The VA benefit you earned, executed by someone who actually knows it.
Most lenders treat VA loans like a checkbox. Bryan Bergjans has spent nearly two decades engineering the right outcomes for service members — from first-use purchases to second-tier entitlement, IRRRL refinances, and VA Jumbo strategy. No assumptions. No misinformation. Just precision.
Direct strategy session · No obligation · No credit pull
What a VA loan actually gets you
Six structural advantages no conventional, FHA, or jumbo product can match. Use them correctly and the math changes for the rest of your life.
$0 Down Payment
Finance up to 100% of the purchase price. Keep your savings working in TSP, emergency funds, or PCS reserves — not locked into closing costs.
No Monthly PMI
Conventional loans under 20% down charge mortgage insurance forever. VA loans never do. On a $500K loan that's a real difference of $200–$350 every month.
Competitive Rates
Because the VA guarantees a portion of the loan, lenders price more aggressively. Veterans routinely receive rates 0.25%–0.75% below comparable conventional financing.
Funding Fee Exempt
Service-connected disability rating of 10% or higher? The VA funding fee is waived entirely. Surviving spouses and Purple Heart recipients qualify as well.
Lifetime Benefit
The VA loan is not a one-time use. Full entitlement restores when paid off. Second-tier entitlement allows simultaneous use when PCS orders demand it.
No Loan Limit
Since 2020, veterans with full entitlement have no VA loan ceiling. VA Jumbo financing on a $1.5M home with $0 down is structurally possible — most lenders just don't know how to execute it.
VA lending executed correctly.
Four areas where the wrong lender costs veterans real money — and where Bryan's experience prevents that outcome.
COE & Entitlement Strategy
Reading a Certificate of Eligibility correctly is the difference between approval and denial. Bryan analyzes entitlement charged amounts, bonus entitlement, restoration eligibility, and second-tier scenarios before a contract is ever written.
- → Full vs. partial entitlement calculations
- → One-time restoration analysis
- → Surviving spouse eligibility verification
Tidewater & Appraisal Defense
When a VA appraiser flags a low value, the Tidewater Initiative is your only window to influence the outcome. Bryan knows the protocol, the comp submission process, and how to defend a contract that would otherwise collapse.
- → 48-hour Tidewater response protocol
- → Reconsideration of Value (ROV) submissions
- → MPR (Minimum Property Requirement) navigation
Military Income Underwriting
BAH, BAS, hazard pay, jump pay, language pay, dive pay, sea pay — each has different continuance rules. Most underwriters miss qualifying income. Bryan structures the file so every eligible dollar counts.
- → Residual income test optimization
- → LES interpretation for all branches
- → Reservist & National Guard income structuring
Listing Agent Education
VA offers get rejected on bias, not facts. Bryan personally engages with listing agents to dismantle myths about timelines, repairs, and appraisals — converting offers that would have been declined into accepted contracts.
- → Direct agent advocacy calls
- → Pre-offer lender letter customization
- → Closing timeline guarantees in writing
Bryan with Alec Hanson
What you've been told. What's actually true.
VA loan misinformation costs veterans homes every week. Six of the most common — corrected.
VA loans take 60+ days to close and sellers won't accept them.
Bryan routinely closes VA purchases in 21–28 days. We provide listing agents written timeline guarantees before offers are submitted.
You can only use your VA loan one time.
Entitlement is restorable. Second-tier allows simultaneous use during a PCS. Bryan has structured veterans into their 4th and 5th VA loan.
VA loans have a hard cap of $806,500.
Loan limits were eliminated in 2020 for veterans with full entitlement. VA Jumbo at 100% LTV is structurally available on luxury properties.
VA appraisals always come in low.
VA appraisals use the same comp methodology as conventional. When a Tidewater notice is issued, Bryan submits supporting comps and ROVs within 48 hours.
Reservists and National Guard can't qualify for VA loans.
6 years of qualifying service or 90 days of Title 10 activation establishes eligibility. Bryan reviews points statements and NGB-22s to verify in advance.
The seller has to pay all your closing costs.
Buyers can pay their own closing costs. Seller concessions are negotiable up to 4% of value. Lender credits are also a viable strategy Bryan models on every file.
Four VA programs. One strategist.
Identify the right product for your current situation — and the right sequencing if you'll use more than one.
VA Purchase
First-time or repeat VA buyer. 0% down, no PMI, and seller-paid closing costs structured to keep you cash-positive at the closing table.
- → Primary residence (1–4 unit eligible)
- → New construction or resale
- → Up to 100% LTV with full entitlement
IRRRL Refinance
Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan. Streamlined. No new appraisal in most cases. No income re-verification. Lower the rate, lower the payment.
- → Existing VA loan to existing VA loan
- → Funding fee reduced to 0.5%
- → Closing costs roll into new loan
Cash-Out Refinance
Up to 100% of your home's value can be accessed. Consolidate debt, fund renovations, or convert a non-VA loan into a VA loan with cash returned at close.
- → Conventional or FHA → VA conversion
- → Up to 100% LTV (lender-dependent)
- → Debt restructuring strategy modeling
VA Jumbo
Luxury or high-cost market purchases above conforming limits. With full entitlement, 100% LTV is structurally available. With partial entitlement, Bryan models the minimum down required.
- → Loan amounts $1M – $4M+
- → Coastal CA, NY, DC, HI specialty
- → Officer & flag-rank executive borrower experience
A career built around veteran outcomes.
In 2016, Bryan helped establish one of the first corporate-level Military & Veteran initiatives in mortgage banking, built around a simple idea: Veterans don't live inside our intentions. They live in the outcomes we create.
Since then, he's focused on scaling that work — developing teams, building training programs, and engineering loan structures that deliver the benefits service members actually earned. As National Director of Military Growth and Strategy at loanDepot, Bryan combines executive leadership with hands-on advisory for veterans navigating purchase, refinance, and jumbo financing decisions.
Bryan is a Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve. His perspective is informed by service, refined by 19 years of VA lending, and applied with the precision the benefit demands.
30 minutes · Direct line · No obligation
Lock in your consultation.
A direct conversation with Bryan or a member of his team. We review entitlement, eligibility, current scenario, and the next 30, 60, and 90 days. No pressure. No credit pull. No surprises.
Or call direct: (949) 313-4295
Frequently asked.
How do I verify my VA loan eligibility before I commit to anything?
Bryan pulls your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) directly through the VA portal during the consultation — no credit pull, no application required. From the COE we determine full vs. partial entitlement, whether restoration is possible, and what your maximum 0%-down purchase price is. The entire verification takes under 15 minutes.
I already have a VA loan on another property. Can I get a second one?
Yes — through second-tier entitlement. Common scenarios include PCS orders to a new duty station while retaining the first home as a rental, or upsizing to a larger primary residence. We calculate your remaining entitlement and the minimum down (often still $0) required on the second loan.
My disability rating is 30%. Does that change anything financially?
Significantly. With a service-connected rating of 10% or higher, the VA funding fee is waived in full. On a $500K purchase that's a $11,500 savings at closing. Your VA disability income is also non-taxable and grossed up 25% for qualifying purposes — meaningfully increasing your purchasing power.
My agent says sellers don't like VA offers. Is that true?
That bias exists because of outdated information. Bryan provides a customized lender letter and contacts the listing agent directly to demonstrate timeline guarantees and appraisal protocols. The conversation reframes the offer entirely. In competitive markets, a properly-positioned VA offer routinely wins against conventional offers.
I'm in the Reserve. Do I actually qualify?
Likely yes. Six years of qualifying service in the Selected Reserve or National Guard establishes eligibility, as does 90+ days of Title 10 activation. Bryan reviews your points statement, NGB-22, or DD-214 during the consultation and confirms eligibility in writing. As a Navy Reserve Commander himself, this scenario is one Bryan navigates constantly.
Can I use a VA loan on a $1.2M property?
Yes. With full entitlement, there is no VA loan limit — VA Jumbo financing at 100% LTV is structurally available. With partial entitlement, a small down payment may be required to maintain the VA guaranty. Bryan models both scenarios so you understand the exact cash-to-close before submitting an offer.
How long does a VA loan actually take to close?
On a purchase with a clean file, 21–28 days is a realistic close. The VA appraisal — historically the bottleneck — is ordered the moment we have a ratified contract, and our dedicated VA underwriting desk prioritizes military files. For PCS-driven timelines, we've closed in as few as 17 days when the file is prepared in advance.
What does the consultation actually involve?
A 30-minute conversation — phone or video. Bryan reviews your service history, pulls your Certificate of Eligibility, reviews any current income and obligations at a high level, and outlines the loan structure that fits your situation. You leave with a written strategy, a maximum purchase price, and zero obligation. No credit pull, no application, no follow-up pressure.
The benefit is earned.
The strategy is overdue.
Thirty minutes with a Navy Reserve Commander who has structured more VA loans than most lenders see in a career. Walk away with a written plan — whether you move forward today, next quarter, or after your next PCS.
30-minute call. No credit pull. No obligation.
