I am a military veteran that has over ten years of work experience in my current field. I experienced a nine month break in my employment last year. Will the break in my employment hurt my ability to qualify for a mortgage and do I need two years of continuous employment before I apply?

Harry Jensen, Trusted Mortgage Expert with 45+ Years of Experience

Updated March 13, 2019

First off, thank you for your service. Given your extensive work experience in your current field of employment, the two-year employment requirement should not be an issue when you apply for a mortgage as long as you are not in an initial probation period for your current job. Lenders may ask you to submit a letter that explains the gap in your employment but your long-term track record of working in the same industry should overcome an employment gap, especially if there was an extenuating circumstance that led to the gap such as a family emergency. If you are in an initial probation / evaluation period with your current job you may want to wait until that period ends before applying for a mortgage.

It is important to highlight that in addition to your employment history, lenders will also evaluate your credit score, debt-to-income ratio and other factors to determine your ability to qualify for a mortgage. We provide a comprehensive overview of borrower mortgage qualification requirements on FREEandCLEAR. Additionally, given your veteran status you should consider a VA Mortgage which allows you to buy a home with no money down and typically at a lower interest rate. We provide a comprehensive overview of the VA Mortgage Program including borrower qualification requirements on FREEandCLEAR.

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