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Home Loan Programs For Military Personnel
The Unites States Veteran’s Administration has made available a series of lending opportunities to military personnel who have served in active duty in the Marines, Navy, Air Force, Army and Coast Guard, and have not received a dishonorable discharge. Generous VA purchase, refinance and streamline loans can save the U.S. veteran significant money over the life of the loan with lenders eager to compete with lower interest rates and the “no down payment” policy applied to some purchase agreements.
Some of the benefits from a VA purchase loan for the veteran’s primary residence include restrictions on the amount of closing costs applied to the mortgage, no penalty for early loan balance pay off, and offers an assumable mortgage to qualified candidates who wish to assume.
The VA refinancing program resembles the private sector loans that enable the home owner to pull cash from the property’s equity and refinance even when the payments are in delinquency. However, the new terms and conditions will be regulated by the private lender.
The streamline refinance option, or IRRRL, allows the veteran to change a short-term ARM to a long-term fixed mortgage, with no cash out of pocket. In some cases, the lender may require a property appraisal and check the applicant’s credit score.
The VA lending procedure is similar to a traditional mortgage loan in that the VA recipient is entitled to a property appraisal. The approximate market value of the home is estimated on the CRV, or certificate of reasonable value and the paperwork is sent to the lending institution for approval. In most cases, the VA will accept appraisal certificates from appraisal companies that have been in business for at least five years.
The veteran may purchase a home at any market price, however, the VA lending system does not grant a loan balance to exceed the CVR findings. The over-budget difference in cost may be paid in cash or carried by a private lending institution. In situations where the CVR price is higher than the asking price, the veteran does not have to make a down payment on the property.
The qualified veteran may select a long-term fixed rate loan to extend to a maximum of 30 years and 37, or choose a an ARM. Applicants for the short-term ARM must adhere to VA regulations that require the loan to have a limited up or down interest rate of 1 percent, a final interest rate cap not to exceed five points above the initial interest rate at signing, and ensure the monthly payments will adjust on the annual date if signature.
To apply for a VA housing loan, the applicant must fill out a “certificate of eligibility” or complete the VA Form 26-1880 along with papers verifying active duty since September 16, 1940. In addition, you must include copies of your military separation papers. Select a real estate agent to help you with the house hunting and sign the purchase agreement. Call your local VA lending office and apply to the mortgage agency of your choice. The VA will take it from there, and you’re ready to move into your new home.
Option Arm (Page 1 of 2)
An ARM offers low adjustable interest rates with the security of a fixed minimum payment. With ARMs, you have four different payment options each month. ARM mortgages give you flexibility that is unmatched by virtually any other home loan product available in today’s market. If your budget is a bit tight, you can choose to make the interestonly payment or the minimum payment: two payments that are lower than a standard mortgage payment. In months when your budget is not so tight, you can use the extra money toward saving for retirement, paying off highinterest debt, making home repairs, or financing college expenses.
An option ARM program calculates your minimum payment based on your interest rate minus a percentage for the first five years until it reaches the maximum deferred interest level of about 115 percent. During the first five years, your rate is fixed. After that, it becomes a sixmonth fully amortizing ARM. When that happens, the loan loses its potential to be a negatively amortizing loan. If you are looking into getting an option ARM, look for one that limits the potential for deferred interest or negative amortization. The minimum payment on Option ARM mortgages is the lowest of the four payment options, since it is less than the amount needed to cover the interest for the month. This is known as deferring your interest.
Remember that flexibility makes an option ARM mortgage a great choice for borrowers who don’t have a fixed income or for people with fluctuating income-like people who work on commission or selfemployed borrowers; even people who are serious investors who want to channel their money into their investments, rather than their mortgage. Without a fixed income, it can be hard to meet a mortgage payment on time during slow months at work. Say you have a bad month of commission-sales are down; you have to fix your car; and finances are tight. With an Option ARM loan, you can choose to make just the minimum payment to get you through the month, and then make a larger payment when things pick up. However, this loan might be perfect for someone who is in sales and works on commission and who knows how to get by when sales are down. This is not the kind of loan for people who may have lots of debt and are looking to pay the minimum payment all the time.
The minimum payment on Option ARM loans may not fully cover the interest that accrues monthly. If the minimum payment does not cover the entire interest owed, it gets tacked onto your loan balance which means you can get into trouble very quickly, if you don’t know what you’re doing. Your loan balance can actually increase as you make these low payments. You can elect to use the minimum payment as often as you like, but if used too often without making some larger payments in between, you could end up with a mortgage balance that is higher than the value of your home. Quicken Loans offers an option ARM mortgage with a minimum payment that limits how much interest is deferred.