By Alex Rodino, REALTOR® | Georgia real estate license #443565 | U.S. Army veteran Last updated: October 2026 A creditworthy buyer, Veteran or not, can assume a VA loan subject to VA's approval requirements. To restore the seller's entitlement through the assumption while the loan remains outstanding, an eligible Veteran buyer who intends to occupy the home must substitute sufficient entitlement....
By Alex Rodino, REALTOR® | Georgia real estate license #443565 | U.S. Army veteran Last updated: October 2026 If a VA disability compensation claim is still pending when you close, VA's Lenders Handbook says the funding fee is paid as if you were not exempt, and a refund is possible only if VA later finds you entitled to compensation from a date before closing; VA's 2023 lender circular adds that refunds...
By Alex Rodino, REALTOR® | Georgia real estate license #443565 | U.S. Army veteran Last updated: October 2026 VA's Lenders Handbook tells lenders to subtract child care as a job-related expense and to check for child care costs for any children up to age 12, because residual income is the money left each month, after debts and shelter expenses, to cover family living expenses. Georgia uses the South...
By Alex Rodino, REALTOR® | Georgia real estate license #443565 | U.S. Army veteran Last updated: October 2026 VA lists Georgia among the states where wood destroying insect information is required before the Notice of Value, and since June 2022 VA has allowed Veterans to pay for that inspection and any required repairs when the Notice of Value calls for it, while encouraging them to negotiate those...
By Alex Rodino, REALTOR® | Georgia real estate license #443565 | U.S. Army veteranLast updated: October 2026Under VA's Lenders Handbook, a VA loan shared with a non-Veteran who is not your spouse is a joint loan: VA guarantees only the Veteran's portion, the funding fee is based on half of the loan, and the loan must be sent to VA for prior approval. That half-based explanation applies here to one Veteran...
By Alex Rodino, REALTOR® | Georgia real estate license #443565 | U.S. Army veteran Last updated: October 2026 HUD's FHA handbook caps a loan with a non-occupying co-borrower at 75 percent loan-to-value, but allows up to 96.5 percent when the borrowers are Family Members, such as a parent and child, unless a family member is selling to a family member who will be the non-occupying co-borrower or the home...
body.single-post .post-content-wrap table li{font-size:14.5px;line-height:1.5} body.single-post .post-content-wrap table ul{padding-left:18px;margin:0} By Alex Rodino, REALTOR® | Georgia real estate license #443565 | U.S. Army veteran Last updated: October 2026 HUD's FHA handbook requires a gift letter signed and dated by both the donor and the borrower that gives the donor's name, address and phone...
By Alex Rodino, REALTOR® | Georgia real estate license #443565 | U.S. Army veteran Last updated: October 2026 A condo missing from VA's list needs its VA project acceptance status resolved before it can back a VA-guaranteed loan; FHA approval does not substitute for VA acceptance, and a lender can request VA review of an unreviewed project. VA's rules distinguish condominiums from planned unit...
By Alex Rodino, U.S. Army veteran (Capt.), Licensed GA REALTOR® #443565, MRP. Last updated: August 2026. TL;DR: Retiring in Savannah GA works well for people who want walkable history, short mild winters, coastal access, and a genuinely favorable state tax picture: Georgia does not tax Social Security, and it excludes up to $35,000 of retirement income per person at ages 62 to 64 and up to $65,000...
By Alex Rodino, U.S. Army veteran (Capt.) · Licensed GA REALTOR® #443565 · MRP Updated August 24, 2026 · About 17 minutes TL;DR: New construction homes in Savannah GA are concentrated west toward Pooler and Bloomingdale, south in Richmond Hill, and north in Effingham County. A new build offers warranty coverage and more choice, but it costs time and upgrade money. Registering your own agent on the...
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