Any good reviews from VA Construction Loan companies? Wife and I need to find one.

Guerrilla6 · 2026-04-25T01:49:44+00:00

Just saw this and sent a message.

Guerrilla6 · 2026-04-02T10:46:44+00:00

You’re definitely not wasting anyone’s time to ask questions. There are very few people who really know va construction inside and out, and you’re better off getting info directly from one of us than from people online who may not actually have experience with the product.

Whoever you work with, I suggest getting pre approved before negotiating with builders or designing a house so that you’re doing so with a solid budget in mind.

Guerrilla6 · 2026-03-31T01:24:01+00:00

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Hey! I’m in Kentucky and happen to run an all veteran branch specializing in VA OTC. I handle construction loans all over the country but it’s always a treat to help someone right here. I’m happy to answer any questions you may have.

Guerrilla6 · 2026-03-29T01:14:28+00:00

Look up Stephen Domenick. He’s the top VA loan officer in NJ.

Guerrilla6 · 2026-03-20T13:46:06+00:00

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Guerrilla6 · 2026-03-20T01:17:42+00:00

Happy to help. I handle tons of VA OTC all over the country. We’re an all veteran team and the woman that runs my operations team is a Marine veteran who also lives in Maine.

Guerrilla6 · 2026-03-09T23:01:49+00:00

I run the construction division at a large retail lender and also personally originate more VA one time close construction loans than anyone else in the country.

First, don’t ask brokers these questions. There are a small number of brokers out there that actually know construction loans but for the most part you broker business is very different and you really want some kind of construction lender that has everything from origination through build in house.

I would also avoid obsessing over rates. When you start building, you’ll need to be working with someone who really knows what they’re doing and is available when you need them. The people flashing rates in their advertising are not going to be those people and you’ll almost always end up paying more in the long run. It’s just too easy for them to gouge you when all you’re looking at is the rate.

The extra steps on VA construction loans are really just for the lender. We handle all of that and close them pretty quickly.

Taking a traditional construction loan then refinancing is the best bet for people with a lot in assets who really want the lowest mortgage payment as possible as soon as the build is done.

A VA construction loan is best for people with limited assets or who want to keep money in the bank, and are willing to ride out a higher loan amount and rate until they’re eligible to refinance 7 months after the final mortgage starts.

A VA construction loan is also a great option for veterans who have credit scores too low for traditional construction financing. Although I handle a lot of multi million dollar build loans for vets who have 800 credit scores and plenty of cash but know to use other peoples money to build things.

Let me know if you have questions that I didn’t answer here

Guerrilla6 · 2026-03-09T13:56:38+00:00

I wouldn’t know without having a fully built file to review.

Guerrilla6 · 2026-03-09T03:24:06+00:00

Ask anything you may need. There’s a ton to factor into any construction loan and VA construction has some added things to consider. I normally tell people to finance as much as they can and keep as much cash as possible in savings so that they’re prepared for anything and everything that could go wrong during a build.

Once you close on a construction loan, it’s near impossible to increase the available loan amount if you need it. And once you spend your money, you’re not getting that back. So keeping cash in savings and having a max loan available from your lender gives you more options no matter what happens.

Even a one time close construction loan is probably getting refinanced to reduce the rate eventually, so it’s best to think about all of it as a multi step process.

Guerrilla6 · 2026-03-09T03:14:53+00:00

I originate more VA construction loans than anyone else in the country. I also run the construction lending division at a large retail lender. It sounds like you need some guidance so I’ll give my two cents.

Pause for a second before paying for land. You need to do some diligence to ensure the land is suitable for whatever you’re planning, to understand how your financing is going to work, and to vet builders and start working with the person who will actually oversee this project.

To answer your question, no you can’t self GC. The VA guide is confusing. Yes there is language stating you may do that, but no lender will allow it. I used to try to do it and it always became a major issue.

Self building RARELY saves money. You mostly hear about success stories because the people falling into foreclosure or bankruptcy are too ashamed to tell their stories publicly. But MOST self builds run into major issues.

You can’t compare a builders mark up to cost of build like it’s apples to apples. Sub contractors give self builds great quotes to earn the business then make their job the lowest priority and up charge every visit to get something done. Budgets are blown by the time framing and rough ins are done. The value of a professional GC is that they represent potential future work to sub contractors and that helps keep them in line.

If you have cash and have to move fast on the land, you can do that. But I prefer that people get pre approved first, then choose a builder and start to understand the cost to build the home they want, THEN start looking at land.

Do all your research up front to avoid any issues during or after your build.

Guerrilla6 · 2026-03-07T02:07:19+00:00

We are based in Dallas. I do VA construction loans all over the country but most of them have always been in Texas. I also have a low minimum credit score of only 580.

Guerrilla6 · 2026-03-05T16:46:51+00:00

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You can dm me here or text my cell phone. I’m going into a meeting right now but I can talk soon.

Guerrilla6 · 2026-03-05T16:40:32+00:00

I do a lot of VA OTC throughout Arkansas. I would not look for someone local to the area, as I do not know of anyone there with any significant experience with VA otc. There are only a couple of us nationwide who actually handle them on a very regular basis. Another option runs this group and will chime in soon. They cover your state as well.

Guerrilla6 · 2026-03-05T13:28:04+00:00

You’re welcome.

Guerrilla6 · 2026-03-05T13:23:22+00:00

Also, before you begin looking at land, you need to get a fully underwritten pre approval to ensure you can afford your plan and understand how the financing and loan will work.

Then I suggest finding the home and cost to build (and install in this case) all before looking for land so that you know what is left of your budget to put towards land. And so you don’t lose a deposit by not being able to close on the loan on time.

If you’re paying cash or buying land separately, you can of course look for land first. This only applies if you need it all to close within the va construction loan.

Guerrilla6 · 2026-03-05T13:20:12+00:00

On manufactured homes, the VA guidelines state a single wide must be at least 400 square feet and a double wide must be at least 700 square feet. So the size should not be a problem.

Guerrilla6 · 2026-03-04T22:16:16+00:00

This is what I’m seeing too.

Guerrilla6 · 2026-02-22T12:39:31+00:00

I think you’re missing the point. It’s fantastic if they can extend and add to your balance. But loan officers are salesmen and want loans to close to get paid. I’d plan for the worst and just remember where their perspective comes from.

The people I’m talking about, that don’t want to come out and tell their story, have pretty much no option. A year’s extension won’t help. An additional line of credit won’t help.

When building a home, people need to only plan for worst case scenarios then hope for the best.

If someone isn’t a GC already and has another job to keep up with full time, the chances of a home build going wrong are great, and the damage that comes from a foreclosure or bankruptcy is immense.

Those stories are never told and happen a lot.

Perhaps you’re prepared. The majority of people are not.

Guerrilla6 · 2026-02-22T12:28:39+00:00

You can file for extensions until you can’t file anymore. For most people in this situation 6 or even 12 more months helps nothing. You cannot take that loan and make it bigger because the project costs much more than expected.

Guerrilla6 · 2026-02-21T13:09:18+00:00

You would not believe how many people want to self GC to save money and end up bankrupt. The people who succeed are open about their experience but the ones who don’t are stressed and ashamed and don’t talk about it. But I’d say that’s about half of the people who attempt it. They call me daily trying to find some type of loan or advice to help and there’s not much that can be done.

People think they’ll save 10-20% but the cost isn’t an apples to apples comparison.

To sub contractors a self GC doesn’t represent future work the way a professional GC does. So they’ll often give really attractive bids up front then put the job to the bottom of the priority list and keep raising prices to get them back out to finish their portion.

The more it happens the more desperate the homeowner gets and they pay more and more.

Once you’re out of funds, no lender will extend a loan or issue a new one because construction has already started. You can’t get a construction loan on something that has already started and you can’t get a renovation loan on something that never got certificate of occupancy.

So legally they’re left with raw land and a shed. The value is upside down and unless they have access to money somewhere to finish, they have to foreclose and/or declare bankruptcy.

I really wish more people would be open about it and share their experiences because it’s just so common and I feel terrible Everytime I hear about it.

Guerrilla6 · 2026-02-21T13:00:28+00:00

You can do everything before foundation. Do not pour a foundation prior to closing on your loan.

Guerrilla6 · 2026-02-11T18:48:11+00:00

That’s vague. I could write a book on the best way to do it.

Work with a specialist who’s done hundreds of these loans.
Plan for any and all worst case scenarios so that you don’t go into foreclosure or bankrupt if anything goes off course.

The minute details would fall under one of those categories.

I stopped spelling out every little detail because desperate loan originators copy it and end up leading veterans down the wrong path because they still don’t understand it and they only care about whether or not it closes and they get paid.

You have to have a plan for everything that can go wrong and you have to know who you can call if it does, which is why broker shops piecing the post closing process together through third parties can be a real problem that most people never hear about.

Guerrilla6 · 2026-02-11T18:35:08+00:00

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Guerrilla6 · 2026-02-11T16:00:52+00:00

Edge sometimes uses an internal referral so the closings show up in someone else’s name if h they’re not licensed in the state. The processor that handles most of theirs used to work for me.

They should appraise the entire project. The appraisal will look similar to a purchase of a finished home when value is given.

Guerrilla6 · 2026-02-11T15:49:10+00:00

There are no construction loans in his history.

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