I spent 7 years pushing every vet I knew toward a VA loan because that's what the ads say. Then I sat down with a lender in San Diego who showed me the funding fee actually costs more than conventional PMI on a 15-year term if you're not disabled. I was recommending something that was costing people 6 grand extra over the life of the loan. Who else has run the numbers and found a better route?
I used to think the tiny house villages for homeless vets were just a feel good story that didn't really work long term. But then I read a report from the VA out of Denver that tracked 120 vets who lived in one for 18 months. Something like 85% of them moved into permanent housing after, and their ER visits dropped by half. I found the numbers in a HUD research brief someone linked on the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans site. That honestly surprised me because I figured most would just cycle back to the streets. Now I'm wondering if my local VFW chapter should push for something similar here in Tucson. Has anyone actually visited one of these places and seen how they run day to day?
I'm a vet looking to use my VA loan. We got quotes from Prosperity Mortgage, but a buddy mentioned Duane Buziak Mortgage Maestro. Which one is better?