E189: INTERVIEW - VA Loans: Bad for Buyers or a Christmas Miracle?

Stephanie and her husband were ready to buy a home, but was told she would need 30% DOWN as a VA buyer and no one was interested in VA loans. Well, she knew her family needed a home, so she did some research, got in touch with a unicorn team, and now she and her family are enjoying a home in North Carolina they bought just before the holidays with 0% DOWN. 

Here are some topics from today’s conversation:

• Don’t spend too much time researching
• Get a good grasp of your credit and debt
• The ups and downs of a VA loan
• In-person research

Episode Highlights:

[01:37] Home By Christmas

Stephanie’s situation felt daunting at the beginning, but once she got into the process, she was surprised by how doable it actually was. Stephanie is a big researcher and spent nearly two years trying to do things on her own, but found out quickly after connecting with her unicorn realtor that it was not the best use of her time. After conversations with her realtor, she and her husband got to work cleaning up their credit score and then were able to put down ZERO on their house. After their first choice sold the same day they saw it, Colleen took them to see their other choices. At the end of the day, they knew that it was the one and they were able to get in there in time for Christmas.

[15:59] Hindsight is 20-20

Looking back on the two years they spent researching, Stephanie wished she had a better understanding of credit and debt. She and her husband spent a lot of time trying to pay off debt, but realized that they were missing the important thing: they could pay off the bigger debts, save, and work on their credit score all at the same time. The conversations they had with Colleen and the lender showed them that they didn’t need to wait another two years before they could buy a house - they just needed to know how to navigate it effectively. The unicorn team helped them negotiate successfully with their VA loan to make sure the situation was best for the family and looked attractive to the seller.

[25:15] Don’t Be Afraid to Drive By

They thought they wanted a new build house, but the yards were so small that they didn’t feel like they could have enough space for their lifestyle. So, they settled on a resale home that was about 10 years old that had more yard that gave them the space they needed to feel comfortable. She and her husband also did a lot of drive-bys to check out all the neighborhoods and the homes in person to make sure they were really getting what they wanted.