Veterans Day belongs to the people who served. So I'll keep this short and keep the focus where it belongs.
While I have never served myself, I was an Army spouse for 12 years. During that time, my spouse had 5+ combat deployments. I remember the worry, the fear, and living in the unknown during times of no contact for OPSEC purposes. Veterans Day is a day I still take seriously, honoring everyone who has served, those we've lost, and the families who stood behind them.
Where VA loans started for me
I spent eleven years in the Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) area and that's where I became deeply rooted in the military community. It's also where I became a mortgage advisor.
Before any of that, though, I was the one sitting across the table like my clients are now. My first VA loan was confusing as all get out. I was flying blind, my loan officer didn't explain my options, and I didn't know what I didn't know.
I wasn't offered rate options (instead, I was informed of "my rate"), nor was I given any education or options when it came to closing costs, earnest money, or varying loan amounts and their accompanying payments.
At the time, I assumed my experience was the standard. What I learned upon entering this industry REALLY burned my biscuits. How much money could I have been saving? Would we have even bought that house had we known?!
What that taught me
VA loans are one of the best military benefits there is. They're also, by far, one of the most misunderstood.
One of the hardest parts of my job is finding out someone made a massive, life-changing decision based on bad information.
I've had VA clients come to me under circumstances that range from ones that grind my gears to ones that are straight up enraging. Just a few examples: being oversold a horrible rate (with a higher payment than necessary), being told they can't qualify at all--or even worse--told they could qualify when they couldn't…and losing earnest money or enduring heartbreak upon finding out the truth, weeks into their contract period.
So I went all in
I decided to seek out specialized training and fought to learn this program inside and out, so I could be a force for positive change in my industry and its treatment of veterans and their families. I'm a Certified Military Mortgage Specialist, have contacts at the VA, and have now originated hundreds of VA loans.
I personally learned the hard way that being licensed to originate mortgages doesn't mean someone fully understands VA lending. VA rely more heavily on the expertise of the individual loan officer: entitlement, timing, occupancy, PCS orders, and what happens to the house when the next set of orders shows up.
Now I make sure my active-duty and veteran clients are armed with all the data they need before they make any moves.
I ensure they understand their entitlement, the funding fee, how ETS dates affect qualification, their options with seller credits, what types of properties they can purchase, etc. The list is endless, and is unique to each and every person.
To the veterans and military families reading this
Thank you all for your service--to the service member and their spouse and family. Your sacrifices are no small thing, and go unnoticed all too often. I see you and I am deeply honored to serve you.