James Kelley

  • Profile: James Kelley is a law school student at the University of Missouri who works to educate the public on government financing options for home purchases. He is a co-founder of Military Basebook, a facebook application that helps connect military members based on where and when they served.

James has written 2 Articles:

Protecting the Homes of the Brave

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Most Americans are thankful to be spending the holiday season gathering at home with friends and family. But some Americans, including tens of thousands of military veterans who bravely served our country, have no home in which to spend the season. Thousands more are a few missed mortgage payments away from foreclosure. In an attempt to tackle that problem, two Congressmen channeled the spirit of Veterans Day by pitching legislation that outlines ways for the Department of Veterans Affairs to reduce and avoid homelessness among veterans.

John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Tim Walz (DFL-Minn.) first shared the bill, the Veterans’ Homelessness Prevention and Early Warning Act of 2010, on September 22, 2010. Two days later it went to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity where it is set for review.

The bill calls on the VA to implement new procedures to aid VA loan borrowers facing foreclosure. As soon as a military borrower defaults on a VA loan, the VA has seven days to contact a case manager. Then the case manager takes responsibility. Case managers would then be responsible for coming up with a plan for alternative housing in the unlikelihood that a veteran loses his or her housing. The VA would have to ensure that the case manager fulfilled this weighty task. Read More »

VA Home Loan Basic Training

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With mountains, oceans and dynamic urban life, Massachusetts can be a state that many would want to call home, especially those who have served our country. After all, Massachusetts is home to much of the American history and traditions that veterans sacrificed to protect. But for veterans looking to buy a home, it’s not always easy, and it requires both time and money. However, there’s no feeling like walking through your own front door, and no one deserves this more than our uniformed men and women. That’s why there are VA (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs) loans – they are there to make this dream come true. The VA loan program offers huge benefits to their borrowers, making the home financing process a blessing rather than a stressor.

VA loans are much easier to qualify for than are conventional loans, taking a load off of the backs of veterans from the start. Veterans Affairs backs the loans, so VA approved lenders are willing to lend more, much more often. Typically, you can have a debt-to-income ratio of up to 41% and still qualify, so don’t let your finances discourage you too soon. (Current DTI ratios for other types of conforming loans can be found here.)

The biggest qualifying measure is how long you served: Read More »