Benefits of the VA Home Loan for Orange County Veterans

The benefits of the VA Home Loan for Orange County Veterans are numerous. The VA loan program is an amazing mortgage program that has less restrictive guidelines and underwriting flexibility compared to any other loan program. Some of these benefits include no down payment, no monthly mortgage insurance and competitive fixed interest rates.

VA Loan Benefits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwzuRd7vdLQ

No Down Payment Required

One of the biggest and most noticeable benefits to the VA loan program is that there is no down payment up to county loan limit. For example, in Orange County the VA loan limit is $679,650, which means a veteran is able to get a VA loan with zero down payment up to a $679,650 purchase price (2018 loan limit). Veterans are able to get a VA loan above the limit, but they would then have a down payment as a result. A loan above the Zero Down limit is called a Jumbo VA Loan and is also fairly common in Orange County due the the high cost of homes.

Competitive Fixed Interest Rates on VA Loans

VA Loans tend to have lower fixed rates than other types of loan programs. VA interest rates are typically .25% or more lower than comparable rates for Conventional financing. These lower rates also make it easier for the lender to offer a lender credit to help cover closing costs. By adjusting the interest rate slightly higher, a lender credit can save the Orange County Veteran thousands of dollars in out of pocket expenses when purchasing a home. Also, the VA loan does not have a prepayment penalty, making it easy to take advantage of the VA Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan (VA IRRRL) if rates drop.

The VA loan program is also one of the only programs that allows for loans to be assumable when purchasing a home. This means that when a home is purchased, the buyer can take over the sellers mortgage under the same terms. Besides FHA, no other loan program provides this benefit.

No Monthly Mortgage Insurance

No monthly mortgage insurance is one of the best benefits of a VA loan. For other types of financing, including FHA and Conventional loans, when the down payment is less than 20% of the purchase price there will be some form of mortgage insurance. With FHA, no matter what the down payment is there will be monthly mortgage insurance. for example, an Orange County home buyer purchasing a home for $600,000 would need a 3.5% down payment with FHA.  That is a $21,000 down payment. VA would have No Down payment. On the FHA loan the mortgage insurance would be calculated using a factor of .85% of the loan amount divided by 12. The monthly mortgage insurance would be approximately $417, paid every month. An Orange County Veteran purchasing the same home would have no monthly mortgage insurance, saving $417 per month versus the FHA loan.

Underwriting and Credit Flexibility

The VA loan program is also the most flexible home loan program when it comes to credit and debt to income ratios. Many lenders will close VA loans for borrowers with FICO scores as low as 580. Also, VA financing is allowed only 2 years after a bankruptcy or foreclosure. FHA requires 2 years after a bankruptcy and 3 years after a foreclosure.  Conventional loans require a 4 year wait after a bankruptcy and 7 years after a foreclosure.

Cash Out Refinance using the VA Loan

A great benefit of the VA loan is as a washout refinance. VA allows cash out up to 100% of the property value. For an Orange County Veteran looking to do home improvements, being able to pull cash out to 100% of the new appraised value means the home improvements can be completed much sooner than someone in another type of loan program. FHA allows cashout to 85% of the property value, and conventional financing only goes to 80%.

Understanding your loan options is important. A Veteran should always consider the VA loan as their first option. There are few scenarios where VA will not be better than another type of loan program. To see the numbers, have your Orange County VA loan officer prepare a Side by Side Analysis comparing the VA loan to other loan options, which will help the Veteran see the numbers and make the correct home financing decision.

Authored by Tim Storm, an Orange County VA Loan Officer specializing in VA Loan. MLO 223456. – Please contact my office at the Home Point Financial. My direct line is 949-640-3102. www.OrangeCountyVALoans.com. I will prepare custom VA loan scenarios which will be matched up to your financial goals, both long and short term. I also prepare a Video Explanation of the your scenarios so that you are able to fully understand the numbers BEFORE you have started the loan process.

VA Loan Calculators | are they accurate for California Veterans?

valoancalc

Are VA loan calculators found on websites accurate? While a mortgage calculator can help in getting a quick idea of what a payment would be, in most cases they will not be accurate enough for what will be one of the biggest  purchases you will make in your lifetime.

PITI – Principal, Interest, Taxes, Insurance

The total monthly payment on a VA loan is made up of a combination of several factors, including loan principal, interest,  property taxes, homeowner’s insurance, and in the case of a condo, the Home Owners Association Dues.

Many mortgage websites contain a loan calculator that can be used to calculate an estimated monthly payment. Most of these calculators take into account most of the important values like purchase price, estimated down payment, and estimated loan term and interest rate. While these values play a big role in the calculation of your monthly payment, there are other factors that are involved in your monthly payment that these calculators either assume or don’t include.

Factors that can Affect the VA Loan Payment

Orange County VA Loan Approval

The first of these factors that play a role in shaping a VA monthly payment are the calculation of the VA Funding Fee. Knowing whether the Funding Fee is 1.25%, 1.5%, 3.3%, or 0 is something that most online calculators do not account for. Whether or not a veteran has previously had a VA loan or if they are a disabled veteran  factors heavily into the size of the VA funding fee, or whether there is a VA Funding Fee at all.

Other factors that play into determining a monthly payment include the property tax rate of the property (which will vary from one geographic region to the next) as well as the Homeowner’s insurance (earthquake insurance, flood insurance, rural area, etc). Each of these factors can vary by the area that you live in and may be different than the assumptions that the calculator is using.

What Does a California VA Loan Scenario Look Like?

With my clients I will always prepare a custom VA loan scenario, which will have a thorough breakdown of the Veterans payment, closing costs, and amount needed to close. Knowing these numbers in the early stages of the home buying process is crucial. I prepared a quick “screen capture” video which will show you what a VA loan scenario looks like. Click Here for the video.

VA Loan scenario

While researching loan options and gathering information it is extremely beneficial to get an accurate loan scenario from a California VA Loan Specialist. A loan scenario will provide a full breakdown of all the factors that will play into shaping a VA loan and the monthly payment as well as being customized to your specific situation. A complete loan scenario will also give the California Veteran an accurate estimate of the amount of money to close to close, if any.

Authored by Tim Storm, an Orange County VA Loan Officer specializing in VA Loan. MLO 223456. – Please contact my office at the Home Point Financial. My direct line is 949-640-3102. www.OrangeCountyVALoans.com. I will prepare custom VA loan scenarios which will be matched up to your financial goals, both long and short term. I also prepare a Video Explanation of the your scenarios so that you are able to fully understand the numbers BEFORE you have started the loan process.

CalVet Home Loan versus VA Home Loan | Which is Better?

California Veterans can choose between the CalVet home loan or the VA home loan. Both programs offer Zero Down Financing. But which program is better? It depends on several factors. The type of property you are purchasing, the purchase price of the home, and your long term plans with the home. A home loan is a major decision and it is important to select the right loan program for your situation. For California Veterans, the two primary programs are the Calvet and VA home loan programs. While both programs are very similar, there are important differences to consider before selecting the best program for you.

Eligibility for a CalVet Home Loan versus a VA Home Loan:

Both programs require a period of active duty service of at least 90 days as well as a discharge status other than dishonorable. CalVet is only available to veterans and active duty military living in California, while VA is available nationwide.

CalVet Home Loan:

When using the CalVet program, the desired home is purchased by CalVet and then sold to the veteran using a contract of sale. CalVet holds legal title, while equitable title is given to the veteran occupying the property. This process still gives veterans several ownership rights including property tax and mortgage interest deductions. Since CalVet holds the legal title, they can obtain a lower group rate for homeowner’s insurance. With CalVet holding legal title to your property, it can make it difficult to refinance or obtain a second mortgage in the future. CalVet does not refinance their loans, so if a Veteran wishes to takes advantage of lower rates or pull cash out based on increased equity, they will need to refinance out of the CalVet loan. The CalVet loan program is very flexible when it comes to purchasing manufactured homes, and is the better option if the manufactured home is on leased land.Orange County Veterans, home buyer

VA Home Loan:

With a VA loan, the veteran receives full ownership rights and legal title to the property, just like most other types of home loan programs. VA also allows for more flexibility in terms of occupying the property. With a VA loan the veteran must initially occupy the property, but after a few years they are able to live elsewhere and rent out the property. Compared to CalVet, which requires the purchased property to be the primary residence until the loan is fully repaid. Also, VA loans are much easier to refinance. VA offers the Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan (IRRRL), which allows the Veteran to refinance their loan to lower their interest rate and payment without doing a new appraisal and without supplying income documentation.  Also, while the VA loan program does allow for financing of manufactured homes there are not many lenders who will fund a VA loan on a manufactured home, especially if it is on leased land.

County VA Loan Limits and Loan Entitlements:

The size of the loan you need will likely influence which program better suits your needs based on which county you live in.  In Orange and Los Angeles counties the current VA loan limit is $625,500 whereas in Riverside County the current loan limit is $417,000. It is even possible to get a Jumbo VA loan that is above the county $0 down loan limit by coming in with a down payment. VA loans in the $800,000 to $1,000,000 range are not unusual.

Understanding your options are very important. Make sure to research both VA and CalVet to make sure you are choosing the right loan program for your needs.

Authored by Tim Storm, an Orange County VA Loan Officer specializing in VA Loan. MLO 223456. – Please contact my office at the Home Point Financial. My direct line is 949-640-3102. www.OrangeCountyVALoans.com. I will prepare custom VA loan scenarios which will be matched up to your financial goals, both long and short term. I also prepare a Video Explanation of the your scenarios so that you are able to fully understand the numbers BEFORE you have started the loan process.

Is An Earnest Money Deposit Needed for VA Financing?

is an earnest money deposit needed for va financingIs an Earnest Money Deposit needed with VA Financing? This is a question that comes up quite a bit with Veterans using VA financing to purchase a home in Orange County, CA. Since no down payment is needed for a home purchase up to a price of $625,500, some would wonder why a deposit is even needed. Especially in a situation where the loan will be a VA No No. With a VA No No, not only is there no down payment, but the closing costs and prepaid expenses are also paid, either by the seller, the real estate agent, or the lender through a lender credit. The answer is “Yes”, an Earnest Money Deposit is necessary. To understand why it is important to understand the true purpose of the Earnest Money Deposit, or EMD for short.

Purpose of the Earnest Money Deposit

By providing an Earnest Money Deposit as part of the initial offer you are showing the seller how serious you are. The EMD is held in an escrow account, not by the seller or real estate agent. Imagine if you owned a home and had three offers to purchase your home for $500,000. The first offer comes in with a $15,000, or 3% of the purchase price. The second offer comes in with an EMD of $7,500. The third offer comes in with a $1,000 EMD. As the seller you would most likely feel that the two offers with an EMD of $15,000 and $7,500 are more serious, and may have a better chance of closing than the offer with only a $1,000 EMD. Unfortunately, the offer with a $1,000 EMD may not even receive a counter offer. In order to let the seller know you are serious,  the buyer will need to include an Earnest Money Deposit. The amount needed will vary from transaction to transaction. The real estate agent will most likely be able to give advice on the amount needed.

Is the Earnest Money Deposit Refundable?FAQ on VA loans

The Earnest Money Deposit is money that is held in escrow and will go towards the funds needed by the buyer to close escrow.  Even with a VA loan with no down payment, there may be some funds needed to close. Let’s assume an Orange County Veteran is purchasing a VA approved condo in Mission Viejo for $600,000 with no down payment. Their EMD is $10,000. All closing costs and most of the prepaid expenses are covered by a lender credit, leaving just $2,000 needed from the Veteran to close escrow. Since they already have $10,000 deposited to the escrow company, they will received a REFUND of $8,000 when they close escrow on their new home.

Is the Earnest Money Deposit at Risk of Being Forfeited?

There is always a risk of the EMD being forfeited, especially of the contract is poorly written. By using an experienced real estate agent who is familiar with working with Veterans using VA financing, contingencies can be written into the contract that will protect the Veteran deposit from being forfeited. A contingency for inspections, loan approval, and the appraisal will all help to protect the EMD. The VA Addendum, which is included with the sales contract, will help to protect the Veterans deposit in the event that the VA appraisal comes in low.

Knowing and understanding how the EMD works is important for any home buyer. For Veterans, it just add’s to the importance in working with experienced real estate professionals who are very familiar with the Jumbo VA loan program in Orange County, where home prices and VA loan limits are higher than most parts of the country.

Authored by Tim Storm, an Orange County VA Loan Officer specializing in VA Loan. MLO 223456. – Please contact my office at the Home Point Financial. My direct line is 949-640-3102. www.OrangeCountyVALoans.com. I will prepare custom VA loan scenarios which will be matched up to your financial goals, both long and short term. I also prepare a Video Explanation of the your scenarios so that you are able to fully understand the numbers BEFORE you have started the loan process.

VA Loan after Bankruptcy | Only 2 Year Wait for Orange County Veterans

get a va loan after bankruptcyGetting a VA loan after bankruptcy is not as difficult as many think. While most loan programs require anywhere from a 3 year (FHA) to 4 year (Conventional) to even 7 year (some Jumbo programs) wait period after a bankruptcy, the VA program only requires a 2 year wait after the discharge of a bankruptcy.

VA Loan After Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

Depending on the type of bankruptcy, the wait period could even be shorter. For a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which is total discharge of debts, 24 months must pass from the date of discharge to the loan approval. And while some VA lenders will have “overlays”, or their own guidelines which may be tougher than standard VA guidelines, an eligible Orange County Veteran who knows how flexible VA can be will have a better shot at buying a home sooner rather than later by working with a lender with minimal VA guideline overlays.

Another important thing to know is that many VA lenders will allow a two year wait for loans under $417,000. But for VA loans over $417,000 they will require a longer wait. For Veterans in Orange County, where home prices are high and where the 100% financing limit in 2016 is $625,500, working with an Orange County, CA VA lender who will allow only a 2 year will be the difference between buying a home and not buying a home in 2016. This means it is possible to purchase a condo, within a VA approved condo project in Orange County, only two years after a discharged bankruptcy.

VA Loan Immediately After Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

A Chapter 13 bankruptcy is a restructuring of debt. In most cases the debts are not “discharged”, but are instead paid off over a specified time period. For example, if a Veteran has $25,000 in credit card debt, the court may create a payoff plan over a 3 or 5 year time period. It is actually possible to get a VA loan before the Chapter 13 is even discharged. If a perfect 24 month payment history in the Chapter 13 is proven then the Veteran can get VA financing. It is even possible to use a VA cashout refinance to pay off a Chapter 13. For someone looking to buy a home, there is no wait period after the discharge of the bankruptcy if they were in the Chapter 13 for at least two years and had a perfect payment history. (If you are in chapter 13, do not miss a payment.)

VA Loan After Foreclosure

The VA guideline for getting a loan after a foreclosure mirror their bankruptcy rules. Only a 2 year wait period is required. Even for loans oner $417,000. This is important to know because a very common overlay for VA lenders to is require between 4 and 7 years wait after foreclosure on for loans over $417,000.

Jumbo VA Loans and Bankruptcy

Understanding what a Jumbo VA loan is and how it enables a Veteran to finance a high priced home even after bankruptcy or foreclosure can be beneficial for a Veteran who may have had a rough financial stretch a few years ago. While most Jumbo loan programs are very restrictive when it comes to prior bankruptcies and foreclosures, the VA Jumbo program follows the standard VA guidelines of only a 2 year wait. Again, not all lenders follow the standard guideline, so knowing the guidelines and finding a local Orange County VA lender who follows the guidelines is important.

FICO Score Requirements for VA Loans

Technically VA does not have an official guideline for a minimum FICO score. Most lender will not go below 620 for loans under $417,000 and 640 for loans over $417,000. However, there are lenders who will go down to a 580 FICO score.

Authored by Tim Storm, an Orange County VA Loan Officer specializing in VA Loan. MLO 223456. – Please contact my office at the Home Point Financial. My direct line is 949-640-3102. www.OrangeCountyVALoans.com. I will prepare custom VA loan scenarios which will be matched up to your financial goals, both long and short term. I also prepare a Video Explanation of the your scenarios so that you are able to fully understand the numbers BEFORE you have started the loan process.