12/09/2021 AFSA Military Brief and Breaking News

[RV_]

Air Force Issues More Than Two Dozen Updates to Dress Code

 

https://www.votervoice.net/AFSA/newsletters/42658

[Chalkie]

The article on VA loans was interesting. When we sold our house we had two offers, one conventional with the offer to pay closing and the other for VA with a higher offer price. I wanted to accept the VA offer because it was higher and, as a veteran myself I wanted to sell to another veteran. The real estate agent ran the numbers on the VA and all of the mandatory things that the seller had to pay for and it turned out that the VA loan was not good deal at all so we went with the conventional offer. The VA does indeed make it harder on the seller to meet their requirements. I guess the VA is trying to make it easier on the veteran buyer but it isn't working and in today's hot seller market likely never will as intended.

[RV_]

Gary, I bought my first house VA and found even back then they had a bunch of extra rules for the buyer and seller. That article was talking out of both sides of their mouth however. They started with

"Misinformation about VA appraisals, which many sellers believe are more complicated than others because homes must meet a series of minimum requirements determined by the department, has contributed to a prejudice against VA-backed loans."

Then write later in the article:

"Sellers' fears aren't totally misplaced. The average wait time for an appraisal conducted by the VA is 14.8 business days, VA Loan Guaranty Service Acting Executive Director John Bell told the subcommittee. Non-VA appraisals can take less than two days to process. 

Higher inspection standards among VA appraisers also deter sellers from accepting VA-backed offers, said Veterans of Foreign Wars Associate Director Emily DeVito. Fifty-nine percent of sellers said stricter inspection requirements reduce the attractiveness of the VA loan, according to the National Association of Realtors survey."

Today up here the housing market is definitely a seller's market. Desirable houses are hard to find and then they go in  day or two here, for asking or higher.

We just sold ours and are contemplating where we will move. The original reason we sold it was to get a ranch with only basement stairs. Counting our basement we have four levels and three flights of stairs. You saw it before we updated it. If you are passing through anytime soon stop by, masks required, and see how it turned out.

I sold it  to my son who wants it as a rental until they return from Germany in three years. Then they will decide if they want to move in, sell it, or continue to rent it. So we have until three years from now to find the perfect ranch in the perfect area.

[Chalkie]

15 hours ago, RV_ said:

So we have until three years from now to find the perfect ranch in the perfect area.

If you want to stay in that area you ought to look for a piece of property out east with great views of the Peak and then custom build or have a modular placed over a full basement.

[RV_]

Good suggestion. Thanks. We are still looking locally while we look and will see one today. It is too big but the price is competitive for a good area with a reasonable HOA. I am even looking into other places like back to Germany, Costa Rica through Argentina, and New Zealand just to see. The views in NZ put the Rockies to shame! Germany too.