Tim Storm | Orange County, California VA Loans - Tim Storm

How to Lookup VA Lending Approved Condo Projects in Orange County

April 22, 2011 by Tim Storm 5 Comments

Orange County has a lot of condo projects, but not all projects are approved for a VA home loan. So how does an Orange County, CA VA loan eligible home buyer and the real estate agent they are working with, figure out if a particular condo project is approved? It’s actually relatively easy.

The first step is to visit the VA Condo Approval website. I have included a quick video below which will walk you through the steps for finding approved condo projects in the Orange County cities you are interested in.

Website with List of VA Approved Condos in Orange County, CA

There is a new website which actually keeps a current list of VA approved condos for sale in Orange County, CA. The site, www.OrangeCountyVACondos.com uses a feed from MLS to keep the list, along with photos and information on the properties, updated.

Authored by Tim Storm, an Orange County, CA VA Loan Officer MLO 223456 – Please contact my office at Home Point Financial (NMLS 7706) for more information about an Orange County, CA home loan. Direct: 949-640-3102.

Call our office today and see how we can help you and your family.

949-640-3102 | tstorm (at) ochomebuyerloans.com

Filed Under: VA Purchase Loans

Orange County VA Mortgage Loans

March 14, 2011 by Tim Storm

In Orange County, CA a VA (Veterans Administration) guaranteed home loan is the preferred loan program for active, non-active, Reserve, National Guard, and retired military of the armed forces. There are several reasons, including the fact that no down payment is required up to a $700,000 purchase price, and no private monthly mortgage insurance required.

Veterans and active duty military in Orange County are able to use a VA mortgage loan for purchasing a home, building a home, or refinancing an existing mortgage. And the existing mortgage does not need to be a VA loan. Many current Orange County homeowners are finding that being able to refinance out of a Conventional loan and into a VA loan at 100% loan to value is a great thing. And remember, no mortgage insurance, which FHA and Conventional loans will have.

We will discuss what role the VA plays in a VA guaranteed mortgage, the benefits of a VA home loan for Orange County Veterans and Active Duty personnel, who is eligible for a VA loan, and the documentation you will need to present to your Orange County VA direct lender in order to apply.

Did you know that more than 27 million veterans and service personnel are eligible for VA financing, yet many in Orange County aren’t aware it may be possible for them to buy homes again with VA financing using remaining or restored loan entitlement? The lack of realizing the benefits of a VA loan seems especially true for current homeowners who do not realize how high the Orange County VA loan limits currently are in 2011.

VA Does Not Offer Loans Directly to Orange County Veterans and Does Not Guaranty You Will Qualify

The VA does not actually lend the money to you directly. They offer a guaranty to a lender, in this case a local Orange County direct VA lender, that if you should default on the loan, they will pay the Orange County VA lender a percentage of the loan balance.

*The word GUARANTY does not actually guarantee the Orange County veteran will qualify for a VA home loan.

Primary Benefits of a VA Mortgage for Orange County Veterans:

100% financing, up to a $700,000 purchase price in Orange and Los Angeles counties.
No monthly private mortgage insurance is required. (Conventional financing requires this at over 80% loan to value. FHA requires this on all loans.)
There is a limitation on Orange County home buyers’ closing costs – costs are regulated by VA. Some costs cannot be paid by the Veteran.
The loan is assumable, subject to VA approval of the assumer’s credit. This is an awesome feature.
30 year fixed loan. VA also offers a great 5 year program, but with interest rates so low its hard not to take advantage of a 30 year fixed.
Seller can pay up to 4% of the Orange County veterans closing costs and even pay down they buyer’s debt to help lower their debt-to-income ratio.
Interest rates are similar to FHA interest rates.
You don’t need perfect credit. Typically, most Orange County VA lenders wants a minimum middle FICO score of at least 620. You can buy a home only two years after a foreclosure.

Frequently Asked Questions from Orange County Veterans about VA loans:

Q: My parent is a veteran. Can I obtain a VA loan if I have not served in the military myself?

No, the VA loan benefit does not extend to a veteran’s children.

Q: What is required to prove I served in the military?

You should have your DD214. Your lender will need this, along with a completed Request for Certificate of Eligibility. Your Orange County VA lender can help.

Q: My spouse who has passed away was an eligible veteran. Am I eligible for the home loan benefit myself?

A surviving spouse is eligible if they have not remarried, and the eligible veteran died during active duty service or as a result of a service-related disability.

Q: Is a VA loan better than a Conventional mortgage for Orange County homeowners and buyers?

In many cases, yes. VA guaranteed loans often offer a lower interest rate than conventional mortgages, especially for higher balance mortgages between $417,000 and $700,000, the Orange County 100% financing limit. Also, they do not require monthly private mortgage insurance when borrowing more than 80% of a home’s value, and they can be easier to get approved for because of the flexibility with credit and the allowance for higher debt to income ratios.

Q: How long does it take to get approved for a VA loan in Orange County?

It varies depending on the current workload of your lender, but it is typically the same as for Conventional and FHA mortgages – 3 weeks to 45 days. Much depends on your ability to quickly deliver the items required for loan processing. But if you’ve already been PreApproved by a local Orange County Direct VA lender, then closing in 3 weeks is a possibility.

Of course the first step is always to talk with a Orange County VA loan expert who can provide customized loan scenarios based on your qualifications and goals.

Authored by Tim Storm, an Orange County, CA FHA and VA Loan Officer – Please contact my office at Home Point Financial for more information about an Orange County, CA home loan. 949-640-3102.

Call our office today and see how we can help you and your family. Ask for your Free First Time Home Buyer Report.

tstorm (at) ochomebuyerloans.com

Filed Under: VA Mortgage Tagged With: Orange County, VA Loan, va loan guaranty, VA Mortgage

How the Tax Impound Account Works on VA Loans in Orange County, California

February 26, 2011 by Tim Storm

Home buyers in Orange County, CA using VA loan financing need to know how a property taxes and insurance impound account works. An impound account for property taxes and home owners insurance is required on all VA loans. Impound accounts, also known as a “escrow accounts”, are essentially a forced savings account held by the lender on the VA borrowers behalf.

The Amount Collected for Property Taxes Depends on the Month the Orange County, CA VA Loan Closes

Property taxes in California are paid twice a year, in 2 six month installments. The first half taxes are due on February 1 of each year and cover July 1 through December 31. Second half taxes are due February 1 and cover January 1 through June 30. The amount collected at closing to set up the new impound account is dependent on the First Payment date shown on the loan documents. For example, a loan closing in the month of August, lets say August 30, would have a First Payment date of October 1. According to the chart shown below, loans with a First Payment on October 1 should have 8 months taxes deposited into the impound account.

Since the purpose of the impound account is to make sure property taxes are paid in a timely manner, the lender needs to make sure there is enough money in the account when taxes are due. If we assume a loan closes on August 30 and will have an October 1 first payment, then the lender needs to make sure there is enough money in the account only 30 days after the first payment to cover the first half tax installment, due November 1. But the lender will also need to make sure enough funds will be in the account three months later to cover the second half installment. Impound accounts are regulated by law and lenders are allowed to have up to a two month “cushion” to help prevent a shortage of funds in the account.

This all sounds confusing, but is necessary in order to keep the borrower from getting a surprise when property taxes are due. (The surprise may still come in the way of “supplemental property taxes” in the first year after a purchase.)

Home Owners Insurance is also deposited to the impound account. At closing a one year premium is paid, but the equivalent of two months property taxes is also deposited into the impound account. This ensures there will, or should, be enough money in the account 1 year later to renew the insurance.

Orange County Veteran Buyers Need to Budget for the Impound Account

Orange County home buyers using FHA or VA financing need to budget for the funds required for the impound account. Both FHA and VA guidelines allow for the seller to pay for the set up of the impound account, which can be the best solution for Orange County home buyers who have saved for the down payment but not closing costs.

It is important to contact an Orange County FHA or VA lender who can prepare customized loan scenarios which will show estimates for not only the amount of funds required to buy a home, but also will give a full breakdown of the purchase price, loan amount, and payment.

Authored by Tim Storm, an Orange County, CA FHA and VA Loan Officer – Please contact my office at Home Point Financial for more information about an Orange County, CA home loan. 949-640-3102. MLO 223456

Call our office today and see how we can help you and your family. Ask for your Free First Time Home Buyer Report.

tstorm (at) ochomebuyerloans.com

Filed Under: VA Purchase Loans Tagged With: california, Orange County, tax escrow account, tax impound account, VA Loan

VA Loan in Orange County | Test Case | Lake Forest, CA

February 26, 2011 by Tim Storm

VA loan financing is going strong in Orange County cities like Lake Forest. With the 2011 VA loan limit for 100% financing in Orange County at $700,000, Veterans in Orange County, CA are able purchase very nice homes with no down payment. Below is an example of a recent closing in Lake Forest where an Orange County first time home buyer bought a house using a VA loan with no down payment.

Zero Down VA Loan on $620,000 Lake Forest, CA Home

Not all first time buyers are looking for a $250,000 condo. In Orange County, first time home buyers are quite often very well qualified, high salaried, couples or individuals. In this case, Charlie and Suzanne Gunner (names have been changed to protect the privacy of the home buyers) were shopping for a home in the south Orange County cities of Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, Ladera Ranch, and Rancho Santa Margarita. There credit was excellent, with FICO scores of 731 and 745. They also had over $25,000 in the bank, along with a 401K. The Gunner’s had talked to a few Orange County lenders who suggested that FHA financing was the best way for them to go. They were told that VA financing, even though they were eligible since Charlie had served in the Marine’s during Desert Storm, was too difficult and took too long to close. But then they found a local Orange County VA loan expert who was able to lay out a comparison of an FHA loan versus a VA loan for them.

FHA Loan Versus VA Loan

For those Orange County home buyers who are eligible, a VA loan has many advantages over FHA financing, which will save the VA borrower thousands of dollars over the life of the loan.

VA will finance up to $700,000 in Orange County with no down payment. FHA will finance up to $729,750 in Orange County, but requires a 3.5% down payment. On the Gunner’s $620,000 home, they needed $0 to buy their home, not counting closing costs. With FHA, they would have needed $21,700 for the down payment. Since they only had $25,000 liquid in the bank, the FHA loan would have cleaned them out, and they would have needed to have the seller pay all of their closing costs. With VA, if they were in a competitive offer/counter offer situation, they would be able to pay their own closing costs and still have money left over.
VA has a Funding Fee of 2.15% for first time user VA borrowers. On a $620,000 base loan, this equates to a $13,30 VA Funding Fee, which is added to the loan. So the total VA loan amount is $13,330. FHA actually comes out a little better here. FHA has an Upfront Mortgage Insurance Premium equal to 1% of the loan amount. After factoring the down payment requirement, the FHA UFMIP would be $5,983. While there is some savings, both the Funding Fee and the UFMIP are not paid out of pocket, they are financed into the loan. The result is minimal. Also, for Orange County VA Loan eligible home buyers who have a minimum 10% VA disability (you’ll know if you have it), the Funding Fee is waived. No Funding Fee.
FHA has a Monthly Mortgage Insurance added to the payment. The MMI is equal to .9% of the loan amount, divided by 12. On a $620,000 purchase price, the MMI would be approximately $465 per month. VA loans do not have any type of Monthly Mortgage Insurance. This resulted in a savings for the Gunner’s of $465 per month. $5,580 per year, or $61,000 over the 11 years that the FHA loan would have the MMI.

Typical Concerns about VA Financing in Orange County

The Gunner’s were still a little concerned about whether they could buy a home with a VA loan. They had been told that sellers didn’t like VA financing and the Listing Agents tended to shy away from VA financing. Also, there was concern that the VA appraisal process would be more rigorous that on an FHA or Conventionally financed loan. But that is not the case. FHA and VA appraisals are very similar. The primary focus of an appraisal is to make sure the property is worth what the home buyer is paying for it. On Government loans, the appraiser will look a little more closely at safety issues, such as loose wires, peeling lead paint, broken windows, water damage, etc. But most home buyers, especially a first time home buyer, should be concerned about those issues as well. They typically will come up on the Home Inspection report, which is recommended for all home buyers. Also, VA requires a termite inspection report, with all items cleared. Again, this is something that most homebuyers should want anyway.

VA Loan PreApproval

Once the Gunner’s were comfortable with the fact that a VA loan was in their best interest, they moved forward with getting PreApproved. The process was quick, but thorough. They needed to provide two years tax returns and W2’s, one months paystubs, two months bank statements, copies of their drivers license and social security cards, as well as Charlie’s DD214. The Orange County VA lender was able to quickly retrieve the VA Certificate of Eligibility, run credit, and get the initial “Automated” loan approval. The Gunner’s annual gross income of $130,000 easily qualified them for a purchase price of $670,000, even with the $600 car payment they had.

The lender also had an in house VA Underwriter review the file, providing an underwritten loan approval. The whole process only took a few days. But now, the Gunner’s were ready to get serious about finding a home.

Time to Buy an Orange County Home

The Gunner’s also found a great Orange County Real Estate agent familiar with VA financing. Within weeks they had viewed several homes before finding a great home in Lake Forest, offered at $630,000. After a week of counter offers, they went into contract to purchase the home for $620,000 with the seller paying $10,000 in closing costs. The VA loan closed in 30 days. Closing was very smooth, primarily because the Gunner’s had done their research and had been PreApproved before making an offer on a home. The Gunner’s are now happily in their beautiful Lake Forest home. They are doing a few minor upgrades, which they are able to do because of the money they saved by choosing a VA loan.

Authored by Tim Storm, an Orange County, CA VA Loan Officer – Please contact my office at Home Point Financial for more information about an Orange County, CA home loan. 949-640-3102. MLO 223456

www.CaliforniaVALoanExpert.com

Call our office today and see how we can help you and your family. Ask for your Free First Time Home Buyer Report.

tstorm (at) ochomebuyerloans.com

Filed Under: VA Purchase Loans Tagged With: Irvine, lake forest, Orange County, tim Storm, va lender, VA Loan

VA Loan Program Will Be Popular in Orange County in 2011

January 6, 2011 by Tim Storm

VA loans will be even more popular in 2011 than in 2010 in Orange County. There are several reasons, besides the most obvious reason being that no down payment is required up to a $700,000 purchase price. Up until recently, Orange County Veterans did not realize the benefits that a VA loan program offered them.

Benefits of the VA Loan Program for Orange County Veterans

2011 VA Loan Limits are higher. 100% Financing up to $700,000 in Orange and Los Angeles Counties in 2011. This is actually an increase from 2010, when the 100% financing limit was $593,750. Even that was great, but $700,000 is better.
VA allows “cash out” refinancing up to 90% of the property value. This is much better than Conventional financing, which would have severe pricing “hits” for doing a “cash out” refinance at even 80% of the properties value on a loan amount under $417,000. Most Conventional loan guidelines consider combining a 1st and 2nd to be a “cash out” refinance. With the drop in property values since 2007, many homeowners have not been able to combine their 1st and 2nd mortgages because of the tight Conventional loan guidelines. But Orange County Veterans have the ability to combine their 1st and 2nd up to 90% of the properties value.
VA guidelines are more flexible when it comes to credit as compared to Conventional guidelines. Even if a Veteran has 20% down payment, a VA loan may be the best option if they’ve had a Short Sale, bankruptcy, or other credit issues in the past few years.
VA allows for higher “debt to income” ratios than Conventional financing. While Fannie Mae does not allow debt to income ratios above 45% without an exception, and even then will not go over 50%, VA is more interested in “residual income” that the debt to income ratios. On higher loan amounts this allows for quite a bit of flexibility.

Closing a VA Loan in Orange County is Easy

Closing a VA loan is much easier than some think. While the large banks can take 60 days or more to close a Conventional loan, a good Orange County Direct VA lender can close a VA loan in 30 days, maybe less. The key is to work with a Orange County VA loan Expert who knows what items are needed to complete the file, before the VA underwriter reviews the file. The VA loan expert should be able to provide accurate loan scenarios before the loan process starts, allowing the borrower to consider all options before paying for an appraisal.

Authored by Tim Storm, an Orange County, CA VA Loan Officer – Please contact my office at Home Point Financial for more information about an Orange County, CA home loan. 949-640-3102. MLO 223456

Call our office today and see how we can help you and your family. Ask for your Free First Time Home Buyer Report.

tstorm (at) ochomebuyerloans.com

Filed Under: VA Purchase Loans Tagged With: orange county va loans, VA Cash out Refinance, VA Loan, VA Loans