VA Loan Sniper-NMLS#1500278

05/31/2024

Yesterday, Michael Fischer and I had the honor and opportunity of speaking to agents at Ann Arbor Association of Realtors on VA Loan Myth Busting.

Roughly 30 agents made the decision to become a Veteran ally in this battle for homeownership. 🇺🇸

These agents now posses a better knowledge of:
✅Eligibility
✅Credit and underwriting questions
✅Navigating the VA Appraisal
✅Allowable Costs and Fees
✅NAR Settlement and how it affects our Veterans

If your team or brokerage is ready to take an oath to better serve this underserved community we will be standing by ready to deliver! 🫡

Thank you to all that attended.
Veteran Housing Professionals

05/21/2024

Excited to have another Veteran moving from out of state to join the Michigan family once again!

05/02/2024

Another Fed Day in the books! As expected, the target Fed Funds rate was left unchanged.

Below are two parts of the statement that show that the Fed knows they have their hands full with inflation.

“In recent months, there has been a lack of further progress toward the Committee's 2 percent inflation objective.”
• This replaces the previous wording of: “Inflation has eased over the past year but remains elevated.”

“The Committee judges that the risks to achieving its employment and inflation goals have moved toward better balance over the past year.”
• The big difference here is that “have moved toward” (past tense) was updated from “are moving into” (present)

Despite the seemingly negative connotation above, don’t forget our market has bracing itself for some bad news. This has been felt over the past month via market decline. In other words, the remarks above apparently did not land too far from expectations. On top of that, Fed Chair Jerome Powell reassured speculators that he does not see any rate hike in the near future.

This was enough to give our market a slight rally.

03/05/2024

It's important to know that while Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) received for schooling purposes can provide significant support, it cannot be counted as qualifying income for a VA home loan.
This policy ensures that loans are granted based on stable, long-term income sources.

02/29/2024

Another Veteran has successfully closed on their new home, and what makes it even better? It's within the family!

Congratulations on this significant milestone and the fresh start ahead. Wishing you all the best as you settle into your new place and make it your own. Here's to many happy memories in your new home.

02/21/2024

When calculating income for an active duty veteran with less than 12 months left on their contract, lenders have to ensure that the income is:
-stable
-reliable
-likely to continue

If you are less than a year and want to use your active duty pay we have to show re-enlistment or prove of intent to re-enlist. This can include re-enlistment documents or other official military orders indicating continued service.

There are a further details that would need to be discussed. Keep in mind if you are less than 12 months from separation and no employment or income lined post separation you may run into speedbumps.

If you have a job lined up after separation of service it is possible to use future income if documented correctly. Documentation could include an offer letter specifying terms of employment and compensation.

This can get very tricky so if you are in this window make sure you are fully pre-approved with a VA Loan Specialist before searching for a new home.

02/12/2024

Everyone likes to consume value based content.

My value comes through educating our industry in the benefits of VA loans.

My question is, what would you like to learn more about or have a better understand about VA loans? Whether that is feeling more confident on accepting VA offers, structuring VA offers correctly or if you are a Veteran, what questions period do you have.

The more questions you are the most answers others can benefit from.

Thanks!

02/08/2024

Loan Officers and Real Estate agents, I strongly suggest watching this 60 minute interview of Chairman Powell.

As professional it is our responsibility to understand markets and economic actions so we can ADVISE our clients on what is happening within our industry.

Too often we regurgitate BU****IT!

Rate cuts coming, rate cuts coming, rate cuts coming! How many times have we heard this and sold this idea to our clients only for rates to remain relatively flat.

So here are my key take aways:
-Rate cuts will most likely not happen until MAY.

-Consumer spending is still out of control.

-House hold debt accumulation is out pacing economic growth.

-Consumer product pricing will not come down.

So what does this mean?
Before rates can come down spending must slow down. We can not lower rates too quickly or we will drive inflation right back up becausee we love to borrower cheap money irresponsibly. A continuation of high rates should help curve high home values and affordability.

We are sales people. I get it. Let’s set the right expectations as professionals. Let’s speak out of knowledge not ignorance. Let’s do better together.

First, Fed Chair Jerome Powell: The 2024 60 Minutes Interview. Then, a report on the growing number of Chinese migrants crossing into the U.S. at the souther...

02/07/2024

Seminar #3 in March has been locked in!

If you're a member of the North Oakland County Board of Realtors, keep an eye on your inbox for an exclusive invitation!

Eager to enlighten your agents about the hard-earned benefits our Veterans are entitled to through the VA Loan? If you believe in sharing the power and potential of this remarkable benefit, reach out directly. Send me a DM and let’s coordinate a session to get this vital information on your calendar ASAP.

02/07/2024

Michigan Veterans near Bay City. Check out this up coming event in March!

🚨‼️ 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐏 𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 ‼️🚨
We have a unique horseback riding opportunity planned with Outdoor Driven and Serenity Equine Facility for 4 Active-Duty Military, Reservists, and/or Veterans. Check out the details below...

🇺🇸 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍: Friday, March 8th, 2024 from 5-8pm
🇺🇸 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄: Essexville, MI (Indoor Arena)
🇺🇸 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓'𝐒 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐃:
• Dinner
• Horses and all equipment needed
🚫 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐃: Travel To & From
⏳ 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐂𝐔𝐓-𝐎𝐅𝐅: Friday, February 16th

👉 Please visit this link to register/apply or to nominate someone else for this trip!
outdoordriven.org/services/upcoming-trips/

🇺🇸 "𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚'𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐞𝐬, 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞!"

02/06/2024

Did you know about the VA funding fee and how it works?
It's an important aspect of using your VA loan benefits, so let's break it down:

The VA funding fee is a one-time fee associated with obtaining a VA home loan. It's designed to lower the cost to taxpayers by contributing to the loan's cost. Think of it like a liquidity pool that feeds the VA Guarantee. The good news? If you're receiving VA disability benefits, you're exempt from this fee!

For those who aren't exempt, the highest the funding fee can go is 3.3%. But here's a tip to potentially lower that percentage - making a down payment.
Yes, even though VA loans can be zero down, opting to make a down payment can reduce the funding fee you're required to pay.

Remember, the funding fee is separate from the down payment, but a strategic down payment can be a smart move to reduce your overall loan costs..

09/01/2023

Explore Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan (IRRRL) -

For Veterans with existing VA loans, an IRRRL can be a fantastic option. It’s a streamlined process that can lower your interest rate and monthly payment with minimal paperwork.