Though numerous Veterans know about their eligibility for Veterans Affairs (VA) home loan benefits, which aim to facilitate homeownership as a recognition of their service, just 3 in 10 are aware they can use that benefit to buy a home with a zero-down payment, according to a new national survey of veterans and active-duty members.

To help educate service members, an alliance of real estate, media, mortgage, and veteran service organizations are launching the #MissionZero campaign, aims to provide essential information and support to those who are serving or have served our nation, helping them achieve the American Dream of buying a home with 0% down.

"After nearly eight decades of helping veterans and military families buy homes and build generational wealth, the VA loan benefit is more important than ever," says Nathan Long, CEO of Veterans United. "The #MissionZero campaign helps highlight how VA loans are built to eliminate obstacles and make homeownership more accessible for those who serve. At the same time, they also offer veterans the freedom to choose how and where they invest their savings."

VA home loans usually provide eligible borrowers with the advantage of zero down payment, greater flexibility in credit terms, and reduced interest rates, simplifying the path to homeownership, particularly for first-time buyers lacking home equity to aid in purchasing a home.

Data on VA loans from Realtor.com shows a greater share of issuance to those with less than perfect credit compared with other loans, making homeownership possible to a wider net of borrowers. In the past year, about 24.8% of home buyers with VA loans fell into the fair credit score category (580-669) compared with 4.7% among conforming loan borrowers.

VA loans also typically have lower mortgage interest rates, which reduces monthly costs. Between October 2022 and September 2023, the average mortgage rate for 30-year fixed-rate VA loans was 6.27%, whereas it was 6.67% for conforming loans.

"VA home loans offer many benefits, especially at times like this when affordability is such a major factor in home purchase decisions. Yet only a small portion of eligible veterans are tapping into the financial benefits they deserve for their service," says Damian Eales, CEO at Realtor.com. "We owe it to our veterans to ensure they have the information they need to make informed housing decisions. It's a small way to give back to those who have given so much, and we appreciate our partners for joining us in the cause." (source: BuilderOnline.com)

VA buyers have up to 100% financing available (some restrictions apply), and up to 6% seller contribution towards closing costs, recurring and non -recurring.

For more details on the #MissionZero campaign, talk to one of our De Young Mortgage Loan Officers today!

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