Colorado Springs Vintage Homes Blog
719.287.1049
Financing options for Colorado Springs Military — VA Loans are the best!
Are you a military member or a veteran?
Are you moving to Fort Carson? Schriever AFB? Peterson AFB? Air Force Academy?
Related Articles:
- How do I get a down payment for Homes in Colorado Springs?
- Credit score explanation
- Financial Do’s and Don’ts
- Local lenders vs. a National lender
With your VA Guaranteed Home Loan benefit you can still obtain a loan with no down payment and a fixed interest rate that is as good as or better than a conventional mortgage rate. Let’s start with some of the basics about VA loans.
What is a VA Guaranteed Home Loan?
Some people have the misconception that the military is the organization loaning the money. Not true. Your VA Guaranteed Home
Loan will be made by a private lender, such as your bank or a mortgage company of your choosing that has VA lending approval.
The guaranty means the lender is protected if you fail to repay the loan. This is also why you will not have to pay private mortgage insurance (PMI). Normally, a lender would require a down payment and/or PMI to obtain a loan.
For even more facts about VA Guarantee Home Loans in Colorado Springs, go the web site for the United States Department of Veteran Services.
You still must meet loan requirements
If there are items in your credit history that are derogatory, you can be denied a loan even though you have your Certificate of Eligibility. The VA cannot demand a lender make a loan to you that would violate their lending practices.
Lenders also must comply with the VA rules and policies when it comes to income and credit standards. Just having the benefit is not enough, you must be credit worthy and have the correct debt to income ratios.
Is a VA Appraisal the same as an Inspection?
No, these are not the same thing. Read the rest of this entry »
Pricing in Southwest Colorado Springs continues to decline
Colorado Spring Real Estate, October 31, 2009
Market Report for Southwest – Single Family Homes, Homes Close to Fort Carson
Includes Homes in the Broadmoor, Cheyenne Meadows, Bluff Bluffs, Quail Ridge
Search for Homes in Southwest Colorado Springs
Related Articles:
The Southwest housing market continues to be a BUYERS Market, as there is currently a 9.7 month of supply of homes on the market. A 6 month supply of houses on the market is considered a “NEUTRAL MARKET”. 2008 Sales units were down 25% from 2007, but 2008 pricing was only down 10% from 2007. Sales have continued to declined in 2009 and pricing has continued to see downward pressure.
Market report for homes in Southwest Colorado Springs, May 2009
Colorado Spring Real Estate Market Report for Southwest
Single Family Homes
Includes homes in Broadmoor, Cheyenne Meadows, Bluff Bluffs, Quail Ridge
Search for homes in Southwest Colorado Springs
Related Article: Colorado Springs Foreclosure listings in SOUTHWEST area as of 6-10-09
The Southwest housing market continues to be a BUYERS Market, as there is currently a 9.2 month of supply of homes on the market. A 6 month supply of houses on the market is considered a “NEUTRAL MARKET“. 2008 Sales units are down 25% from 2007, but 2008 pricing is only down 10% from 2007. 191 Single family homes have been sold in 2009 vs. 202 for the same period in 2008 a decline of 6%.
Current Report as of 6-11-09 Read the rest of this entry »
6 Key things to know about the Homeowners Assistance Program for Military families
HAP program updates
Related Post: Housing relief for military families in Colorado Springs
I have a client I’m assisting with getting qualified for the HAP program and have already written one blog about this; but as new details continue to become available, I thought it would be a good idea to update my readers.
Military families stationed at Fort Carson, Peterson AFA, Schriever AFA, and the U.S. Air Force Academy 
and other military installations in the Colorado Springs area will be glad to learn they may now be eligible for relief for their housing challenges. The program is called the Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP), and is administered by the Army Corps of Engineers. For military personnel in Colorado Springs, the main contact is US Army Corps on Engineers in Fort Worth.
HAP Field Office, Fort Worth
U.S. Army Engineer District, Fort Worth
P.O. Box 17300
Ft. Worth, TX 76102-0300
817-886-1112
888-231-7751HAP
The official guidelines for the program are expecting to be released within the next 60-90 days and already the counselors for our area indicate they have many applications waiting.
According to the web site, here are some of the requirements:
1. Permanent reassignment requires move of more than 50 miles. Read the rest of this entry »
How do I get a down payment for Homes in Colorado Springs?
Colorado Springs Vintage Homes is happy to feature a great article by
Harry Venik with Adams Mortgage, LLC in Colorado Springs
Related Articles:
- Pre-Qualification or Pre-Approval, which do you need to buy a home?
- Will VantageScore Bring Consistency?
- Colorado Springs Mortgages — tips for consumers on points
- Marriage and Mortgages FAQ’s
Colorado Springs Home Buyer’s Down Payment FAQs
With today’s combination of lower home prices, some of the lowest interest rates the industry has ever offered, and 
the $8000 tax incentive for first-time buyers, buying a home in Colorado Springs has never been so attractive. The only real hurdle left for many Americans is coming up with a down payment. With this in mind, we’ve put together some of the most frequently asked questions we get about down payments in today’s market.
Q. Are there any no-down payment programs left?
Yes. While it’s true that most of the popular no-down payment programs disappeared in the wake of the subprime mortgage collapse, there are still two longstanding government-backed programs that offer mortgages with no down payment: the USDA Rural Development Program and the VA Loan Program.
A USDA Guaranteed Loan is a Read the rest of this entry »
What is allowable for VA Seller Concessions?
VA Loans – Part II
Must Read posts: 6 BIG advantages of VA loans
For a Free Colorado Springs Relocation Guide, Email Kathy Torline at KTorline@msn.com
Must Read Article: 6 BIG advantages of VA loans
One of the biggest areas of confusion about VA loans is the Seller Concessions. In the recent class I was in where the instructors were from the Denver VA office, they did a great job of explaining what can and what can’t be used as 
part of Seller Concessions.
VA Mortgages have a limit of 4% of the Appraised Value that the seller can contribute to a buyer on a VA purchase without it being considered excessive. For VA purposes, a seller concession is defined as anything of value added to the transaction which the buyer pays no additional amount and which the seller is not customarily expected to pay. Some examples of concessions include seller payment of the following:
- Buyer’s VA funding fee
- Buyer’s prepaids (Taxes and Insurance) Read the rest of this entry »
