Booming popularity will likely make 2009 a record year for VA loans. The growing interest is due in part to the VA program’s exceptional benefits. Chief among those is the fact that qualified veterans in most parts of the country can purchase a home with no down payment.
Other VA loan benefits include:
-Less stringent qualifying criteria
-No private monthly mortgage insurance
-No penalties for loan pre-payment
-Higher debt-to-income ratio allowed than for most conventional loans
-Sellers can pay up to 6 percent of closing costs
-And many more
In terms of VA loan requirements, prospective borrowers must first meet the agency’s standards of eligibility. Those who may be eligible for a VA loan are:
-Military members who’ve served 181 days on active duty or three months during war time may be eligible.
-People who have spent at least a half-dozen years in the National Guard or Reserves
-Spouses of those killed in the line of duty
Veterans interested in a VA loan must first apply for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) by completing VA Form 26-1880 and including proof of military service. Active duty members must include an original statement of service signed by the adjutant, personnel officer or unit commanders that identifies you and your Social Security Number and provides date of entry. Those discharged from regular active duty after January 1, 1950, should include a copy of DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge). Anyone discharged after October 1, 1979, also should include DD Form 214 copy 4.
There are typically less stringent income and credit requirements to qualify for a VA loan. Agency officials will examine an applicant’s financial and credit history along with other key indicators before making a determination.
Veterans and their families must live in the homes they purchase – these loans can’t be used to buy land or investment properties.
“If you are interested in a similar guest post on your blog or more information on VA loans contact Robert at this e mail address.....
Robert@valoansguidelines.com”
Friday, October 9, 2009
Other VA loan benefits include:
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Volunteer leaves $1.5 million to Ill. VA hospital
Volunteer leaves $1.5 million to Ill. VA hospital
By DAVID MERCER
4:40 p.m. CDT, October 6, 2009
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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - After serving in the Korean War, John Wright apparently lived a quiet life in Danville, where he volunteered at the local Veterans Administration hospital but otherwise kept to himself.
As it turns out, Wright was also building a fortune in real estate and other investments worth $1.56 million, all of which he left to the eastern Illinois town's VA hospital when he died.
The staff and other volunteers he got to know in his 40 years volunteering at the hospital's recreation therapy section were the closest thing Wright had to family, said Douglas Shouse, a hospital spokesman.
"They were his family," Shouse said. "On holidays he would go to (meet) the recreation staff for meals."
His colleagues at the hospital did not know much more about Wright's life outside the hospital or his military record.
"John was pretty subdued and didn't really talk about his military service," Shouse said.
Wright, who was in the Army, died in March 2008 at the hospital. He was 74.
According to Vermilion County Circuit Court records, Wright's estate consisted of a mix of real estate holdings, investments such as shares of Fannie Mae and other more mundane assets such as a money market fund.
Shouse said he had no idea about Wright's fortune -- or how he built it -- until the VA was contacted about the will after his death.
The estate only recently cleared all the legal hurdles preventing it from turning the fortune over to the hospital, Shouse said.
He said the hospital decided against saying anything publicly about the money until after a service last week to honor Wright because people who knew him said he would not have liked the fuss.
The money will buy a 16-passenger van to take veterans on outings and will be used to renovate a recreation hall that will be named in his honor, according to Shouse.
Wright was buried in the Danville National Cemetery near the hospital.
Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Myapologies to the AP but as a 100% disabled veteran I felt that all veterans and the public should know the kind of men that have served this nation and how they keep on giving long after they leave the military. He gave of his time to be a volunteer at the local VA hospital and when he died, he left a small fortune he had accumulated over his lifetime, and the VA will now put that money to use to continue to help veterans.
If this makes me wrong for re-relling this story and linking it back to the Chicago paper where it was published then I will be wrong all the time, this man truly is an American "hero" he may not have ever been awarded a Medal of Honor or a Silver Star but he lived a life of "honor" and UI for one SALUTE him. I also give my thanks to the AP for allowing their reporter to spend his time to tell this story, of giving.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Military and Veterans Suicides help is available
Every day, five U.S. soldiers try to kill themselves” (CNN.com).
In recognition of Army Suicide Prevention Month (September 2009) and the upcoming observance of Veterans’ Day (November 11), here is a valuable resource for aiding our veterans in need.
HEALING SUICIDAL VETERANS: Recognizing, Supporting and Answering Their Pleas for Help (October 2009, New Horizon Press) is written by Victor Montgomery, III, MAEd., CMAC, RAS, who has worked with thousands of veterans and families as a former crisis intervention therapist at the National Veterans’ Suicide Prevention Lifeline and as an addiction therapist in outpatient clinics.
In HEALING SUICIDAL VETERANS, Montgomery provides:
· Tips and effective strategies for veterans to cope and heal.
· Checklists to identify symptoms of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury and substance abuse.
· Twelve real-life stories featuring veterans from the Iraq, Afghanistan, Gulf, Beirut, Vietnam and Korean wars.
· Resources for veterans to seek the help they need.
We hope you will want to feature HEALING SUICIDAL VETERANS, a vital guide for any veteran struggling with suicidal impulses.
Sincerely,
Dr. Joan S. Dunphy
Publisher
908.604.6311
nhp@newhorizonpressbooks.com e mail here
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I don't endorse many books but anything dealing with mental health and to try and stem the flow of suicides is something I fully support since I have tried it 3 times and luckily I even failed at that now I try and keep others from attempting it.
