieve many COEs through its lender system. Call Mike and he’ll tell you what is needed.
03Apply by mailVA Form 26-1880 may be mailed to the appropriate VA Regional Loan Center, though VA says mail may take longer.

Already requested it?

VA’s status page lets you review the request, read VA letters, upload supporting documents and download an approved COE.

Want Mike to handle the first step?

You don’t need to understand entitlement calculations or find every document before calling. Mike can review whether you have used VA financing before, identify the likely COE path and often request the COE through the VA lender system.

A COE confirms benefit eligibility; it is not a loan approval. The lender must still review credit, income, debts, occupancy, the property and other underwriting requirements. Michigan VA Mortgage and Leeward Point Mortgage LLC are not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.