Why did your first agent show you a bunch of properties you were not interested in? In this day and age, we have the internet with multiple color photos. Why didn’t you just TELL HER which properties you were interested in seeing in person and ask her to check first if the seller would accept VA financing?
You state here that you have been making VA offers. Are you submitting them with an earnest money check? Do your offers specify you are putting down a percentage of the purchase price or borrowing 100% of it? Do your offers specify the seller assist with your closing costs?
What is your price range? In the four offers you made, were they all in the same immediate area/zip code? This would explain the “cronyism” among local agents you describe here.
From your post, I’m unclear why seller “A” would not register and file his/her “septic cert” if that’s all it took to fix the title and issue title ins to you. (I am aware this also has to be done in several counties in the state of CO.)
If you are currently active-duty military, isn’t there an abundance of military housing there to choose from?
And, just out of curiosity, how far of a daily commute would you and/or your spouse (if applic) have to make from the houses you placed offers on and lost? Were there any closer-in more desirable places you liked better? Or was the fact you were using VA financing hampering your choices of area and sellers?
The reason I asked you the last group of questions is because a buyer using VA financing would not have as large of a choice of properties, sellers and/or areas to choose from in SD County, CA, as would conventional buyers making offers indicating they were putting down a 20% downpayment. In other words, using VA financing could prove to be a detriment when making offers in the more desirable areas.
What I’m trying to state here is that a VA offer is not considered as strong of an offer as a conventional offer, even if both buyers are “pre-approved” for a mtg. If you HAVE a 20% downpayment, why not use conventional financing (which has far less closing costs than VA financing)? It’s also far less headache for the seller. This would strengthen your position and give you more housing choices.
Just because you have a Certificate of Eligibility from the VA doesn’t mean it is the best financing to use. It all depends on WHERE you are buying and HOW LONG you plan on owning the property.
