Doug Patterson ABR®, SFR REALTOR®: Who Needs a VA Home Loan? It's Not Just for Retirees

A lot of people are entitled to use VA home loan benefits. It’s easy to think of a specific segment of the military as a “typical VA customer”, but while there are enough people who fit that description to create an actual stereotype, they aren’t the only ones out there.

When you think about a VA loan borrower, do you first think of the military retiree? An old Master Sergeant, Chief, or Lieutenant Colonel looking for a place to settled down to enjoy those retirement checks? Those people are definitely in the demographic, but don’t be surprised when a young 20-something comes to you looking to buy that first home with a VA mortgage.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has something for everyone who is eligible and can meet the income and credit requirements. You stand a good chance of meeting someone as a first time home buyer looking for a VA home loan, because in many cases that first four to six years in the military has taught them a thing or two about long term planning, investing for the future, and trying to think ahead.

When you meet these younger buyers, where can you send them to get an education on the real estate buying process and their VA home loans? The Veterans Information Portal is a great place to begin because there’s a great deal of information collected under one site—not just VA home loans, either. It’s an introduction into a wider world of knowledge about VA benefits.

Next, a first time home buyer could use some information on VA loan limits in their state, which will help set realistic expectations for the house hunt. Another good thing for a first-time VA borrower to read up on?  The rules covering joint loans and co-signers.

An online resource for some good local real estate listings is also handy…this one I can’t provide links for—what do YOU do online for RE listings? Share your links with us, we’d love to see how RE agents are using the web in the local area to get the word out on new listings. And don’t forget about our offer to share leads with RE agents in search of military clients like the people I’ve been talking about here. It’s a standing offer.