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MILITARY & VETERANS
and their families:
Welcome in! If you're new to California and are thinking about buying a home but not sure where to turn, you've come to the right place. Get a FREE copy of "Your Local Homebuyer Handbook" that contains all the important information you need to know about the local real estate market, neighboring communities & lifestyles as well as an at-a-glance look into the California homebuying process.
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Your local VA Real Estate Expert
I know what it's like to purchase a home utilizing your VA Benefits, not just from a real estate expert's standpoint, but also from personal experience of using a VA Loan for the last 2 homes that my husband and I purchased.
I know EXACTLY what it takes to purchase a home with a VA Loan, including the nuances that may come up -- like dealing with a seller that doesn't want to accept your offer because you're using a VA loan...yep, there are people out there like that AND it is against Fair Housing Laws to do so -- and I can help you through it all!
I also know that it can be an overwhelming thing to consider if buying a house is even the right move for you right now on top of everything else you're dealing with. There are so many questions that may be keeping you up at night when it comes to buying a home using your VA benefits.
Questions like:
Q: "What happens if I get orders to PCS tomorrow and need to sell?"
Q: "Will I have to pay Capital Gains Taxes on the equity I gained?"
Q: "Can I turn my home into a rental property and how does that impact my VA loan eligibility for future home purchases?"
Q: "Can I have 2 outstanding VA loans at the same time?"
Or even, "I'm completely lost, I need help!"
Don't worry, I've got you covered! I can help you answer each of these questions and more. Read on to learn about the services I offer and how I can help you make the decision that's right for YOU!
THINKING ABOUT BUYING A HOME?
MY SIGNATURE SERVICE MEMBER
CONSULTATION CAN GUIDE YOU
Did you recently PCS to Travis or Beale AFB or other military installation nearby and are thinking about buying a home but not sure what your next step should be? Or maybe you've been thinking about buying a home for a while now and aren't sure if now is the right time.
Contact me today to schedule a time to meet and discuss what may be possible for you in my signature Service Member Consultation! We'll start with a casual conversation where we'll uncover:
If now is even the right time to buy a home
This is the #1 question my buyers are asking right now, and the answer is NOT always "yes." If now is not the right time for you to buy, my promise to you is that I won't push you to buy anyway. Instead, we'll work together and create a game plan that works for you and your timeline to buy a home. Even if it's 3-6 months or a year or more from now, I'll be there for you each step of the way!
Your VA Loan Eligibility
We'll talk through your eligibility, including if you're able to waive the VA Funding Fee that can be anywhere from 2.15% -3.3% of the total loan amount. Then I'll get you in touch with some great VA Lenders that I know are great to work with from getting you pre-approved all the way through closing day!
Down Payment Assistance & Other Loan Programs (if not using a VA Loan)
If you aren't eligible for a VA Loan, don't worry! There are other loans that require little to no down payment. There are also some great first-time buyer programs & down payment assistance options out there that can provide you with up to 20% towards your down payment. We'll talk about all of that too!
Purchasing a Home with a VA Loan
From the VA Inspection to Fair Housing Laws, there is a lot to talk about when purchasing a home using a VA loan benefits that we'll discuss in detail, such as the dreaded VA Home Inspection, and other ways I can help you throughout the process of your home purchase!
Discuss Your Exit Strategy When its Time to Move
Whether you're planning to turn your home into a rental or simply want to sell and move on to your next duty station, I can help you uncover what makes the most sense based on your unique real estate goals!
SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION
How Can I Help?
PCS'ing To the Area
The VA Home Inspection
PCS'ing From the Area
How to Find the Perfect Home For Your Budget
The 411 on VA Loans
Investing in Real Estate
PCS'ing To The Area
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PCS'ing From The Area
Download a FREE copy!
In the meantime, my Relocation Guide can help you through this transition. I provide you with some of the tips and tricks I learned over the years about moving state-side.
I know from personal experience just how hard it can be to move to a new location that you may or may not have been able to choose, and learn about the new destination on top of changing kid's schools, transporting pets, and coordinating with the local TMO office to schedule your move, whether you decide on a PPM (Personally Precured Move), have the government do it all for you, or a combination of the two.
I did a combination of the two when my husband went from Reserve Status in CA to Active Duty nearly 3,000 miles away at Fort Drum, NY. He went ahead to be on time for his orders, while I scheduled the move, met the movers at our apartment, took my own truck and trailer to get it weighed for our combination PPM move (called a DITY Move back in my day) and drove our truck with a trailer full of half our stuff across the country.
My Dad drove with me and we made it to Erie, Pennsylvania without stopping for nearly 3 days except to use the facilities and eat. Did I mention I was 6 months pregnant at the time?! I learned quite a bit with this experience and can pass on the things that I wish I knew to you now!
You may have been dreading this exact situation from the moment you bought your home in the first place. But rest assured, there are a great many options for you if you find yourself in this position!
The first, most common option is to sell your home and move onto your new duty station with no strings attached. However, Capital Gains Taxes may be an issue if you haven't met what's called the "2 of 5 Rule." Basically, you must own your home for at least 5 years, 2 of which you must have claimed it as your primary residence (the 2 years DON'T have to be consecutive). But the good news is if you have orders to PCS to your new duty station, you may be exempt from this 5 year rule!
You can also look into doing what's called a §1031 Exchange, where you purchase a "like property" in your new location that is similar to the one you're selling regardless of how long you've owned it. This also may allow you to be exempt from paying Capital Gains Taxes.
Just make sure to talk to a tax professional before making a move because there are specific rules to be aware of to ensure you aren't faced with a hefty tax bill if all the rules aren't met correctly. I can give you some great recommendations of accountants that can help.
Then there's the option of converting your home into a rental property and using some of the equity you've built in your home to purchase a new one when you arrive at your new duty station. This may a great option for you to start your real estate investing journey where you can start making your money work for you.
With this option you will need to consider who will be handling the woes of being a landlord. You could manage your rental property yourself but this might pose a problem if you ever need to fix a leaky faucet or interview a tenant and you live across the country (or across the world).
You could also hire a Property Manager to help obtain tenants, perform background checks on potential tenants, collect rent, deal with any possible evictions, as well as take care of any maintenance issues so you're not getting a call from your tenant at 3am across the country to tell you about an emergency plumbing issue. But the convenience of hiring a Property Manager can get pricey. They can range in cost anywhere from a couple hundred bucks per month on up.
I can sit down with you and help you crunch the numbers to see if converting your home to a rental would provide you with enough cash flow to make it worth your while with or without a Property Manager. I know a few great Property Managers I can recommend as well that are worth every penny.
Regardless of which situation applies to you, I can help you through the details of each option to help you decide which one is best for you and your unique situation and goals.
I can also help you through the transition process of selling, moving, and arriving at your new duty station. If you need assistance finding the right Buyer's Agent in your new location, I can help with that too!
So, if you are needing to PCS out of CA, GET IN TOUCH WITH ME and I can show you all the tips and tricks I learned so that the sale of your home can be smooth-sailing!
The 411 on VA Loans
How to Find the Perfect Home For Your Budget
Truth be told, this is one of the biggest reasons I became a real estate agent in the first place. Owning real estate can open doors to many different money generating avenues and I'd like to share some of my favorites with you!
Click on the link to the right to get exclusive access to my weekly series where I start you off with my "Buying a Rental Property 101" so you can get down some of the basics. From there I share additional secrets, including my favorite real estate investing strategy, what to know about being a landlord and how to flip properties. I even give you some pointers on money-saving tips when going through the process of selling your investment property when the time comes.
Investing in Real Estate
If you're beyond the researching phase when it comes to investing in real estate, let's have a conversation. Even if you're not quite ready with the funds in hand to make your real estate purchase, that's actually the perfect time to talk it through. Because there are also ways to finance your investment property that we can talk about too!
Investing in real estate, if done properly, can be a very lucrative side-hustle and could even turn into your "main hustle" and generate wealth beyond your wildest dreams!
But it all starts with getting your head out of the clouds and creating a strategic plan together and stick to it. So that when we're out looking for the right home, you don't accidentally derail your entire investment property search with "shiny object syndrome." It's one of the quickest ways to end your real estate investing career before it can even take off! Timing of the market also plays a huge factor in this, so the sooner you reach out to get the ball rolling, the better.
Real Estate Investment Consultation:
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