Texas Veterans Land Board Home Improvement Loans and Your Remodel

The Texas Veterans Land Board (VLB) is a state program run through the Texas General Land Office (GLO), separate from federal VA benefits. For a homeowner planning repairs or a remodel, its most relevant program is the Texas Veterans Home Improvement Program (VHIP). Check current GLO eligibility and lender requirements before arranging work or committing to a construction schedule.

214 Veteran Solutions is not affiliated with the VLB, does not decide eligibility and cannot approve a loan. This is general information, not financial advice.

The VLB loan programs

The GLO's Loans for Veterans page and program pages describe these programs:

• VLB Veterans Land Loan Program: financing to buy land in Texas.
• VLB Veterans Housing Assistance Program (VHAP): a home purchase loan for a primary residence, with the VLB in first lien position.
• Texas Veterans Home Improvement Program (VHIP): a loan to repair or improve the home you already own and live in.

The loans page also lists an SCRA Assistance Program that can defer interest payments for reservists and Guard members called to active duty.

Who can apply for a home improvement loan

According to the VHIP page, you must be a bona fide and legal resident of Texas on the date you apply and meet one of the service categories, which include:

• Active duty military
• Texas National Guard members
• Reserve component members with 20 or more qualifying years
• Veterans with at least 90 days of active duty, unless discharged sooner for a service-connected disability, and not discharged dishonorably
• A surviving spouse of a veteran listed as missing in action or whose death was service connected

The home must be your primary residence and located in Texas. The page lists eligible property types, including single-family homes, condominiums, and duplexes through four-plexes, with conditions for modular and manufactured homes. The VLB makes the eligibility decision, so confirm with them before you plan around the loan.

What the loan can pay for

The VHIP page says the loan can be used for alterations, repairs and improvements that are eligible under HUD's Federal Housing Administration Title I program. The VLB's own documents list eligible and ineligible items, and those control. Ask the VLB about any item you are unsure of before you finalize the scope.

Order of operations: don't start work early

This is the part that trips people up. The VHIP page says the borrower cannot begin construction, advance money to the contractor or buy materials before receiving the loan proceeds from the VLB. It also says the home will be inspected to confirm that no work has begun and no materials have been delivered before closing. If you are unsure whether a deposit, material order or demolition counts, ask the VLB before it happens.

The steps the page lays out look like this:

1. Research contractors who can do the work you want. The page says the borrower must secure a general contractor.
2. Get a bid from each contractor for the cost of the improvements.
3. Gather your income information, review your credit and apply through the VLB's online application.
4. Allow for the pre-closing inspection, and wait for closing and the loan proceeds.
5. Start work only after the proceeds arrive.

Getting bids a loan processor can use

Bids are easier to review, and to compare, when each contractor prices the same scope:

• List each item separately: roof section, windows, bathroom, accessibility changes and so on.
• Spell out materials and quantities so two bids describe the same work.
• Show permits and inspections as line items where the City requires them.
• Name trade work (electrical, plumbing, HVAC) that licensed trade contractors will perform and permit.
• State assumptions, such as what happens if hidden damage turns up, rather than promising dates.

Our guide to choosing a contractor covers what else to check before you sign.

Rates, limits and fees

The VHIP page lists current loan limits, terms, interest rates, a discounted rate for veterans with a qualifying VA disability rating, and closing-related fees. Those numbers change, so read them on the GLO page on the day you apply rather than relying on figures quoted elsewhere.

VLB and VA are different programs

The VLB is a Texas benefit; VA housing grants are federal and have their own eligibility rules. Some veterans look at both, for example a VA grant for accessibility changes alongside a VLB loan for other repairs. Our guide to VA SAH and HISA grants covers the federal side, and our aging-in-place bathroom checklist helps define accessibility items for a bid.

214 Veteran Solutions is a veteran-owned general contractor in San Antonio that plans and manages projects and coordinates licensed trade contractors. Our Texas VLB renovation page explains how we prepare scopes and bids for these projects.

If you need an itemized bid to take into a VLB application, book an estimate consultation.