Home Loans

LVMAC Tidbit — Operation Homefront Says “Come Home Again.”

Operation Homefront through its Homes on the Homefront program wants to help military veterans and their families realize their own American dreams. It continues to receive donated homes to award to deserving military families around the country through partners like Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America and Meritage Homes. The homes are renovated to “move in ready” standards and ultimately deeded over subject to certain conditions being met.

Homes on the Homefront, Easton, 29Oct2014A home in Easton has just become available for a deserving and eligible military veteran family.  Those interested must apply by 8 November, currently. (more…)

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LVMAC Tidbit — VA Makes Specially Adaptive Housing Grant Eligibility Automatic for Veterans and Servicemembers Living with ALS

On 19 March 2014, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that veterans and active-duty military personnel with service-connected Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, are now presumed medically eligible for the VA’s Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grants, which help pay for  the costs for building, Read more…

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Forward Observer — Pending Payday Lending Legislation: A Debt Trap for Military Veterans

Kerry Smith, Community Legal Services Warns of the Danger

LVMAC Poster Art 2005Kerry Smith, Staff Attorney, Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, a leading advocate for low income residents in the Philadelphia area, spoke to the Council at its 20 March business meeting as a member of a coalition of over 90 organizations – including the Community Action Committee of Lehigh Valley, MOAA of Pennsylvania, the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society, the Veterans Leadership Program of Western Pennsylvania; and the Council of Churches, AFL-CIO and AARP of Pennsylvania – who have concerns about the recent lobbying to allow payday lending in Pennsylvania, which is currently illegal. (more…)

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LVMAC Tidbit — Local Habitat for Humanity Seeks Humane Veterans

Debra Cummins, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Lehigh Valley (HFHLV), an LVMAC member, and her Program Development Director, Thomas Mohr, a veteran, addressed the Council at its 17 March 2013 business meeting on its desire to recruit veterans as volunteers.

She said, “Habitat for Humanity International, the parent organization, has a global vision of everyone having a decent place to live.  And Habitat has been in the Lehigh Valley since 1989 improving lives, seeking to put God’s love into action by bringing people together, for it is an ecumenical movement.”  She emphasized the organization will work with and provide homes regardless of a person’s religious persuasion. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

LVMAC Tidbits

VA Creates Office of Economic Opportunity

The Vietnam Veterans of America’s (VVA) Newsletter of July/August 2011 reports it has long pressed for the creation of  a Veterans Economic Opportunity Administration, a fourth administration under the Department of Veterans Affairs — the others being the Veterans Benefits, Veterans Health, and National Cemetery Administrations.  The Department of Veterans Affairs has now created an Office of Economic Opportunity. The education, home loan guarantee, vocational rehabilitation programs are now to be under one roof. (more…)

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LVMAC Tidbits

Avoiding Foreclosure

Since at least 2008, veterans defaulting on their mortgages has been a concern.  Unlike several other states, Pennsylvania has no special home loan programs to assist.  However, for veterans there is possible recourse through a service offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Cleveland Regional Loan Center (in the Cleveland Regional Office) for those of us who live in the Lehigh Valley. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago