VA and Military Buyers
VA and Military Buyers
A PCS date is fixed. Everything else has to fit around it, which makes this a scheduling problem as much as a house-hunting one.
So the sequence runs backwards from your report date: when financing must be clear, when you need to be under contract, and therefore when we need to start. Usually earlier than people expect.
VA and Military Buyers
The date does not move
What is different about a VA loan
- No down payment in many cases, which changes what the cash at closing looks like.
- No private mortgage insurance, which changes the monthly number against a conventional loan at the same price.
- A funding fee that varies, and which some borrowers are exempt from.
- A VA appraisal with minimum property requirements, which can flag things a conventional appraisal would not. Worth knowing before you fall for a fixer.
Eligibility, entitlement and exemptions are determined by the VA and your lender, not by an agent. Nothing here is a statement of your eligibility. A lender who writes VA loans regularly is the right first call, and I can suggest names.
Being straight about this
VA purchases are not a specialty Stephanie has built a track record in, and this page is not going to claim otherwise. What she brings is the part that does carry: working to a hard deadline, coordinating with a lender from the beginning, and buying at a distance, which is most of what a PCS move actually is.
The VA-specific expertise sits with the lender, which is where it should sit. Pairing you with a good one is part of the job.
Questions
- How early should I start before a PCS?
- Earlier than feels necessary. Working backwards from your report date, financing has to be clear well before you need to be under contract. Starting early costs nothing and running out of runway is expensive.
- Can I buy with a VA loan without seeing the house?
- Yes, with a proper video walkthrough, an honest read on condition and a good inspector. Bear in mind the VA appraisal has minimum property requirements, so a home needing significant work can be harder with VA financing than with conventional.
- Do you specialize in VA loans?
- No, and I would rather say so. The VA-specific expertise belongs with a lender who writes these regularly, and I will point you at one. What I bring is working to a fixed date and buying from a distance, which is most of what a PCS move involves.
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