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If you know a Veteran, please forward this issue to him or her as it provides important updates, resources, and information. In this Update:
Recent Real Estate Industry Changes Could Affect How VA Home Loan Benefit is Used
In July I mentioned that changes to buyer-broker fees in real estate transaction were coming, and as of Aug. 17, they are now in effect. In preparation for those changes, and to ensure the VA’s programs continue to promote access to homeownership, the VA, starting on Aug. 10, began allowing eligible Veterans, active-duty service members and surviving spouses to use their VA home loan benefits to pay for certain real estate buyer-broker fees when purchasing a home. In the VA’s program, it has been common practice for sellers to pay for the Veteran’s buyer-broker fees; without the changes made by the VA, Veterans could have been at a disadvantage in the evolving homebuying market. The VA encourages Veterans to negotiate buyer-broker fees with their real estate professionals. Veterans can also still ask sellers to cover the buyer-broker fees at closing. In addition to other safeguards, all buyer-broker fees charged to Veterans using the VA home loan benefit must be reasonable and customary within local markets. The update to the use of VA home loan benefits was made in response to a settlement reached in March by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) in a class-action lawsuit that requires NAR to change its brokerage fee rules. The settlement requires two big changes to how buyers and sellers negotiate service from a buyer’s agent. The first of those changes prevents agents from including the buyer’s agent’s compensation when listing a home on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) platform. The MLS is the listing program that buyers’ brokers and listing brokers use to share information about properties for sale. The other major change requires buyers to enter into written agreements with realtors before touring a home, and the agreement must include terms about their own agent’s fee. For more about how this might affect homebuyers, and specifically Veteran homebuyers, click here. New VA Grant Program Awards $4.5 Million to Help with Transition from Military to Civilian Life
A new grant program to help service members and their spouses transition from military to civilian life has awarded $4.5 million to organizations providing employment-based resources and tools. Recently separated service members and their spouses may sign up for the services starting in early 2025. The 13 organizations will each receive up to $500,000 through the Veteran and Spouse Transitional Assistance Grant Program to offer services such as resume assistance, interview training, job recruitment training, employment placement services, employment education and training, and referrals for employment. Some of the organizations are more regionally focused, but others make their services available nationally: American Corporate Partners, Corporate America Supports You, Greater New Bedford Workforce Investment Board, Jacksonville State University, Jewish Vocational Service, Kansas City Scholars Inc., National University, Operation Stand Down Rhode Island, Operation Stand Down Tennessee, Orange County United Way, The Commit Foundation, The Houston Launch Pad and the University of Massachusetts. Learn more about this grant program. The VA also offers additional services to help Veterans, transitioning service members and spouses find and keep jobs through programs such as Personalized Career Planning and Guidance and Veteran Readiness and Employment. These programs provide career counseling, assessment and education planning tailored to Veteran needs. Free Entrepreneur Training and Mentorship for Post-9/11 Veterans
American Corporate Partners (ACP) and its new ACP Ventures program provides Veteran entrepreneurs with one-on-one year-long mentorship, on-demand resources and access to other Veteran entrepreneurs and industry experts with the goal of assisting Veterans and eligible spouses on their path toward fulfilling, long-term careers – whether the Veteran is job searching or newly employed. Learn more about the program here and here. Veterans Job Listing
Every week, the Pennsylvania Nation Guard Associations updates its free job board with good openings for National Guard members, Veterans and their families across Pennsylvania and in nearby states. The board features nearly 10,000 employment and internship postings. What are Vet Centers?
VA Vet centers provide free and confidential readjustment counseling for war-zone Veterans and their families, from World War II to the current Global War on Terror. Vet centers are small, non-medical, counseling centers conveniently located in our region. They’re staffed by highly trained counselors and team members dedicated to seeing you through the challenges that come with managing life during and after the military. Whether you come in for one-on-one counseling or to participate in a group session, at Vet centers you can form social connections, try new things, and build a support system with people who understand you and want to help you succeed. Who is Eligible to Receive Services at Vet Centers?Vet center services are available to Veterans at no cost, regardless of discharge character, and without the need to be enrolled in VA health care or having a service-connected disability. If you are a Veteran or service member, including members of the National Guard and Reserve, you can access Vet center services if you:
Contacting Your Local Vet CenterEven if you are unsure if you meet the criteria to receive services from a Vet center, please contact a center. Center services are also available to family members when their participation would support the growth and goals of the Veteran or active-duty service member. If you consider them family, so does your local center. Bereavement services are also available to family members of Veterans who were receiving Vet center services at the time of the Veteran’s death, and to the families of service members who died while serving on active duty. Vet center locations in Pennsylvania are:
For more information, please visit www.Vetcenter.va.gov.
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