Lakeland, Florida VA Home Loan
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Find a Lakeland, Florida VA Mortgage Broker
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We are available to answer VA mortgage questions and ready to get you pre-approved. Connect with your own personal Mortgage Broker now. Lakeland, Florida Mortgage Broker Hotline (888)429-6601.
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Start your online mortgage now. Our easy home loan application can be completed in 10 minutes. Move along quickly with secure document uploads & electronic signatures. We will get you to the closing table quickly. START ONLINE APPLICATION.
Key Benefits
Buying a Lakeland, Florida Home with a VA Loan
- Buy a Lakeland Home with No Down Payment.
- Use your Lakeland VA Benefits even if you used them in the past.
- No mortgage insurance premiums.
Refinancing with a Lakeland VA Loan
- Get lower interest rates than home equity loans and lines of credit.
- Borrow up to 100% of your home’s value with a VA cash-out refinance.
- Already have a VA loan? Ask us about refinancing up to 120% of your home’s value.
The Benefits of working with Smart Mortgage Centers
- We’re a VA-approved Mortgage Broker since 1997.
- You get one on one personalized service 24 hours a day.
- Award winning customer service.
- We offer wholesale rates, ask our professionals why wholesale is better than retail.
- We never charge application fees and quotes are always free.
We served Thousands of Service Members since 1997
“I had a difficult situation having to sell one property to re-use my VA benefit on my new construction home on a very short time line. Brian and the Team at Smart Mortgage Centers made it happen without any issues. When I was told by other lenders that it wouldn’t happen they came through! I would recommend this team for any home buying situation.”
Dennis Warren, Highland, IL USA
How It Works
The Different Types of VA Loans in Lakeland, Florida
- Pick a VA mortgage term that works for you. popular terms include 15 & 30 year fixed terms.
- Plan on moving within 5 years, get a super low adjustable rate mortgage.
- VA loans up to $1,500,000 with Jumbo VA financing.
How VA Loans Work
- Our licensed Florida Mortgage Brokers will find out if you qualify within minutes.
- Used your VA loan benefits in the past, don’t worry we will find out if you can use them again.
- No PMI or private mortgage insurance is necessary.
- VA funding fees are rolled into your loan amount.
- We will get you to the closing with little to no money, the VA limits fees for service members.
More About VA Loans
| VA Loans | Conventional Loans |
|---|---|
| 0% Down(for qualified borrowers)VA Loans are among the last 0% down home loans available on the market today. | Up to 20% DownConventional loans generally require down payments that can reach up to 20% to secure a home loan, pushing them out of reach for many homebuyers. |
| No PMISince VA Loans are government backed, banks do not require you to buy Private Mortgage Insurance. | PMI RequiredPrivate Mortgage Insurance is a requirement for borrowers who finance more than 80% of their home’s value, tacking on additional monthly expenses. |
| Competitive Interest RatesThe VA guaranty gives lenders a greater degree of safety and flexibility, which typically means a more competitive rate than non-VA loans. | Increased Risk for LendersWithout government backing, banks are taking on more risk which, in turn, can result in a less-competitive interest rate on your home loan. |
| Easier to QualifyBecause the loan is backed by the government, banks assume less risk and have less stringent qualification standards for VA Loans, making them easier to obtain. | Standard Qualification ProceduresConventional options hold stricter qualification procedures that can put homeownership out of reach for some homebuyers. |
A Lakeland, FL VA loan is a mortgage guaranteed by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The program is for American veterans, military members currently serving in the U.S. military, reservists and select surviving spouses (provided they do not remarry) and can be used to purchase single-family homes, condominiums, multi-unit properties, manufactured homes and new construction. The VA does not originate loans, but sets the rules for who may qualify, issues minimum guidelines and requirements under which mortgages may be offered and financially guarantees loans that qualify under the program.
The basic intention of the VA home loan program in Lakeland, Florida is to supply home financing to eligible veterans and to help veterans purchase properties with no down payment.
VA Mortgage Brokers are standing by to answer questions (888)429-6601.
The VA loan allows veterans 103.3 percent financing without private mortgage insurance (PMI) or a 20 percent second mortgage and up to $6,000 for energy efficient improvements. A VA funding fee of 0 to 3.3% of the loan amount is paid to the VA; this fee may also be financed and some may qualify for an exemption. In a purchase, veterans may borrow up to 103.3% of the sales price or reasonable value of the home, whichever is less. Since there is no monthly PMI, more of the mortgage payment goes directly towards qualifying for the loan amount, allowing for larger loans with the same payment. In a refinance, where a new VA loan is created, veterans may borrow up to 100% of a property’s reasonable value, where allowed by state laws. In a refinance where the loan is a VA loan refinancing to VA loan (IRRRL Refinance), the veteran may borrow up to 100.5% of the total loan amount. The additional .5% is the funding fee for a VA Interest Rate Reduction Refinance.
VA loans allow veterans to qualify for loan amounts larger than traditional Fannie Mae / conforming loans. Standard VA guidelines state that the VA will insure a mortgage where the monthly payment of the loan is up to 41% of the gross monthly income vs. 28% for a conforming loan assuming the veteran has no monthly bills, although there is no hard limit to the DTI for a VA home loan. Veteran’s have been known to be approved with a DTI of up to 80%, if there are other factors that strengthen their loan application. These factors include a low Loan-To-Value (LTV), sufficient residual income, additional income received but not used to qualify for the loan, good credit, etc…
The maximum VA loan guarantee varies by county. As of 1 January 2018, the maximum VA loan amount with no down payment is usually $453,100, although this amount may rise to as much as $721,050 in certain specified “high-cost counties.”
Qualifying for Veteran Home Loans in Lakeland, Florida
The Lakeland Veteran Loan program is designed for veterans who meet the minimum number of days of completed service. Some of the other eligibility requirement for the VA loan program and some specific home loan benefits include the length of service or service commitment, duty status and character of service. The program does allow for benefits to Surviving Spouses.
The VA does not have a minimum credit score used for pre-qualifying for a mortgage loan, however, most Lenders require a minimum credit score of at least 620.
A Veteran who has used their entitlement to previously purchase a home, may have entitlement left to purchase another one. If you previously purchased a home using your VA Benefits then you might still have some of that “Entitlement” available to you for the purchase a new Lakeland, Florida home. To Calculate Maximum Entitlement available, consider the following:
- If your previous home was purchased using a VA Loan, and that loan was paid off by the new owners, the full entitlement may have been restored.
- If you sold your home to someone, and allowed them to assume your VA Loan, then you might have the full entitlement restored, if one or more of the purchasers were also Veterans.
- If you still own the home, and you are renting it out – you might be able to purchase a new home using your partial entitlement, but there are several restrictions.
Allowable Income Sources used to qualify for a VA Loan include: Retirement Income, Social Security Income, Child Support, Alimony and Separate Maintenance, BAH, BAS and Disability Income. Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for a Surviving Spouse can also be included. In addition, stable, documented income from employers remains the best income source for VA loans.
More Options for Lakeland, Florida Homebuyers
Lakeland, FL Mortgage Calculator
If you have questions for our VA mortgage brokers, simply call our VA mortgage hotline.
Get Started on your VA Home Purchase or Refinance today
(888)429-6601
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