Karen Y. Copeland, M.S., Associate Broker

Many families relocating to Patuxent Naval Air Base like the convenience of living on base while others like the opportunity to become part of a local community and school system. If you are considering purchasing a home in your next relocation be sure you start the process with a knowledgeable Realtor and Lender in the area.

You want to interview Realtors that are familiar with military relocation and you want to deal with an agent that is full-time. Given the time constraints most relocated families face "Time is of the Essence." Ask for references from the prospective Realtor to talk to other military persons about their experience with them.

If you decide to purchase and you want to use your VA benefits to secure a loan you need to know that the maximum "insured" loan amount with no down payment is $417,000 NOT including the VA funding fee. You can secure an "insured" loan of $450,000 with a 5% down payment. For more information about the VA funding fee and/or your benefits please visit http://www.va.gov/.

Make sure you do you own homework - don't rely totally on the Realtor or Lender. You want to ensure that the real estate market is positive in the area you are considering. Are the market values on the rise, decline or are they stable. Your Realtor can run reports for you to review and ask questions to get a better understanding of the market.

Please feel free to visit my website at www.kcsellshomes.com. You can contact me via email kyc@mris.com or by telephone at 240-765-1339 if you have specific questions I can assist you with. I look forward to hearing from you.

Eligible for the benefit are those with specific service-connected disabilities entitling them to VA compensation for a "permanent and total disability." They may receive a grant to construct an adapted home or to modify an existing one to meet their special needs.

VA has three types of adapted housing grants available. The Specially Adapted Housing grant (SAH), currently limited to $50,000, is generally used to create a wheelchair-accessible home for those who may require such assistance for activities of daily living.

VA's Home Loan Guaranty program and the Native American Direct Loan program may also be used with the SAH benefit to purchase an adaptive home.

The Special Housing Adaptations (SHA) grant, currently limited to $10,000, is generally used to assist veterans with mobility throughout their homes due to blindness in both eyes, or the anatomical loss or loss of use of both hands or extremities below the elbow.

A third type established by the new law, the Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA) grant, is available to eligible veterans and seriously injured active duty service members who are temporarily living or intend to temporarily live in a home owned by a family member.

While the SAH and SHA grants require ownership and title to a house, in creating TRA Congress recognized the need to allow veterans and active duty members who may not yet own homes to have access to the adaptive housing grant program.

Under TRA, veterans and service members eligible under the SAH program would be permitted to use up to $14,000, and those eligible under the SHA program would be allowed to use up to $2,000 of the maximum grant amounts. Each grant would count as one of the three grants allowed under the new program.

"The goal of all three grant programs is to provide a barrier-free living environment that offers the country's most severely injured veterans or service members a level of independent living," added Peake.

Other VA adaptive housing benefits are currently available through Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service's "Independent Living" program, the Insurance Service's Veterans Mortgage Life Insurance program, and the Veterans Health Administration's Home Improvement and Structural Alterations grant.

For more information about grants and other adaptive housing programs, contact a local VA regional office at 1-800-827-1000 or local veteran service organization. Additional program information and grant applications (VAF-26-4555) can be found at http://www.homeloans.va.gov/sah.htm.

Military families relocating to Patuxent Naval Air Base interested in purchasing a home in Saint Mary's county please give me a call. I am at your service. I can be reached via email at kyc@mris.com or my telephone at 240-765-1339. I look forward to talking with you and showing you all that Saint Mary's county has to offer.