Housing & Real Estate

Resources and information on topics such as homeownership, landlord/tenant rights, and subsidized housing.

Blank

The Fair Housing Act at Work

A story that helps explain how the Fair Housing Act works.
A white question mark drawn in chalk on a blackboard.

Where do I get legal advice on what disablity program to apply for?

Suggestions on where and how to find the right legal help for your disability issue.
A blue outline map of the U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii

Legal Services Organizations by State

This article lists legal services organizations for every state. You may find free legal help at the listed organizations should you meet the financial requirements.

Home Buying?

Question:

I am a Veteran and I am waiting for the appraisal and closing to move into the home I want in Houston, Texas. I would like to know if that can be in days rather than 4-6 months I was told. Can it be in a week if needing a home?

 

Jim's Reply:

How long your closing takes isn't a function that VA is involved in. Your VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is issued to you almost as soon as you ask for it. The COE tells any lender you choose that you are a vet and you do not have to make a down payment along with a handful of other advantages to you.
 

The COE doesn't approve you to make a purchase. Once you have the COE you still must go through the usual loan approval process with the lender of your choice. How long that will take is up to that lender and their usual approval process. If you are creditworthy and you have all your financial and employment records ready and available for a lender to examine them, the usual lender approval process can be done in a day or less. 
 

Once you have a loan approved...you'll get a pre-approval letter with an amount from your lender...then is the time to start shopping for your home. Find a real estate agent or just go out on your own and find the house you want to buy. There will be mandatory inspections by the lender and the VA and that may take a few days to schedule, or it may be done very quickly. A lot of this will depend on where you are and the type of home you want to buy.
 

Once you've made an offer and the offer is accepted, closing the deal can happen very quickly. From this point on it's just a matter of crossing t's and dotting i's and getting signatures on documents. 
 

I think that if you make all the proper preparations to be prepared for the credit checks by a lender that once you have a letter of credit in hand that you could choose a property and close in a week. That's fairly aggressive and I'd say most folks would take a month or so. 
 

Good luck in your new home!

 

A picture of the torsos of several people wearing camoflague pants and olive drab t-shirts.

Conversation with Veteran Advocate Jim Strickland on Legal Talk Network

Listen to podcast.

A modern engineer compass open on top of a wooden table.

A Servicemember's Guide to Housing

There are two different options for military housing available for servicemembers with families. The first option is Military Family Housing (MFH). The second option is Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI).
A picture of the torsos of several people wearing camoflague pants and olive drab t-shirts.

Benefits Discharge List

Many benefits are available to veterans after separation from the military. However, these benefits often depend on the type of discharge status received.
A modern engineer compass open on top of a wooden table.

Where to find Social Service Providers

A partial listing of non-legal advocates and social service providers that may be able to help you with the challenges you're currently facing. These national networks should offer you a good starting point to find the help you need.
A man and a woman stand together, back to the viewer, in front of a white and yellow house.

Loss-Mitigation FAQs for Veterans and Servicemembers

Read about Loss-Mitigation as it relates to veterans and servicemembers. Loss-mitigation refers to the methods lenders use to avoid having to foreclose on your home.
A photo of people, from the knees down, wearing camoflague uniforms and tan combat boots.

The American Veterans and Servicemembers Survival Guide

The Veterans and Servicemembers Survival Guide is a detailed 600 page guide originally printed in 2009. Read more to access the guide and learn more about what it has to offer.