Florida Mortgage Broker

  This week I want to talk about the most misunderstood loan in the business. VA loans. I had two Veteran deals this week that both almost didn't happen because of bad information. More on that below. If you take one thing from this email, let it be this: when a Veteran walks into your open house, you're holding the strongest offer tool in SW Florida. Most agents just don't know it yet. VA appraisals stay with the Veteran borrower, NOT the property. FHA appraisals stay with the property for 6 months. Don't FHA the VA Buyers! 😉 ✦✦✦ 📊 Rates This Week 30-Yr Fixed Conventional 6.625%* 30-Yr Fixed FHA 6.0%* 30-Yr Fixed VA 6.125%* Rates crept up this week after Tuesday's CPI report. Nothing dramatic. The Fed meets July 28-29 and the market's mostly sitting on its hands until then. Notice the gap. VA is running about 1/2 a point below conventional right now,  Saving them $$$$. *Sample national average rates as of July 17, 2026, for illustration only. Rates change da...

  The Ultimate Guide to VA Loan Benefits in 2026: Why This Might Be the Best Mortgage You Never Knew About By Mike Steele | MikeSteeleLoans.com Updated for 2025 | Reading Time: ~8 minutes If you’ve served in the military—whether you’re active duty, a veteran, or a surviving spouse—there’s a good chance you’re sitting on one of the most powerful financial benefits available to you. And no, I’m not talking about your GI Bill (though that’s great too). I’m talking about the VA home loan. Look, I get it. You’ve probably heard bits and pieces about VA loans over the years. Maybe someone at the base mentioned it. Maybe you Googled it once and got hit with a wall of government jargon. But here’s the thing: most people—even many loan officers—don’t fully understand just how incredible this benefit really is. So let’s break it all down in plain English. No fine print headaches. No confusing acronyms (okay, maybe a few, but I’ll translate). Just the real deal on why a VA loan...

We’ve all heard the rumors: "VA loans take forever," "The appraisal is a nightmare," and "The buyer has no skin in the game." In a market like ours, from the growth in Lehigh Acres to the luxury of Naples; these myths are costing agents good deals. I want to clear the air so you can help your sellers say "yes" to our veterans without the stress. Here are 3 things people get wrong about VA: 1. The " Tidewater Initiative " is your secret weapon Most agents fear a low VA appraisal is the end of the road. It’s actually the opposite. VA is the only loan type with a built-in "Tidewater" process. If the appraiser can’t find the value, they must notify us before finalizing the report. This gives us a 48-hour window to provide our own comps. It’s a second chance most conventional loans don’t offer. 2. There are NO loan limits (No, really) As of 2026, for veterans with full entitlement, the VA has no maximum loan limit . If a vet...

🏡 Maximizing Your VA Benefits: How to Use VA Financing While Owning Another Home 🏠 As a veteran, you've earned a valuable benefit through your service – the ability to use VA financing to purchase a home 🎖️. VA loans offer favorable terms and benefits that can make homeownership more accessible and affordable 🏡💰. But what if you already own another home with VA financing? Can you still use your VA benefits to buy a new home? The short answer is yes, it's possible, but there are some important guidelines to follow. In this blog, we'll explain how veterans can leverage their VA benefits while still owning another home with VA financing, keeping it simple and providing resources for more information. Understanding VA Loan Eligibility: To use your VA benefits for a new home purchase, you must first meet the basic eligibility criteria for a VA loan 📜: You must be an eligible veteran, active-duty service member, or certain members of the National Guard and R...