Who is a mortgage loan originator serving Franklin and Middle Tennessee?

Keith Goeringer is a Loan Originator at Barrett Financial Group, NMLS #488023, serving buyers in Franklin, Williamson County, and Middle Tennessee. Call or text (615) 955-0461 or email keith@keithgo.com.

Do I need a down payment for a VA loan in Nashville?

Usually no, if you have full entitlement and the loan amount fits. You still need closing costs, prepaid items, and any difference if the appraisal comes in low. We will quote cash to close, not only the down payment line.

What is the VA funding fee?

A one-time fee the VA charges on most loans, often rolled into the balance. The percentage depends on first versus subsequent use and down payment. Many veterans with a qualifying disability rating are exempt. Confirm the current table on VA.gov.

Can I use a VA loan for a condo in Nashville?

If the project is VA-approved or otherwise eligible. We check before you write. Do not assume a downtown building is on the list.

How do I get my Certificate of Eligibility (COE)?

We can often pull it through the VA system with your information. You can also request it on VA.gov. Bring a DD-214 if you have one. Do not wait until you are under contract.

Can I get a VA loan if I have had a bankruptcy or foreclosure?

Sometimes. VA is more flexible than conventional, but seasoning and the rest of the credit file still matter. Send the discharge or sale date. We will tell you if VA is open, if FHA is safer, or if you need more time.

Veterans & military$0 down

Nashville VA Loans: Your Service, Your Home.

A VA loan is a primary-residence mortgage guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Eligible veterans, active duty, and some surviving spouses can buy with $0 down and no monthly PMI. You still need entitlement, a Certificate of Eligibility, and a file that underwrites.

Let's get you home (615) 955-0461

Who qualifies

You are a veteran who meets VA service requirements.
You are active duty military.
You are a surviving spouse of a veteran who died in service or from a service-connected disability, if VA says you are eligible.
You have VA entitlement for this loan.
You meet credit and income requirements for the lender overlay.
The home will be your primary residence.

How it works

1
We pull your Certificate of Eligibility from the VA. If you already have one, send it.
2
We pre-approve you so the payment, residual income, and cash to close are real before you tour.
3
You shop in Murfreesboro, Clarksville, Franklin, Smyrna, or wherever the commute actually works.
4
We submit the file. VA appraisal and underwriting run.
5
You close. You get the keys.

Fort Campbell sits on the Tennessee-Kentucky line. That is why VA is not a niche product here. Clarksville, Springfield, Nashville, Franklin, Hendersonville, Spring Hill, Mount Juliet. If you earned the benefit, this is usually the first structure we run.

Zero down is the headline. No monthly PMI is the part that shows up in the payment. Conventional with 5% down still has PMI. FHA has MIP. VA does not charge monthly mortgage insurance. There is a VA funding fee on most files. Veterans with a qualifying service-connected disability rating, and some surviving spouses, can be exempt. Confirm the current fee table on VA.gov.

Entitlement, reuse, and the funding fee

You can use a VA loan more than once. Full entitlement, leftover entitlement after a sale, and restoration after you pay the loan off are different files. Do not assume you are 'out of VA' because you used it in 2016.

The funding fee is a percentage of the loan, often financed. First use versus subsequent use, and how much you put down, change the number. We will show it as cash or as part of the loan. We will not hide it in a teaser payment.

What VA does not skip

You still need residual income. VA cares that the leftover after the payment can feed a household, not just that DTI is under a round number. You still need a primary residence. You still need the property to meet VA's minimum property requirements.

A condo has to be on the VA-approved list or otherwise eligible. Same warning as FHA. We check before you write in East Nashville or The Gulch.

Bankruptcy, foreclosure, and credit

VA is more flexible than conventional on credit events. That is not the same as 'no waiting period.' Seasoning after a Chapter 7, a foreclosure, or a short sale depends on the event, the date, and the rest of the file. Bring the discharge paperwork. We will tell you if VA, FHA, or a different path is the honest one.

How it compares to FHA

Feature	VA	FHA
Down payment	0% if you have entitlement	3.5% typical
Monthly mortgage insurance	None. Funding fee on most files.	Upfront MIP plus annual MIP
Who can use it	Eligible veterans, active duty, some surviving spouses	Any borrower who meets HUD rules
Credit	No VA minimum score. Lenders overlay. Residual income matters.	HUD 580 floor for 3.5% down

Common myths

VA loans are harder to get.
Sellers used to believe that. A documented VA pre-approval and a lender who answers the listing agent's call close files. The benefit is strong. The file still has to underwrite.
You can only use a VA loan once.
You can reuse entitlement. Restoration after you sell and pay off the loan is common. Partial entitlement is a math problem, not a no.
VA rates are higher.
VA often prices as well as, or better than, conventional on a comparable file because there is no PMI. Compare the actual APR and cash to close. Do not compare slogans.

Sources and what to verify

This is general mortgage education, not a commitment to lend. Rates, programs, overlays, and eligibility depend on the borrower, the property, and investor guidelines. Confirm current terms with Keith Goeringer or the official agency (HUD, VA, USDA, FHFA, THDA, CFPB). NMLS #488023. Barrett Financial Group.

Questions about VA?

Keith Goeringer will tell you what you qualify for and what it will cost. No call center.