If you are a Jacksonville homebuyer considering a VA loan, the first step is to verify your eligibility with the Veterans Affairs Administration. It is also important to do some research upfront and find a lending institution that specializes in VA loans. Preferable, someone local here in the Jacksonville area. You will find many institutions that “offer” VA loans but do not specialize in these types of loans. A VA loan has a unique set of paperwork requirements and follows different regulations than traditional conventional loans.
Working with a Florida VA loan specialist will make this process much easier for you the homebuyer, your realtor and everyone else involved. Questions? Just call us at 800-743-7556 to submit the quick request form on this page to have a local loan specialist contact you today!
Once you have decided on a lender, you need to start the VA loan pre-approval process to see how much you are qualified for. After all, you can’t go shopping until you know how much money you can spend. Getting your VA loan pre qualification upfront will let you will know the maximum loan amount for which you will be approved for. There are certain things you can have prepared in advance that will save you a lot of time with your loan application and pre-approval. It is important to have a copy of your Completed Request For A Certificate Of Eligibility (DD Form 214). Don’t have this form? Don’t worry, we can assist you with getting a copy. In addition to these military documents, you should also have a copy of your W2 forms and tax returns for the two previous years.
If you suspect any credit issues, it may be a good idea to get a copy of your credit score before meeting with your VA lender. It is a good idea to check with all three of the main credit bureaus, which are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. You are entitled to one free report from each of these agencies every year. If you are currently renting an apartment or home, you will need to provide your landlord’s information and usually a year of rent receipts. You will also be required to present your bank statements for the past three to six months and additional income such as stocks, mutual funds, money market accounts and 401k information.
We will also require a valid driver’s license and your Government issued social security card. Again, if you are missing some of these documents, don’t stress or worry, we can help you obtain copies. The helpful thing about being pre-qualified is that you now know the dollar amount of the loan you will be approved for, which will make it easy for house shopping.
When you find the home of your dreams, you will work with the seller to create terms of the sale contract. Once the contract has been signed, a VA appraiser will determine the home’s value and draw up a Certificate of Reasonable Value (CRV). The total amount of your loan cannot be higher than the amount of the Certificate of Reasonable Value. Once your loan application has been submitted, you will need to wait for your loan to be approved. After this, the VA loan underwriter will clear up some final conditions and then get your loan ready for closing.
Please contact us with questions at Ph: 800-743-7556 or just submit the request form on this page.
Serving – Duval County, St. Johns, Clay, Nassau – Atlantic Beach, Baldwin, Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, Mayport, Neptune Beach, Green Cove Springs, Keystone Heights, Middleburg, Orange Park, Penney Farms, Fruit Cove, Hastings, Orangedale, Palm Valley, Ponte Vedra, Ponte Vedra Beach, St. Augustine, Callahan, Yulee.