Online Resources for the Military Home Owner

Since the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act was passed by the United States Congress in 1944, veterans, surviving spouses, and current members of the armed forces have been rewarded for their sacrifice and service with a number of government-sponsored benefits; chief among these is the VA home loan. But, there are many more benefits for veterans available that are just a click away. Here are some of the most valuable resources for the military home owner available online:

Your Government Benefits

VA Home Loans

VA home loans are available for new home buyers and military homeowners looking to refinance. Some features of these government-backed loans include:

• No down payment
• No private mortgage insurance (PMI) required
• No appraisal required in most cases
• Credit scores as low as 620
• Competitive interest rates based on credit score, debt-to-income ratio and term
• Closing costs and other fees can be rolled into the loan

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs runs programs benefiting veterans and members of their families. It provides rehabilitation services and provides compensation payments for disabilities or death related to military service. It also offers military home owner home loan guarantees, pensions, burials, and health care services including nursing homes, clinics, and medical centers.

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (Local Offices)
• Veterans Benefits Administration 
• Veterans Heath Administration 
• Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS)
• Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (Local Services)

Finance and Employment Assistance

• USAA: The United Services Automobile Association offers a wide variety of financial services for veterans including banking, insurance, investment, and retirement counseling. It also provides travel discounts, car and home buying services, and tax assistance.
• Hire Heroes USA: Hire Heroes USA’s mission is to empower U.S. military members, Veterans and military spouses to succeed in the civilian workforce. Clients are assigned a team member, for career coaching designed to break down barriers to employment.

Veteran and Veterans Family Support

• National Military Family Association: The “go to” source for administration officials, members of Congress, and key decision makers when they want to understand the issues facing military families. Site features transitioning, veteran employment, news, benefits updates, career, education, and veteran discounts.
• Veterans Crisis Line: Launched in 2007, the Veterans Crisis Line has answered more than three million calls and initiated the dispatch of emergency services nearly 78,000 times. Other features include an anonymous online chat service and a text messaging service to connect veterans with confidential, round-the-clock support.
• Military.com: The largest online military and veteran membership organization. It was founded in 1999 to help keep veterans connected and informed. Membership is free.
• MilitaryBenefits.info: Provides up-to-date benefits information to active duty, veterans, spouses, and family. Features education, military pay, health care, legal matters, military discounts, great perks and more. Check out their special features like 2018 Veterans Day free meals, discounts, sales and deals and military discounts offered by stores, services and online sites.

More Discounts and Deals

• GovX: GovX’s goal is to create the ultimate members-only experience for current and former uniformed professionals. It features shopping, tickets, and travel deals.
• Dealhack: The Dealhack Military Discount Guide is the result of quarterly surveys of brands offering active-duty military and veteran discounts. The list is broken down into categories, and can be downloaded in PDF form—a must for any military home owner.
• Military and Veterans Discount Center: A directory to discounts by state and city. Users can also sign up for email updates by category

There are so many different resources out there available for veterans and their families—you just need to know where to look. Searching for more ways to save money in the homebuying/owning process? Learn more about military and veteran discounts for home insurance.