Idaho VA Loan Pre-Approval Letter

An Idaho VA loan pre-approval letter is a document granted by an Idaho VA mortgage lender that states that based on preliminary information such as the potential borrower’s credit, assets, and income, that they qualify for a Veterans Administration loan of a specified amount.

 

It is different from a pre-qualification in that some or all of the submitted information is reviewed for accuracy before the letter is issued.

 

Having a pre-approval letter from your Idaho VA lender will show home sellers that you are a qualified buyer and may lead to your offer being more seriously considered.

 

Once you have obtained your Veterans Administration loan pre-approval letter, you will then be able to begin making offers on homes you are interested in purchasing.

 

In order to get your VA loan pre-approval letter, your lender may require the following:

  • At least one months pay stubs or LES (if still active duty).
  • W-2′s and Tax Returns for the past two years.
  • Two months bank statements for any/all assets.
  • Your DD 214 form (if no longer on active duty).
  • Statement of Service from S1 (if still active duty)

 

Your pay stub is needed to show that you are currently employed, as well as your current income. W-2 statements (for the past two years) then show how much you normally earn in a year.

 

If you are currently still on active duty, your Statement of Service must show a minimum of 12 months remaining on your contract.

 

Finally, your DD 214 form will enable your Idaho VA mortgage lender to decrease the amount of time necessary for processing your certificate of eligibility. Once again, this is not required, but it is generally a smart idea.

 

The reason why this is a smart idea is that the majority of direct lenders with the Veterans Administration can put in an order for your certificate of eligibility, which determines whether or not you are eligible for a VA loan.

 

The process can be very quick as long as you turn in all these documents as soon as possible to your loan officer.

 

After your Idaho VA loan officer or lender has the described documents, he or she can submit your information in the VA loan analysis software to determine your eligibility. The calculation that will determine your eligibility is:

 

(Monthly Income) – (Proposed Mortgage Payment + Insurance + Taxes + Utilities for the house + Monthly Credit Card Payments Due) = Residual Income

 

Residual income is the amount of money that you have after you have paid the sum of your monthly bills. The VA will use their judgment after they have calculated your residual income to decide if you will have a satisfactory amount of money left over after you have paid your bills.

 

The VA has established various requirements for what your minimum residual income will have to be, such as what part of the country you live in, the size of your family, how old your children are, and various other factors.

 

When obtaining VA pre-approval letter, be aware that simply getting the letter does not commit the lender to giving you a loan. It just means the initial information has been reviewed. In order for the mortgage application to be approved additional information and documentation about both the borrower(s) and the property must be reviewed to be sure that all of the guidelines are met.

 

If you have any questions about a VA home loan feel free to contact me.

 

Rick & RickandJaneheadshotJane May
Mann Mortgage
Branch Manager/Owners
Direct: 208-861-0000
mannmortgagemeridian@gmail.com
ID MBL-2550 / NMLS # 173614/12870
HTTP://FINDYOUAHOMELOAN.COM

The Boise Idaho VA Loan Appraisal Process

Before your home can be approved for Boise, Idaho VA home loan financing, a VA appraisal must be completed on the property.

An Idaho VA appraisal involves a thorough inspection of the home and property to determine the current market value of the home. This appraisal is especially geared towards reporting any defects involving safety or security of the home.

So, how does this fit into the VA loan process?

Simply put, even though the VA’s primary focus in assist veterans in financing a home, the VA must also take precautions to protect the investments of both the borrower and the VA itself with a good appraisal.

Let’s say that a veteran or member of the military found a house that he wanted to purchase for $100,000. The house seems to be exactly what he’s looking for; single story, pool in the backyard, freshly painted, and located on 4 acres of land out in the countryside.

He decides that he wants to use his use his hard-earned military benefits to get a zero money down VA loan. In other words, if approved, he’ll receive a fully financed $100,000 VA loan.

As part of the standard Idaho VA loan approval process, a VA-appointed appraiser goes to the property to do an appraisal of the actual worth. Unfortunately, the appraiser discovers that the house needs a new roof, there are cracks in the pool cement, and there are severe irrigation issues throughout the property that need to be fixed, among other miscellaneous flaws.

Tallied up, the appraiser determines the value of the home and property to be $75,000 instead of $100,000.

Because of the large difference between what the seller is asking for and the actual value of the property, the VA ultimately turns down the loan.

Of course, this is a somewhat extreme example, but you get the idea. The VA needs to verify that the actual value of the home and property is close to what a potential borrower wants to pay for it. Neither a mortgage bank nor the VA want to insure homes that are worth less than the loan amount.

Here is a list of things to consider when shopping for a new home:

* The appraiser needs to inspect both the inside and the outside of the house. If the house in question is being constructed, the appraiser still needs to analyze the property and construction site.

* The official appraisal report will contain a list of “observable repairs that need to be completed.”

* This report will also contain a list of “customer preference items to be installed.”

* A few small issues with the property won’t immediately disqualify it, but a lot of small issues or a few big issues may.

Other Common Idaho VA Mortgage Questions:

Primary Benefits of an Idaho VA Home Loan:

* 100% financing
* No monthly private mortgage insurance is required
* There is a limitation on buyers closing costs
* The loan is assumable, subject to VA approval of the assumer’s credit
* 30 year fixed loan
* Seller can pay up to 4% of the veterans closing costs and even pay down your debt to help lower your debt-to-income ratio
* Interest rates are similar to FHA rates
* You don’t need perfect credit

If you have any questions about purchasing or refinancing a home with an Idaho VA loan please feel free to contact us.

Rick & RickandJaneheadshotJane May
Mann Mortgage
Branch Manager/Owners
Direct: 208-861-0000
mannmortgagemeridian@gmail.com
ID MBL-2550 / NMLS # 173614/12870
www.idahohomegroup.com