Guest Post-Military Veterans Can Take Advantage of Their Benefits with a Veteran Home Loan

I was recently contacted by Jessica for a guest post on VA Loans. As most of you know, my husband I recently purchased a home. We used a Veteran home Loan, also known as a VA Loan. If it weren't for the VA Loan, we wouldn't have considered buying any time soon. If you or your spouse has served, and you are considering buying a home, Consider the VA Loan! 

Military Veterans Can Take Advantage of Their Benefits with a Veteran Home Loan

Right now is a fantastic time to buy a new home.  Prices are low, lending rates are even lower, and many people have had their homes up for sale for a long time with no interest, and they are willing to make a deal.  Needless to say, it’s a buyer’s market.  In addition to prime market conditions, there is even better news for veterans of the US Armed Forces; if you are an honorably discharged member of any branch of the Armed Forces, you may qualify for a US Veteran Home Loan.  The benefits of these home loans are quite expansive and could help you and your family pay for the home of your dreams.

Because of their service and sacrifice for our country, honorably discharged members of the Armed Forces are entitled to certain benefits as part of their compensation package.  One of the greatest benefits that they can receive is the home loan benefit.  The government has provided guaranteed home loans for members of the armed forces that carry certain incentives that you can’t get if you aren’t a member of the military.

A VA Loan is a special loan that is guaranteed and insured by the government and can be issued by a specially licensed lender.  There is no required down payment for a VA loan.  Although there is a funding fee of up to 3.15% of the total loan amount borrowed, this amount can be financed and paid off over the life of the loan.  In addition, up to 103.15% financing is available, meaning that qualified buyers are able to borrow more than the amount needed to purchase the house.  This extra money can be used to make home improvements or changes to the home.  An additional $6,000 can also be borrowed as long as it is used for energy efficiency improvements.  Veterans who already own a home are able to get 20% funding for a second mortgage.

The VA allows veterans to qualify for and receive loans that are larger than they would normally be able to receive if they financed with a traditional lender.  The maximum loan amount available depends on the location of the home being purchased, and the amount varies by county.  The maximum amount available with no down payment is $417,000, although in certain “high cost” areas funding up to $1,094,625 is available.  Finally, if there are any closing costs associated with the home sale, the VA requires that the seller pay these, providing that the total cost does not exceed 6% of the total home purchase price.  This will save the homebuyer even more money.  VA home loans also generally carry significantly lower interest rates than traditional mortgages, sometimes up to 1.5% lower, saving the buyer thousands of dollars over the life of their loan.

The benefits of a VA home loan are expansive.  It is in the best interest of all qualified veterans to look into buying a house with their VA benefits.  The combination of prime market conditions, low rates and huge money saving benefits all mean that there is money to be saved on the purchase of a home.  If you are a US Armed Forces veteran, look into a VA home loan.

Guest post by Jessica Gingham at MilitaryVALoan.com

Home is Where YOUR Heart is

"Home is where the heart is". Where is YOUR Heart?

For some, it may be their hometown, wherever their mom and dad are, where their kids are.. Or like me, Where their husband is.

My home is wherever my husband is. My husband has my heart, completely. So I guess you could say, "My heart is on the Enterprise". But also thinking about the subject, my heart is here. Here in VA, even though he, my husband, is thousands of miles away.

Why in Virginia? This is where OUR home is. This is where we are together, this is where we live. Anywhere I am with him, is HOME.

I may still refer to Tennessee as Home, but really- it's not home anymore. Tennessee is where I grew up, where I met my husband, were we were married... etc. It was home in the past, it may be home in the future. But for now, Virginia is home. It is where my husband and I are currently making a home.

But that's more on a physical standpoint. But what is "Home" to me emotionally..

Home to me, isn't just about Where we live really. Home is where he and I are together. "Home" to me is a feeling. Feeling complete, feeling comfortable, feeling warm and feeling loved. My "home" isn't complete right now. A big piece of the puzzle is missing. Although I know I have his heart, his physical presence is missing, leaving my home incomplete.

Where is home to you? What defines home in your eyes? What makes your home complete?

Home Update

All of my family is safe and accounted for. Thank goodness.
I feel so helpless being 13 hours away. I feel like I should be doing something. But, what can you do when you're 1/2 a day away?

Tennessee is the Volunteer state. This time of crisis really proves why they are called that. People all across the state are reaching out to help. Our schools are opening their doors for shelters. Random strangers are reaching out to help those who lost everything. People are out in their boats helping anyone in need. The state is being brought together.

They are saying the flooding is worse than Katrina. Unlike Hurricane Katrina, Middle Tennessee is not getting any national attention. Which is sad to me. Seems like Tennessee is left to pick up the pieces themselves. Houses are completely under water. More than 12 people have been killed in Tennessee alone. Some people were trapped in their cars on the interstate, the flood waters covered cars. So many historic places are damaged. The Grand Old Opry, Opryland Hotel, Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Ryman all have water damage. It's such a sad time for Nashvillians.

Now for the Pictures:

Wal Mart in Ashland city before the water really came in

The roads in front of Harpeth High school

The only cow that survived from it's owner's farm. So sad.

LP Field/ Titans Stadium

Grand Ole Opry

What once was the Very beautiful Opryland Hotel.
Had to rescue more than 1,000 people. More than 10ft of water.
All the lower levels where completely flooded.

This car ended up being completely under water.

Country Music Hall of Fame before they were forced to open
the dams.

Opry Mills Mall- Rain Forest Cafe
The water got higher than this.

I could post so many more pictures, but I will leave it at this. Please continue to keep the flood victims in your prayers.

So far.. This is the hardest

Lots of areas look like this

No, I'm not talking about workups or even Deployment. I'm talking about the State of emergency my hometown is in. Being 13 hours and seeing pictures, hearing the news of the flooding, the deaths.. in middle Tennessee. AND even worse, they expect there to be MORE flooding and MORE deaths.

Riverview Restaurant is now gone. It was swept away.

People are loosing everything, some loosing even their life to this. As of right now, the death toll is at 12. I pray there will be no more lives lost from this. The Weather Channel just said there are 2 missing now. I pray they find them and find them alive.

Had to take boats to get People out

The pictures people are posting online from home.. Well, it's really starting to get to me. I grew up there. The first 18 years of my life, I never moved out of Cheatham County... and now, so much is being washed away, literally. But that is still not what scares me the most. They have started to evacuate parts of the county I grew up in.

My Grandmother is stuck at her job... which is right on the Cumberland River. She can not get home because the roads are blocked by the flood waters. I just pray that she can get somewhere safe. My mom is keeping me updated on her, but I think my mom might not tell me everything that's going on so that I won't worry so much. Either way, I'm worried.

Small shopping center

They are saying the waters could rise up to 10 more feet. According to the weather channel, the levee in Nashville is on the verge of breaking. They have opened several dams to keep them from breaking. It is good to keep them from breaking.. just scary because that means more flooding.

I just pray the water stops rising and levels soon. So many have lost their home. It's sad, you can't get flood insurance there unless your are in a classified flood zone.
They are calling this the "100 Year Flood". It has been over 100 years since middle Tennessee has seen a flood like this.

Please keep middle Tennessee families in your Prayers.

House now is on it's own island with no way out other than a boat

Farms Flooded

Roads Flooded