Native American Direct Loan

If you’re a Veteran, and either you or your spouse is Native American, our Native American Direct Loan (NADL) program may help you get a loan to buy, build, or improve a home on federal trust land. You may also get a loan to refinance an existing NADL and reduce your interest rate. Find out if you qualify for an NADL—and how to apply.

Am I eligible for an NADL?

You may be eligible for an NADL if you’re a Native American Veteran or a non–Native American Veteran married to a Native American, and you meet all of these requirements.

All of these must be true:

• Your tribal government has an agreement—or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)—with us detailing how the program will work on its trust lands, and

• You have a valid VA home loan Certificate of Eligibility (COE), and

• You meet our credit standards, and

• You have proof that you make enough money to cover the mortgage payments and other costs of owning a home, and

• You’ll live in the home you’re using the NADL to buy, build, or improve

Learn more about the MOU

Why might I want to get an NADL?

An NADL offers many benefits, including:

• No down payment required in most cases.

• No need for private mortgage insurance (PMI), which is commonly charged to conventional loan borrowers.

• Limited closing costs (fees you pay for services and other costs related to getting a loan and buying a home).

• A low-interest, 30-year fixed mortgage (a fixed mortgage means your interest rate will stay the same over the full life of the loan). The current VA interest rate for NADLs starts at 2.5%. To find out what your interest rate will be, contact an NADL coordinator by email at NADL@va.gov or by phone at 888-349-7541 (TTY: 711). We’re here Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET.

• A reusable benefit, which means you can get more than one NADL to buy, build, or improve another residence in the future.

• The ability to refinance a current NADL for a lower interest rate.

• The ability to borrow up to the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac conforming loan limit on a no-down-payment loan in most areas—and more in some high-cost counties. You can borrow more than this amount if you want to make a down payment.
  Learn about VA home loan limits

How do I get an NADL?

Request a VA home loan Certificate of Eligibility (COE)

This certification confirms that you qualify for the VA home loan benefit.

Find out if you can get a COE based on your service history and duty status

Request your COE

Contact an NADL coordinator to start the NADL process

You can contact an NADL coordinator by email at NADL@va.gov or by phone at 888-349-7541 (TTY: 711). We’re here Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET.

Will I have to pay any fees with my loan?

You may need to pay the VA funding fee. This one-time fee helps to lower the cost of the loan for U.S. taxpayers since the VA home loan program doesn’t require down payments or monthly mortgage insurance. Your lender will also charge interest on the loan in addition to closing fees.

Learn about the VA funding fee and other closing costs

What if I have more questions?

You can contact an NADL coordinator by email at NADL@va.gov or by phone at 888-349-7541 (TTY: 711). We’re here Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET.

Note: If you’re a tribal government representative with questions about an MOU agreement for your trust land, you can contact us using the email or phone number provided here too.

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(To Be Continued Next Month)