First-time homebuying tips for military families
A place to call your own. A fresh start. A place to put down roots.
Buying a home for the first time can be—at any one time—challenging, complicated, confusing, and immensely rewarding. And when you’re in the military, those emotions can be intensified. Luckily, you don’t have to do it on your own. We’re here to help, with answers to all your first-time homebuying question for 2021.
Buying in a hurry
While it’s ideal to be able to take your time with your first home purchase, sometimes life has other plans in mind. For members of the military, homebuying often ramps up during permanent change of station, or PCS, season from mid-May through late August. Buying a home on a quick timeline can make the traditionally complicated experience even more so, so if you do have to buy in a rush, you’ll want to make things as easy and as simple as possible.
One helpful thing to do is to get pre-approved for home financing. Having a pre-approval letter from a qualified lender can help your offer stand out in a crowded market, and can show sellers your informed and prepared to buy.
VA loans, explained
VA loans are available to veterans, active members of the military or their families, and offer powerful benefits to homebuyers, including low or no down payment options and flexible credit standards. We also have dedicated VA loan specialists, who bring years of experience to the process and are able to answer all your questions.
The devil’s in the details
While first-time buyers might be familiar on a general level with terms like interest rates and down payments, there’s a ton of lesser-known steps to completing a home purchase. There can be hidden costs, inspections and even homeowner tasks (like changing HVAC filters, water softeners, understanding your new furnace and fuse box). We work to help demystifying the homebuying process and explain arcane-sounding things like escrow and PITI so you can make stronger, educated choices throughout the process.
Contact a loan officer today to learn more about your options.