VA Home Loans — What Every Realtor Needs to Know

In honor of Veterans Day, we brought in not one but two guests for the very first time on Hustle Humbly — and y'all, this episode is the one to save, share, and re-listen to at least twice.

Liz Going is a VA-specializing loan officer with Prime Lending out of New Hampshire. Samantha Catterall is a veteran herself, a real estate agent with the Legacy Group at Keller Williams, and about 50% of her business is VA. Together they walked us through everything agents need to know — and a lot of things agents think they know but definitely have wrong.

Katy has a veteran husband. Alissa's grandfather was one of Louisiana's first VA appraisers. And yet both of them spent most of this episode saying "I had no idea" and "this is blowing my mind." So imagine what you're about to learn.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

- Who is eligible for a VA loan — including National Guard members, medically discharged veterans, and surviving spouses (yes, even in some cases of suicide — it's case by case) - What a DD 214 is and why it matters - The Certificate of Eligibility — how to get it and why 80% are available instantly - VA loan benefits: no down payment, no PMI, no loan limits for veterans with full entitlement, and typically lower interest rates - You can use your VA benefit more than once — and yes, you can have two VA loans at the same time - How entitlement and bonus entitlement actually work (Liz did the math live on the episode) - The one-time reinstatement of your benefit — and when it applies - The most common agent misconceptions: "It only works once," "dug wells won't qualify," "two prong outlets are a dealbreaker," and "the seller has to pay for the termite certificate" (all wrong) - The VA handbook: Chapter 12 covers property standards, it's publicly available, and it's actually easier to read than FHA - "Don't FHA my VA" — how appraisers confuse the two standards and what to do about it - Tidewater: the VA appraisal recourse that most agents have never heard of - Reconsideration of Value: how to take it all the way to the Department of Veterans Affairs to override an appraiser - VA appraisal turnaround times — and the stat that VA loans closed at a higher success rate than conventional loans last year by nearly 10% - Common property flags: peeling paint, GFCI outlets, handrails — and easy remedies including escrow holdbacks and veteran self-certification of repairs - The VA renovation loan: 100% financing for properties that need work - Mobile homes that have been moved once — yes, VA covers them - VA-approved condos: the searchable database and the new waiver process - Termite certificates: when the veteran can pay, when the seller does, and how to read the loan estimate to figure it out - Private roads and dirt road maintenance agreements — what the handbook actually says - Why it matters to work with a lender and an agent who truly specialize in VA - How Samantha uses the Email Templates 101 offer template — and why she mentions Tidewater in every VA offer email - Resources for agents: military relocation professional designation, veteran mortgage advisor networks, CE classes at your board - The Hustle Humbly community military referral spreadsheet — find VA-savvy agents by market

Toast of the week goes to Shannon Casey, toasted by Samantha — her mentor who always answers no matter the time. And to Jason Zil, toasted by Liz — her boss, co-teacher, and fellow veteran mortgage advisor in New Hampshire. Cheers to both!

Resources mentioned:

- VA 26-7 Handbook: search "VA 26-7" on Google - VA Approved Condos database: search "VA approved condos" on the VA website - VA Termite Map: search "VA termite map" on the VA website - Veteran Mortgage Advisor (organization): search in your area - Military Relocation Professional (MRP) designation through NAR

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