Congratulations on deciding to buy. First tour or fourth, first-time buyer or investor, the process is the same in structure and completely different in pace when you are doing it on orders.
Why I am the right fit for a military purchase
I am Dawn Riley. I have been selling real estate in this region for more than twenty years, and about half of what my team closes each year involves a VA buyer or a VA seller. That number is the reason to call me. It means the VA-specific problems that derail other transactions are ordinary Tuesday work here.
I know what stops a VA appraisal. I know which condo projects are on the approved list before we waste a Saturday touring one that is not. I know that your house-hunting trip is short and that the difference between a good tour and a wasted one is entirely in what happens before you land. And I know what a PCS actually feels like, which matters more than any of the technical parts when you are tired and the movers are late.
My Master Certified Negotiation Expert (MCNE) training is the other half of it. Finding the house is the easy part. Getting it at the right price, with the right inspection outcome, on a timeline that matches your report date, is the part that takes skill.
First things first: reach out, then talk to a lender
Contact me whenever it suits you. Then I am going to send you to a lender before we look at anything, because a pre-approval decides your budget and your credibility at the same time. A seller looking at two similar offers takes the one that is pre-approved every time.
My lenders know the VA program in detail, including entitlement questions, funding fee exemptions for disability ratings, and how to structure around a spouse's income. Bring your own lender if you have one you trust. I only ask that they pick up the phone on a weekend, because offers do not wait for business hours.
Search from wherever you are
Start with a wish list and a budget, in that order, and be honest about which items are actually non-negotiable. Once we have that I send you active listings daily and, through my network, coming-soon properties that are not on the public sites yet. In a tight market that head start is sometimes the whole game.
Seeing houses in person or remotely
Remote buying stopped being unusual years ago and my team has been doing it well ever since. We set up a video walkthrough on Zoom or WhatsApp and I show you the house the way a friend would, including the parts a listing photographer carefully avoided. I walk it alone first so I can tell you what the camera misses. The smell of the basement. The noise of the road. How the afternoon light actually lands.
If you can get here, I stack the tour so the strongest candidates come first and we can write the same day. Losing a house because we toured it on day three of a four-day trip is an avoidable mistake.
Ask every listing agent about a VA loan assumption
This is the part almost nobody does, and it is why I bring it up on every page. A VA loan is assumable, so if the seller has a note from the low-rate stretch, you may be able to take over that loan at that rate instead of financing at today's. I have closed a number of these. The monthly difference is frequently four figures.
Two things decide it. The equity gap has to be coverable, because an assumption does not increase the loan and the spread between the sale price and the remaining balance has to come from cash or a second lien. And the servicer has to move, which some do in six weeks and others drag past ninety days. I write the contract dates around the servicer's actual behavior rather than around optimism.
If you are VA-eligible and you substitute your entitlement on the assumption, the seller gets theirs restored. That is a genuine benefit you can offer, and a skilled negotiator can turn it into a better price. Most buyers never think to mention it.
The inspection is where the money is
An accepted offer is the halfway point. The inspection response is where a careless agent gives away three or four thousand dollars because it feels awkward to push back. I do not find it awkward. We ask for what the report supports, we hold the line on what matters, and we let go of what does not.
Start My Military Relocation PlanTell me your report date, your branch, your budget, and whether you have a lender. About 30 questions and I read every answer myself.Pick your installation
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, and it is the first thing I ask for. A pre-approval tells us what we are shopping for and tells sellers you are serious. Without one your offer gets set aside.
Absolutely. I have lenders I trust who know the VA program cold, but I am happy to work with yours. I only ask that they answer the phone on a Sunday, because sometimes we need them to.
Yes. We do video walkthroughs on Zoom or WhatsApp, and I walk the house on my own first and tell you what a camera will not show you. Several of my military buyers have never seen the house until settlement.
Minimum property requirements. Safety items, peeling paint on older homes, roof life remaining, working systems, and adequate access. I look for these at the showing so they do not surface later.
One half of one percent of the loan balance, plus the servicer's processing fee. That is well below the funding fee on a standard VA purchase.
Compensation is agreed in writing before we tour. In most Maryland transactions the seller contributes toward the buyer's agent. I will show you the actual numbers on your deal before you sign.
Ready to Start Your Move?
Send me your report date and I will build the plan around it. No pressure, no drip campaign, just a straight answer about what your money buys here and how fast we have to move.
Dawn Riley
Associate Broker, Realtor, Master Certified Negotiation Expert (MCNE)
The Riley Team at Deep Roots Real Estate
410-414-2438
dawn@dawnriley.net
https://dawnriley.net/