Veterans United Home Loans to host grand opening

Veterans United Home Loans is proud to join with area loan specialists to open VUHL's first branch in Alabama.

Veterans United Home Loans in Enterprise will host a grand opening celebration Dec. 1 at its office location at 1405 Rucker Boulevard from 4 to 7 p.m.

The event is free to the public and will include a ribbon cutting, free food, gift card and logo item giveaways and an Apple iPad raffle. Scheduled entertainment includes a live radio broadcast by 95.5 WTVY and Game It: Video Games for All Ages. The team encourages anyone interested in learning about Veterans United Home Loans to attend.

Based in Columbia, Mo., Veterans United Home Loans will make available more than $1 billion in financing in 2011. More than 500,000 military families have come to VUHL for help with their home loan benefits since 2002.

Zan McMahan, local VA loan expert, manages the Enterprise branch. McMahan is joined by a specialized team of experienced loan officers — Angie Sullivan, Carla Steiner and Chris Solomon — all with substantial lending industry experience and a drive to provide excellent service to homebuyers. As VA home loan experts, the team knows the intricacies and advantages of the VA loan, and urges service members and their families to consider their VA home loan benefits when the time comes to purchase or refinance.

"These flexible, no-down payment loans are more important than ever given the current lending climate," McMahan said. "There's no other loan program available that gives veterans and their families this type of buying power."

Veterans United Home Loans is a full-service lender, offering VA, USDA, FHA, conventional home loans and refinances. VUHL also has an in-house team of credit specialists who offer free credit repair instruction to borrowers who need help rebuilding their credit before buying a home.

VUHL branches have direct access to underwriters, loan processors, closers, legal resources and a 30-person marketing team. The partnership is helping individual brokers and small to midsize companies maximize local revenues and better serve America's military families.

"This program is already making a huge difference for local VA specialists and the service members who rely on their expertise and efficiency," said Nathan Long, CEO of Veterans United Home Loans. "The response has been tremendous so far, which tells us we're serving a crucial need in communities nationwide."

A tighter credit market and sagging housing industry have fueled renewed interest in this long-cherished program. VA loans feature more flexible credit and underwriting standards than conventional loans. Qualified service members can purchase a home with no money down and no out-of-pocket costs.

 VA loan volume has soared 135 percent since 2006, jumping to 314,011 loans in 2010 from just 133,313 in 2007.

 At the same time, VA loans remain the safest lending option on the market.

 That combination of purchasing power and protection is pushing thousands of veterans to explore the significant home lending benefits earned by their service.