An Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran from Texas is the recipient of the 18 millionth home loan guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

"VA’s home loan guaranty program has been helping veterans purchase homes for more than 60 years," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs R. James Nicholson upon making the announcement.

"This VA no-downpayment loan program reflects our nation’s appreciation of the brave men and women who put on our country's uniforms in defense of freedom and our way of life. It also highlights VA’s contribution to turning the United States into a nation of homeowners."

The 18 millionth loan was announced eatlier this month at the National Association of Home Builders' Annual Spring Conference in Washington, D.C.

An award was also presented to Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient Robert A. Laurent of Kyle, Texas, who was discharged after four years in uniform because of combat-related injuries in Iraq.

His family's new home was built by Legacy Homes of Plano, Texas, a division of Meritage Homes Corp. of Scottsdale, Arizona, and purchased through First Continental Mortgage, Ltd. of Houston.

"The no downpayment VA program has been a cornerstone of the nation’s housing finance system for more than 60 years," said NAHB President David Pressly, a home builder from Statesville, N.C.

"It has opened the door to homeownership for millions of veterans who have, in turn, been able to build equity and household wealth, put down roots in the communities where they live and enjoy the many benefits of owning a home."

Since 1944 when President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Servicemen's Readjustment Act into law, the GI Bill, as it is popularly known, has secured more than $892 billion of financing for veterans' and service members' home loans.

In fiscal year 2005 alone, VA guaranteed more than 165,000 loans for mortgages valued at more than $24.9 billion.

VA-guaranteed home loans are made by banks and mortgage companies to veterans, service members and eligible reservists.

With VA backing a portion of the loan, veterans can receive a competitive interest rate without a down payment, making it easier to buy a home.

On Jan. 1, 2006, the VA loan guaranty limit for no-down payment loans was increased to $417,000. The previous ceiling was $359,650, officials said.

Readers can find more information about VA home loan benefits by visiting http://www.homeloans.va.gov on the Web or by calling 1-800-827-1000.