VA Loan Benefits: So, you’ve been told that you should use your VA Loan for your home purchase, but the question is: Why? In this post, we’ll talk about some of the benefits and advantages of using your VA Loan for your home purchase.
What are the Benefits of the VA Loan?
1. No Down Payment
The VA Loan does not require a down payment for an eligible property purchase. While a 20% down payment on a conventional loan would be difficult for most service members, the VA Loan enables borrowers to put down 0% to buy a home. As of January 2020, there is no cap to a first-tier VA Loan-making it even better! Remember, though – there are still closing costs involved – even if there’s no down payment, so make sure to budget those in when considering a home purchase!
2. No PMI
While other types of mortgages usually require Private Mortgage Insurance for a lower down payment, the VA loan does not require it. This means less money out of pocket for borrowers and is yet another benefit of using your VA loan.
3. Lower Interest Rates
VA Loans are continuously competitive in their mortgage interest rates. By using a VA Loan, you’re almost guaranteed to receive a better rate than other types of loans.
4. Refinance Opportunities
VA Loan borrowers have two types of refinance options. The VA IRRRL can reduce your interest rate and possibly lower your monthly payment. Then, there’s the VA Cash-Out option that can give you the opportunity to pull cash out based on how much equity is in the property. By doing this, you can use the cash for purchases like renovations or repairs, car purchases, or whatever you need!
5. Advocacy
If you happen to be facing foreclosure, the VA has a loan program that provides foreclosure avoidance counseling and advocacy. These counseling programs help find possible alternatives to foreclosure to save you from a low credit score and heartache.
6. Lower Closing Costs
The VA limits closing cost amounts from lenders who offer VA loan lending. Unlike other types of mortgages, you won’t have to worry about outrageous closing costs where you have to bring a large amount of cash to the closing table. To add to the benefit, the VA also allows up to 4% of the buyer’s closing costs to be covered by the seller – saving you even more money.
7. VA Loan Assumability
Loan assumability is a big benefit to a VA Loan. Because the loan is assumable or transferred to a new borrower, a new eligible buyer could take advantage of a lower interest rate than what is currently offered in the mortgage market. Having the ability to advertise your VA Loan as “assumable” may even help sell your home when the time comes!
8. No Prepayment Penalty
If you are required to PCS, sell the home, or decide to pay off the mortgage, there’s good news! There is no prepayment penalty on a VA Loan. That is yet another reason why using a VA Loan could save you money in the long run. The last thing you need to worry about is paying MORE money when you need to pay off your mortgage!
9. VA Loans are Government-Guaranteed
Another advantage of a VA Loan is that it is backed by a government agency. What does this mean? It means that the federal government guarantees to pay back 25% of every VA Loan regardless of the reason for default. Because this provides participating lenders with a less risky situation, lenders can offer better term agreements to borrowers.
More Information about VA Loan Benefits?
If you’d like to know more about available VA Loan programs, ADPI has you covered! Our in-house lending team, AmNet is here to help you with the VA Loan process. To speak with one of our awesome loan officers, you can fill out our inquiry form here: https://www.activedutypassiveincome.com/find-agent-or-lender/
We can’t wait to get you started on your home-buying journey!
