How to Buy a Home in Houston with a VA Loan

As an experienced Realtor® in Houston, Texas, I’ve worked with a lot of buyers using VA home loans over the years. It always makes me happy to help someone who served our country to achieve their American dream of buying a home in Houston!

When I first started working with homebuyers using VA loans, it was sometimes a challenge to find a seller willing to work with us. That’s because there are a lot of misconceptions out there about VA home loans. Some sellers and real estate agents don’t like VA loans because they believe these mortgages make it harder to close, or that they cost more for the seller.

Related: Nine Myths About VA Loans

That has never been my experience. VA loans have changed a lot in recent years and they’re really no more difficult or expensive for sellers than any other home loan in Houston. It is important, however, to know what you’re doing when you’re trying to buy a home with a VA loan. If you do your homework and prepare properly, a VA loan is a great option for buying a house in Houston! 

Here are four important real estate tips I share with my clients who want to buy a home with a VA loan in Houston:

1. Plan to stay in the home for 5+ years or put money down. 

One of the best things about VA loans is that you don’t have to put any money down to buy a house in Houston. What many people don’t realize, though, is that if you end up selling the house within five years, there’s a very good chance you will end up owing money on your mortgage after you sell if you didn’t put down a standard down payment. If you don’t want to pay to sell your house, plan to stay in your house for more than five years or pay a down payment when you buy a home in Houston with a VA loan.

Related: 3 Ways to Tell You’re Ready to Buy a New Home in Houston

2. Find a Houston lender who specializes in VA loans.

Not all mortgage lenders are experienced or comfortable handling VA loans. Working with these lenders can be a bigger challenge than many of my clients want to deal with. That’s why I always recommend my VA loan clients to use a local lender who specializes in VA loans. It makes the mortgage process so much smoother for all parties involved! If you’re having trouble finding a qualified lender in Houston that specializes in VA loans, I can recommend one to you.

3. Don’t use federal banks like USAA and Navy Federal. 

I don’t recommend using a federal bank to secure a VA loan to buy a home in Houston. In my experience, they are too slow and difficult to work with. There are a ton of great, knowledgeable lenders who specialize in VA loans who can offer better service than USAA and other federal banks. When you’re buying a house in Houston, you have to be able to act quickly before another buyer scoops up the property. These banks can slow you down.

4. Hire a real estate agent who specializes in VA loans and can assist the seller’s agent.

This is something that some of my clients learn the hard way! I often have VA loan home buyers come to me after struggling to work with another Realtor® who doesn’t have a lot of knowledge or experience in working with VA loan buyers. It can be a struggle sometimes when the seller’s agent is also uncomfortable working with VA loans. By hiring a Realtor® who is an expert in assisting buyers using VA loans, you ensure that not only are you getting quality advice on your options, but the experienced Realtor® can also help the seller’s agent through the process of closing a sale using a VA loan. 

A little knowledge and experience from your Realtor® can go a long way in securing your dream home in Houston with a VA loan! I love working with veterans, so if you’re looking to buy a home in Houston using a VA loan, please contact me for assistance. I take pride in making VA-loan home purchases as smooth and simple as possible for my clients. 

Let’s talk about your options!