Special offer

Non-veterans can buy VA foreclosures, too.

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with USHUD.com

Few are aware of the best-kept secret of buying foreclosure homes: It is possible to purchase a foreclosure home with no money down. Even real estate agents don't often understand how to get their buyers into a foreclosure with zero money down. Let me share some helpful tips and information.

#1 little known fact about VA foreclosure homes -- You don't need to be a veteran to buy a VA foreclosure home or have the VA guarantee the financing on the foreclosure home.

#2 little known fact about VA foreclosure homes -- You can buy a foreclosure home from the VA and receive a free charitable contribution from the Ameridream Foundation for your payment regardless of your financial status.

Understanding VA Foreclosures

Homes designated as VA foreclosures, also known as Veterans Administration Foreclosures, were last purchased with a VA home loan. This means the previous buyer was a veteran of the U.S. military and the loan was guaranteed by the federal government. By guaranteeing the home loan, the Department of Veterans Affairs agreed to repay the mortgage lender in the event of foreclosure. This situation benefits the lender greatly as their investment in the home is 100 percent guaranteed. The government protects itself by charging each buyer of a VA mortgage a funding fee. The funding fee enables VA to allow a veteran to purchase a home with no money down. By purchasing a VA foreclosure home from the list of VA foreclosures on www.USHUD.com , you can proceed with the loan just as though you are a veteran and purchase many of these foreclosure homes with no money down and no mortgage insurance.

Term Offer vs. Cash Offer

A VA foreclosure home provides for two seperate ways to write an offer, the term offer and the cash offer. When writing a term offer for a VA foreclosure home, the homebuyer is asking the VA to hold financing on the foreclosure home. This provides an opportunity to buy with no money down. However, there asre still closing costs to contend with. Closing costs can run anywhere from one to six percent of the purchase price of the home.

When writing a cash offer for a VA foreclosure home, the homebuyer is not actually offering to pay cash, but is rather not requesting that the VA hold the financing on the foreclosure home. The VA is even more flexible with pricing and closing costs with a cash offer as they will not be responsible for the mortgage. Write the cash offer and ask for the maximum contribution required toward closing costs (consult with a local real estate agent experienced with VA foreclosures). As soon as the contract is accepted, contact the Ameridream Foundation. The Ameridream Foundation will give you the closing costs as a free contribution. Learn more about the Ameridream Foundation at www.ameridream.org and buy your VA foreclosure with no money down.

For more information, visit www.ushud.com , America's only free foreclosure resource.

Posted by
Don Spera
CR Property Group, LLC - East York, PA
Serving York and Adams County, PA

Michael, great information.  There needs to be more emphasis on programs out there for the consumer through the media, instead of all the negativity.  This alone is very beneficial to our industry.

Apr 18, 2010 05:32 PM
Michele Cadogan 917-861-9166
Fillmore Real Estate 2990 Av U, Bklyn , NY 11229 - Brooklyn, NY
Licensed Real Estate Associate Broker -

Thanks for this post   I really appreciate you sharing this information. 

Apr 19, 2010 02:46 AM