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Buying a House? Take advantage of your VA Loans

By Mandy Rebmann

Maybe you’ve just started thinking about owning a home, or maybe you already have a property in mind. One of the biggest questions facing potential homeowners is how much of a loan can they get?  Can you really afford that perfect house you’ve had your eye on? Or, if you haven’t fallen in love with a house yet, what should your ceiling price be?

Veterans have an added benefit when they apply for a home loan – the VA loan. The rates are often better, the loan is guaranteed by the government so the eligibility can be easier but it’s no easy road to get to closing. Because the loan is backed by the government, the amount of red tape and paperwork seems to never end.

Before applying for a loan, you should obtain your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) which shows you are eligible to use a VA loan. Requesting the COE may be done online, by mail or through your VA lender.  When applying, the lender will need your original COE, which verifies you are eligible for a VA-guaranteed mortgage.

You should also have a credit score of 620 or higher. The higher the credit score, the more likely you are to be approved for your loan.

How much of a loan you qualify for depends on a two basic factors - what your income is and how much debt you carry. If you carry less debt, more of your income can be used towards your housing payment.

APPLYING- How Much of a Loan Can I Get?

  • Underwriters look at your monthly Debt-to-Income (DTI) ratio, which should not exceed 41%.  This means that your proposed monthly housing payment and other monthly debts should not exceed 41% of your monthly income. For example, if your monthly income is $5,000, your proposed housing payment is $1,000 and all other debts are $1,000, you would qualify based on DTI.  2000/5000 = .40 or 40%. 
  • This calculation can help you figure out how much of a house you can afford. Multiply your monthly income by .41, and then subtract your monthly debt payments. The remainder is your monthly housing payment limit.
  • Monthly debts include car, additional housing, credit card, and installment payments. They may also include alimony, child support and child care costs.
  • VA underwriters also look at Residual Income. Residual Income is “leftover” money after debts are paid. The amount of Residual Income you are required to have is based on how many people are in your household family and what region you live in.

APPLYING- What Do I Need to Do?

  • After finding a VA Loan lender, you will need to complete an application, which will ask you basic identification, income, and asset questions. 
  • Underwriters will verify the information provided on the application, specifically the amounts listed for your income and assets. 
  • Income verification tends to be easier for those who receive regular paychecks and W2s. Often, your last two paystubs, or LES’s, and the last two years of W2s will suffice. It gets a little more complicated for the self-employed, or those who receive 1099s. Since that type of income is not as easily verified, be prepared to have to provide tax returns, additional bank statements, and possibly, letters of explanation from employers.
  • Asset documentation will include at least the last two months bank statements, and possibly the last quarterly statements for other investments, such as 401Ks or other retirement accounts.  Large deposits may need to be explained and sourced. Online printouts are generally not accepted.

It will be important for you to stay in close contact with your lender throughout the process, in case something unexpected comes up. VA loans may seem more difficult to obtain than other types of mortgages, but for the most part, the benefits definitely outweigh the added steps.

What Story Does a Messy Desk Tell About You?

There are a lot of jokes about how a messy desk equals a creative mind. But does it equal a boss who is happy with your work?

More specifically, what story does your desk tell about you and what could it mean for your next evaluation? Most of us believe that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. The reality is, most of us do just that.

Imagine arriving at a business meeting to collaborate on a project and your four colleagues are dressed in a clown suit, a sweat suit, a suit of armor and a business suit. Who would you take seriously? Yes, it is a little far-fetched, but you get the idea. The way you formed an opinion is exactly how an opinion may be formed about you and your messy desk, rightly, or wrongly. And that opinion could lead to a less-than-stellar performance evaluation at work.

"In most industries [the cleanliness of your desk] is not an official aspect of evaluations," said Sylive di Giusto, professional image consultant and author of The Image of Leadership. “But when we judge people based on what we see, our brain works on confirmation bias - we look for proof that makes us feel our assessment is right, and we will find it in one's appearance, or hygiene, or desk.”

At that point, the person being judged is left with the very difficult task of convincing the judge otherwise.

"A messy desk is a piece of how you present yourself," di Giusto said. "If you want to tell the story that you are very creative and unstructured maybe a messy desk will help you do that. But if that image is not your story, then don't tell that story." 

Perhaps the single most important thing you can do to tell a good story about your work is to get organized. According to the 2011 workspace organization survey by office supply retailer OfficeMax, 8 out of 10 people think unorganized clutter can hamper productivity.

A 2010 study by Brother International, an office products company, supports that theory and reported that "Our collective messy desks and time spent looking for misplaced items cost corporate America $177 billion dollars annually."

So, you may be messy and creative, but is being creative enough to get a top-notch evaluation? Probably not.

Let's say you take on more and more assignments at work in order to further your career, but your desk is a real mess. Your efforts will be counterproductive if you frequently misplace documents, miss deadlines, and arrive at meetings late and unprepared.

Unfortunately, those negative impacts may outweigh the positive impact of your creativity if you are "read" as unable to handle additional responsibility and therefore overlooked for promotions or the assignments that lead to them.

When Di Giusto trains professionals to tell their stories during her image consulting workshops for individuals and corporations, she recounts two contrasting stories about work space.

"I very often see clutter like postage, coffee mugs, paper, souvenirs and excessive pictures. In traditional work settings and open spaces, a cluttered desk tells the story that you can't wait to leave the office," she said. “But, the story of successful leaders is told with one family picture, in a beautiful frame, taken by a professional photographer, with everyone smiling. It's like a trophy. It says: look at what I have done even with all my responsibilities; can you believe it?"

Maybe you won't be able to convince people not to judge your book by its cover, but di Giusto reminds clients: "You are responsible for the cover of your book."

Military Families Everywhere, We Are One

In June, members of the Iraqi military were taken prisoner by ISIS. And they haven't been heard from since. ISIS claims to have massacred 1,700 Iraqi security force members.

Their families, military families, were confused, angry and terrified. They wanted answers. They demanded answers from the government they bravely served as the wives, children, parents and siblings of the nation's protectors.

A group of 100 of them stormed the parliament in Baghdad in early September. And they refused to leave until they were given answers.

We might have done the same.

They are a world away. We don't speak the same language, wear the same type of clothes, eat the same food or practice the same religion. But we are all military families. Their lives, like ours, are dedicated to serving their nation. Their lives, like ours, revolve around the needs of others. Like us they sacrifice as loved ones are killed and injured in the line of duty.

As we flip through the channels and catch glimpses of wars and atrocities unfolding in other nation's around the world we each take a moment to remember that they are more like us than we may be willing to admit. That we are all military families and we all understand the difficulties, frustration and pride that comes with that duty.

Their fight is not ours. But we understand in many ways the uphill battle they face through their military lifestyle. Keep them in your thoughts and wish them well. We are all military spouses. We are all one.

Welcome Home! Now, Get to Work!

I spent last evening staring at the bookshelf downstairs. 

It’s very heavy and dark and wooden, and, well, it’s putting a real damper on my new light, airy and clean living room.

Or the new light, airy, and clean living room I’m envisioning in my mind’s eye, anyway.

Still, I want to move that bookshelf.

More precisely, I want to move it upstairs. Into the office. Which I am currently turning into a classroom/office/learning area.

Well, I’m actually converting that in my mind, too, but you get the picture.

Now, I am strong, but sadly not strong enough to heft this bookshelf upstairs by myself.

And it’s really ticking me off.

So, I’ve added it to the list.

Along with “Organize the garage” and “Pressure wash the porch” and “Build bunkbeds for the girls.”

It’s the military spouses’ version of the Honey-Do list.

It’s the “Welcome Home From Deployment; Now Let’s Get Cracking!” list.

My husband is likely going to be less than thrilled to come home and find two adorable little girls clinging to his boots while I hug him, kiss him, and point at the family chalkboard with a list that, though it’s bedazzled with stars and hearts and “We missed you!”, is also a mile long, involving quite a bit of manual labor.

While I don’t conform to gender roles necessarily – if I can lift it, I will; if I can fix it, I will try – my husband is a good 9 inches taller than me, quite a bit stronger, and significantly bigger. He can easily hold the other end of the bookshelf as I maneuver it upstairs.

It’s been quite awhile since anyone helped me lift so much as a laundry basket up those stairs, though. And I’m clearly itching to start some home improvements that don’t get done unless he is home.

So as this deployment nears its end, the list grows. And grows and grows.

I’ve started to romanticize cleaning out the brush in the back of our yard together.  I’m starting to fantasize about how much fun it will be to convert part of the garage into a laundry-folding station. I’m starting to envision a good family afternoon spent re-organizing the girls’ room into a princess play space.

Clearly, he’s been gone too long.

In fact, he’s been gone so long that I may need a new chalkboard; the list has outgrown its home.

I e-mailed him, jokingly, that every day he’s gone, I find another thing to add to the list.

Though I likely need to stop. Because at this rate, he may never come home.

And I still can’t move this bookshelf by myself.

 

Volunteers Work, Because They Love

For the last year, I have volunteered for two different military organizations. Years ago, before I had my family, I did not volunteer because I didn’t think I had the time. Long days in the office and commuting were exhausting and I wanted to relax on my days off.

It is amazing how my definition of the word ‘busy’ has changed since having children. I never have days off and I realize how much time I had to myself back then, even while working full-time. As a stay-at-home-mom, my days are hardly boring. I barely get a chance to go to the bathroom by myself let alone sit and relax. I am pretty sure I have yet to finish a cup of coffee in the morning without having to warm it up in the microwave.

As we get older and the boys keep changing and growing, our life keeps getting busier. Now we have preschool to drop off and pick up from and extracurricular activities. My days are filling up and we are busier than ever. But I am still volunteering. I make the time to give back. And I do it because I want to.

I have been asked if I volunteer because “I have to” or because of my husband’s current job or because his rank requires me to. False. False. False. Initially, these types of questions rubbed me the wrong way. I was defensive. But the more I thought about it and the sources the questions came from, I realized they were not meant to be hurtful. Instead, they were asked out of curiosity. Or misconception. Or stereotype. Or simply, inexperience.

There are a few quotes I have come across that sum up perfectly why I have a strong passion to give back to my community and military families: “Volunteers do not necessarily have the time. They just have the heart.” (Elizabeth Andrew)

I have always had a passion to help others. That is why I earned a degree in psychology. My husband may have been the one who dedicated his life to serving his country, but I chose him. I feel that by giving back to our military community, I am helping our country in a small way. I am not directly saving people or defending our country with my bare hands, but I am helping important programs that serve military families run their daily operations.

It does take a village. And I make the time to be part of that village. Whether it be sending out an email to check in on a spouse who lost a grandparent, making a meal for a new mom and dad or answering the phone in an office, I make the time to help - no matter how much or how little it may seem; every little bit helps. And the organizations are so thankful for you and your service. When I leave for the day, I always feel more motivated to come back. I feel welcomed, respected and appreciated.

 Winston Churchill said, “We make a living not by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” I have struggled to find my professional imprint in this world. Once I became a mom, I felt fulfilled and I felt I had purpose. As my children continue to grow and develop their own little identities, I realize I still want more out of life. I still want to help others. Volunteering gives me flexibility to serve my first priority, being a mom. And, it allows me to contribute to a community that has given me the opportunity to stay home with them. I can use what I have learned through my own experience to help others. I am constantly learning new things through my volunteer experience. I am gaining knowledge, experience and building friendships.

The point in my sharing this it to reach out to those spouses who may be struggling to find their nitch in this military lifestyle. Find an organization you believe in and find a way to help. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

School Fundraisers Have Begun. Should you Sell to Your Co-workers?

It's back to school time and everybody's kids are selling something. From school, to sports, to service organizations, the fundraisers are plentiful. But should you be selling things at work if you want to move up in the company? If you do sell, when is enough, enough? And when can your pedaling of fundraiser goods be potentially damaging to your professional image? 

If you aren't sure about the answer to any of these questions, don't start selling products or soliciting donations at work until you consider these steps.

First, check the employee handbook and other written policies to find out if selling is allowed. Federal employees, for example, may not sell or solicit donations at work except in connection with the Combined Federal Campaign. However, some private sector and non-profit employers may allow it.

Then, if your workplace does allow it, look beyond the written rules.

"In some offices, it's fine. In others, it might be frowned upon," said Alison Green, the author of the Ask a Manager blog (www.askamanager), in an email interview. "You need to know your office [culture]."

No matter what the rules are, some people have their own opinions about what workplace selling says about you. Some will think it's great that you support your children or a great cause, but others won't be so accepting.

"Be aware that many people find these sales to be distracting and even annoying if you apply any pressure to buy ... in a context where they can’t help but wonder if they’re expected or obligated to participate," said Green. "If you must ask, ask only once. And don't ever assume that people will buy or say things like, 'What can I put you down for?'"

No matter what your relationship is to co-workers, selling may have hidden consequences. Your colleagues may be resentful and think you are wasting time and not doing your fair share of work. People below you may feel pressure to buy. And those above you may think it is unprofessional, which could indirectly impact your performance review and future opportunities. 

Also, follow these general rules:

Keep your selling low-key. Don't go from desk to desk. Leave sign-up sheets in the break room or place the merchandise on your desk for people to "discover". Word will travel fast once others see the goodies.

Finally, double-check the policy about email use. In some places it is acceptable to send one group email to announce your fundraiser. In others, it may be considered spam. Standard business email communication rules say that if you aren't already in a relationship with someone then you shouldn't be sending them email to solicit sales or donations at work.

Anonymous Bullies

It’s pretty well-known that my life is up for public consumption on my blog. If I have a thought, even an unpopular one, as they may be, my name is attached to it. There’s no doubt. But that’s not always the case.

A few weeks ago, one of my friends here in upstate N.Y. ran into trouble with some cyberbullies. Normally, it’s the kind of situation you’d shake your head at, confront your attackers, and move about your day, wiser about whom you give your time. After all, what were we taught by our parents: stand up to your bullies, right?

But what happens when they’re anonymous? How do you stand up to that?

Thanks to the miracle of social networking, sometimes there’s no way to confront the person tearing you down. There’s a social media page, which even carries the name of our army post, where anyone could send their “confessions,” and have them anonymously posted. Everything from heading out to Walmart in your PJ’s, to scandalous things that would make my Kindle blush can be posted on the page. All you have to do is message them and you’re off to the races. 

Seems harmless, right? Venting your own little secrets? Sure, until people start “anonymously” attacking other people. Slander, accusations, insults, insinuations - they’re all right there, plainly spelled out to who the person is through detail and asterisk-encoded names. Your best friend could verbally attack you and you’d never know it was them, because it’s posted anonymously.

What part of this military “community” do we want to validate?

I’m under no false, naïve belief that by being in the military lifestyle, I share an automatic camaraderie with every other military spouse. In a perfect world, of course we would. But we are all unique individuals who just happened to marry military men. We’re not all going to get along. But, when we allow social media to “anonymously” bully other spouses, or soldiers, going as far as to use this duty station as their name, we’re perpetuating the cycle of bullying. This isn’t “meet me out back behind the playground.” No, those grade-school bullies have grown up, promoted themselves to the internet, and now the consequences are far more reaching than a black eye, or wounded pride. Heck, bullies don’t even have to leave the house now to tear someone to the ground.

By allowing these sites to exist, by “liking” them and reading them, we’re giving the thumbs up to the coward behind the screen who in one key stroke can ruin someone’s business, self-esteem, or even marriage. And it doesn’t even have to be true, just typed. As military spouses, what are we doing? Why are we “liking” this? Why aren’t we the ones standing up for one another and saying, “Enough.”

Believe me, I’m not blameless. No, I don’t “like” these pages, or frequent them, but I certainly did nothing to shut it down when it hurt my friend repeatedly. Why? Because I live a sorta-public life, and one screen-shot can do a lot to my career. So I minded my own business. Out of what? Fear. I wasn’t even being bullied and that page scared me. But then it came for me, and though I shrugged off most of what it said, the bully got their target. They had a good chunk of my head for a few hours. But that was it. Because of my blog and my book, a lot of people know random personal details about our life. That’s a choice we made in our marriage, but the others? They didn’t. But it took me getting personally hit by someone I don’t know, and have likely never spoken to, to make me speak up against it, and that is on me.

We here in upstate N.Y. aren’t the only ones with such ugliness. They’re everywhere, attached to the names of military installations around the country. Apparently these pages are the new way to scratch “call Jenny for a good time,” into the paint for all to see. So what’s the difference? Social media is empowering these bullies and giving them something they didn’t have before – a platform larger than a four stall public restroom.

So this is my platform – my words. And this is our platform as spouses – to say “enough,” unlike the page and walk away. Because as Edmund Burke taught us, the good men who do nothing are all it takes for this behavior to continue. I choose to try to be the good one. I choose to say enough.

Because I attach my name to what I write, and they should too.

Websites We Love: Back To School Humor

Welcome back! We know it’s the first day of school and you may have the jitters, you may be nervous or you may have the utmost confidence. In any case, your day just became a lot busier.

Now begins the months of finishing dinner, your homework, your kids’ homework and all their afterschool activities in the same three-hour span – every single night. Now begins the late nights when your homework didn’t quite get finished.

Now is when you are going to wonder just how crazy you were when you thought you could pull off going back to school and working full-time. And eventually, you will realize, you got this.

But, as you re-adjust your daily routine over the next week, we thought you could use a few chuckles. We all know you’re going to take a break, or quite a few, as you find your groove balancing work, home and school. These sites offer a little back to school humor that are just long enough to give you a break but short enough to get you back to work quickly.

Enjoy!

 

 Back to School photos that don’t quite make the grade: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/20/19-back-to-school-fails-photos_n_932175.html

 

Are you the class clown? Here’s some witty jokes that will make you and your teach chuckle: http://www.teachhub.com/top-20-teacher-jokes

 

And lastly, the first day of school, 1970 vs today. Caution, you may laugh until you cry: http://widelawns.blogspot.com/2014/08/back-to-school-70s-vs-today-lot-has.html

 

Where is the best place to buy my book?

I’ve been Googling school supplies lately, the internets have deemed all of their “suggestions” for me be scholarly in nature. One of the recent suggestions was an app called “Titto”, which is supposed to be an alternative to purchasing or renting books through, say, Amazon or Chegg. Earlier in the year, we briefly spent some time together discussing renting our college textbooks so we don’t have to hand over our firstborn in payment.

In the interest of keeping my sad wallet from getting any sadder, I picked a book and figured out which site or app was most monetarily efficient. (I know, right? I’m a hoot at parties, too!)

I began with a middle of the road priced book for my upcoming semester: Ethical Journalist: Making Responsible Decisions in the Pursuit of News. (Seriously, guys. I promise, I am not the world’s most boring person.) This book is required for participation in Communications 409, which is a course they tell me is a necessity for a Communications major to take … go figure. It is recommended for purchase from the school’s bookstore, which is not likely the bank account-friendliest option. We’ll toss that option in, though, just to be fair. We’re also going to stick with the paperback or digital editions, because ain’t nobody got time for a 200-pound book.

Anyway, here’s how the numbers break down:

School Bookstore:

$74.00 (New)              $55.00 (Used)             $43.30 (12 month digital rental)

Chegg:

$74.99 (New)              $50.99 (Used)             $20.49 (4 month physical rental)

Amazon:

$67.87 (New)              $11.65 (Used)             $N/A (physical rental) 

$42.99 (digital rental)

Titto:

$19.99 (Flat rate per month)

These prices are fairly comparable, to be honest. I’ve seen everything from no difference at all to, no joke, price gaps you could drive an eighteen-wheeler through.

The point, however, stays the same: a little time and research can save you a lot of money.

If the book is something you’ll never crack open again after the course is finished, rent it. And, if the book is something you’ll likely use in the future (hello, majoring in our goal employment area!) then don’t be afraid to buy it and keep it for your shelf. Whichever you choose, make sure the option is the best for you and your wallet!

Tis the Season

This was a busy PCS year across most of the services. Thousands of families moved. Thousands of spouses left jobs they loved behind.

Now, the search begins. But finding a job in a new town can be daunting, and, take a very long time. Our family has heard from friends around the country, both veteran and civilian, who are still out of work after six months of plastering their resume around town.

And for many, the future looks bleak.

Hopefully, the impending holiday seasons can help turn things around for many of us.

Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas bring with them merriment, mischief and extra jobs – as haunted house staffers, pumpkin pickers, Black Friday cashiers and exhausted, holiday season extra help. Every business from costume shops to UPS to malls typically hires more hands to lighten the load.

Retailers are the biggest employers but this may be a time to look for an unusual job that will lift your spirits as much as it fills your wallet. Every mall in America needs to hire staff to tend to the jolly old elf. Haunted hayrides, houses, cornfields and the like all need a crew to scream their way through the night. Nonprofits may be hiring hourly help to handle the extra casework. Moms and dads will definitely be hiring childcare workers to tuck the kids in on New Year’s Eve.

And sometimes, seasonal jobs turn into fulltime work for good employees.

So, if you are still looking for a job after a PCS, don’t despair. Holiday hiring is coming. Begin Googling local companies and search their online, careers pages to find out who is hiring and when. Tussling with the holiday shopping crowd may not be your dream job, but eventually the job you need may turn into a job you love.

 

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