Relocation FAQ: VA loans, down payment help and moving timelines

The COE is the document that shows a lender you qualify for the VA home loan benefit. Most lenders can pull it for you in minutes; you can also request it yourself through the VA. Service requirements differ for active duty, Guard and Reserve, veterans and surviving spouses, so let the lender or the VA confirm your own case rather than going by what a friend was told.

Pre-approval is where your real numbers come from: what you can borrow, what the monthly payment looks like, and what the VA funding fee is in your situation. VA loans generally need no down payment and carry no private mortgage insurance, which is why they're often the strongest option a military family has. Limits, rates and fees change, so they come from the lender, not from me.

If you don't have a lender yet, ask me — I'll give you names of lenders who close VA loans in this market regularly.

Once you're pre-approved we search properly: commute, schools, flood and insurance considerations, and how long you actually plan to stay. If you can't be here, we do video walkthroughs and I go through the house on camera the way you would in person.

A VA loan requires a VA appraisal, which sets value and checks the property meets the VA's minimum property requirements. That is not the same as a home inspection — get an inspection too. Occupancy rules apply to VA loans, so tell your lender early if you're buying before you arrive.

Closing can be handled remotely with a power of attorney or mail-away documents when you can't be in Florida. That is arranged with the lender and title company in advance, not the week of closing, so raise it early if you think you'll need it.

For most eligible borrowers, a full-entitlement VA loan needs no down payment and no private mortgage insurance. You will still have closing costs, prepaid items and the VA funding fee unless you're exempt. Your lender will show you those figures in writing.

Florida Housing Finance Corporation runs statewide down payment and closing cost assistance programs, and some of them are aimed at, or open to, military members and veterans — the Hometown Heroes program is the one most people have heard of. County and city programs exist too, and eligibility rules, income limits and funding availability change through the year.

Because those terms move, treat this as a starting point: check current rules with Florida Housing Finance Corporation and with a participating lender, and confirm any program works alongside a VA loan before you count on it.

Sellers can contribute toward closing costs in many transactions, within limits set by the loan program. Whether that's realistic depends on the property and how competitive the situation is — it's one of the things we plan before writing an offer, not after.

Gift funds and savings can both be used, but lenders must document where the money came from and when it arrived. Move money into the account you'll use as early as you can, and tell your lender about it rather than explaining it later.

As soon as you have an idea a move is coming, even before orders are final. Early is a conversation, not a commitment: what your budget looks like, which areas fit the commute, and whether buying or renting first makes more sense for how long you'll be here.

Once you're pre-approved, finding the right house is the unpredictable part; the contract-to-close stretch is the more predictable one and commonly runs about 30 to 45 days on a VA loan. Sixty to ninety days out from your report date is a comfortable place to be searching seriously.

It happens, and it's why closing dates get built with a little room in them. If your dates shift, tell me and your lender straight away — a date change handled early is routine, and the same change found late is what causes problems.

Sometimes, yes. A short rental buys you time to learn the area before committing, and there's no downside to me if that's the right call for you. Many leases here can include a military clause covering orders-driven early termination, and federal protections for servicemembers exist as well. I can point out what to look for, but lease terms are a legal matter — have a lawyer or the base legal office review anything you're unsure about.

Yes. Video walkthroughs, electronic signatures and a remote closing arranged in advance mean plenty of families buy here before they arrive. Say up front that you'll be doing it at a distance so it's planned for from day one.