092: VA Loans, Helping Veterans, and Improving Business with Jimmy Vercellino

We are in a market that is now topsy-turvy. We are part of the major movements in the economy of our country and there are benefits and challenges in the flow of economics and of buying a home. Today, we are going to talk about a group of people who have had some tough times buying in recent years. We’re talking about our active-duty military and our veterans who use VA Loans to purchase a home. Working with VA borrowers right now could be just what your business needs. 

Jimmy Vercellino is our guest today. He’s going to educate us about these loans and he is going to show us how we can serve our veterans well in the homebuying process.

 

[3:01] Jimmy discusses his background. He served in the military and now helps veterans.

[6:51] Jimmy, as a Marine veteran, shares a common language with the veteran and active-duty military homebuyers he serves. If you, a REALTOR®, speak that language, you can better serve that client and there’s instant trust, differentiating you from competitors. 

[9:41] Getting veterans to learn about the benefits of VA Loans is the most important thing. The military doesn’t teach this. The VA doesn’t advertise it. Mortgage loan originators don’t understand it.

[11:22] A veteran can get 100% financing. VA loans today no longer have a cap, as long as the veteran qualifies by income and credit. In addition, there is no PMI (private mortgage insurance). 

[13:00] A veteran can use more than one VA Guaranteed Loan at a time, as long as they have enough entitlement. These features can help a veteran create wealth through real estate. 

[20:09] A mortgage originator who dabbles in VA Guaranteed Home Loans hasn’t been properly trained. They don’t understand the nuances of the VA Home Loan Benefit. You want to work with somebody who has an in-depth understanding of VA Home Loan Benefits.

[23:15] The only time Jimmy doesn’t recommend a veteran consider a VA Loan is when they’re paying cash. He always wants veterans to have a VA Loan on the table as an option, so they can make an informed buying decision on what’s best. 

 

[24:46] Jimmy wants real estate pros to know that just because their client is putting 20% down does not mean they should use a conventional loan. Make sure that your client is getting all the options. 

 

[26:28] On Jimmy’s YouTube channel, linked at the end of these show notes, Jimmy interviewed a VA appraiser. A VA appraiser is not an employee of the VA. The appraiser said no appraiser should ever change the home value based on the loan type. 

[34:24] Va Guaranteed Loans are assumable. There is a lot of confusion that exists in this space. Two things have to happen to get a VA Loan assumed.

[40:13] Jimmy’s philosophy on providing value to military homebuyers is to ask them if they know the benefits of a VA Guaranteed Home Loan, listing them one by one. 

 

[42:00] If your questions have provided value to the military member or veteran, chances are they will answer yes. 

 

[47:35] The way real estate agents get paid is changing. At the same time, under current law, the veteran is not allowed to pay the REALTOR®’s commission. It will take creativity to figure out win-win solutions.

 

[49:12] The Military Relocation Professional (MRP) Certification Course from NAR never expires. Jimmy Vercellino teaches the all-day course. Agents that have attended it felt like they were more equipped to speak the language of active-duty service members.

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“[The relief of hearing your language in a foreign land] is the same thing that exists for veterans and ac