Stafford Virginia Real Estate Blog

A Hero Testimonial!

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:00:00 GMT

Good Afternoon,

I recently submitted my information to Homes For Heroes. I
was immediately contacted by Sam Cachola and John Serediuk. I have
very special circumstances that require a great deal of attention. I
have not had very much luck getting help from anyone until I was
directly contacted by these gentlemen. They are very personable and
extremely helpful. Even though at the current moment I am unable to
purchase a home, they are still dedicated to helping my family and I
tackle the various credit issues we are facing at this time. Words
cannot describe how pleased I am with the service I have received.

I will recommend your organization to any veteran that needs
help or is interested in purchasing a home in the future. Thank you
for your time.

Respectfully Submitted,
Michael J. Packard

VA Announces New Payments for Sex Organ Injuries

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 03:00:00 GMT

Military.com|by Bryant Jordan

Troops who suffered injuries to their genitals – a type of wound that has increased in Iraq and Afghanistan with the enemy’s use of IEDs – are now eligible for a one-time payment of up to $100,000, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced Friday.

The payment, under Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury Protection, will be in addition to VA health care for genitourinary problems and disability compensation for service-related injuries or illnesses involving genitourinary organs.

“We recognize that these types of injuries are devastating and can have a long-lasting impact on the servicemember’s quality of life,” Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki said in a statement. “It is for this reason that it is appropriate to include genitourinary injuries in the list of payable losses specified in the TSGLI program.”

Both men and women are eligible for the payments.

Adding genitourinary injuries to the schedule of covered losses under SGLI comes as military doctors are reporting an increase in these types of injuries, many the results of wounds sustained by improvised explosive devices, according to the VA.

Earlier this year the U.S. Army Medical Command released data on genital injuries but would not discuss the wounds, according to a report in The Washington Post. The paper quoted the Army’s chief of public affairs as saying discussing wounds or injuries to genitals “can potentially provide insights to our enemies into the effectiveness of their improvised explosive devices and other weapons they use."

The Federal Register announcement on the change includes Defense Department reports indicating that from 2009 to 2010, the proportion of war casualties transported to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany with these types of injuries increased from 4.8 percent to 9.1 percent.

DoD also found that approximately 570 servicemembers sustained genitourinary injuries between October 7, 2001, and May 2, 2011, the announcement states, citing a Joint Theater Trauma Registry report. The announcement also notes that the Army’s Institute of Surgical Research at Fort Sam Houston found that 5 percent of servicemembers on the Joint Theater Trauma Registry who were admitted as a result of trauma in overseas contingency operations between October 2001 and January 2008 had one or more genitourinary injuries.

Under the compensation schedule for genitourinary injuries, physical loss or permanent loss of use of the penis will result in a $50,000 one-time payment. Compensation for loss of a testicle is $25,000; $50,000 for loss of both, according to the Federal Register.

Physical loss or permanent loss of the use of the vulva, uterus or the vaginal canal carries a $50,000 compensation payment. Compensation for loss – physical or permanent use – of ovaries is $25,000 each. There is also a $50,000 compensation provision for total and permanent loss of urinary system function.

The VA said today that the first payments for genitourinary losses were going out today, with eligibility for the losses retroactive to injuries incurred on or after Oct. 7, 2001, when the U.S. invaded Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks.

SNAP Fredericksburg, Stafford, and Spotsylvania

Sun, 03 Oct 2010 08:56:00 GMT

www.Snapfred.com

Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Locust Grove source for entertainment news and events. Great resource for all who live their life in the Burg!

www.RealityRealtyPros.com

Samuel Cachola (Former Marine)
Broker/Owner Licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Homes For Heroes Virginia Affiliate
Accredited Buyers Representative (ABR)
Certified Residential Specialist Member (CRS)
Top Producer 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
Reality Realty Professionals, LLC
44 Mine Road Suite 2-169
Stafford VA 22554
703.785.1158 (c)
703.842.8005 (f)
540.628.0028 (0)
E-mail: Sam@SamCachola.com
Skype: SamCachola
Web: www.SamCachola.com | www.RealityRealtyPros.com/Homes-for-Heroes
Reality Realty - Making your family's dreams a reality!

Ohio Is Supporting Her Vets In A Big Way! Cash Bonus To All Who have Served

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 03:00:00 GMT

The state of Ohio is offering its veterans of all generations a bonus payment to salute their service.

As of late August, eligible veterans who served in the Persian Gulf, Iraq or Afghanistan wars may receive $100 for each month of active duty service up to $1,000. Eligible veterans serving on active duty elsewhere in the world during these wars may receive $50 per month of service up to a maximum of $500. An eligible veteran may combine their service bonuses for a maximum payment of $1,500. Family members of deceased veterans may also be eligible for compensation.

Veterans from Ohio can download the application or get more information at veteransbonus.ohio.gov.

amuel Cachola (Former Marine)
Broker/Owner Licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Homes For Heroes Virginia Affiliate
Accredited Buyers Representative (ABR)
Certified Residential Specialist Member (CRS)
Top Producer 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
Reality Realty Professionals, LLC
44 Mine Road Suite 2-169
Stafford VA 22554
703.785.1158 (c)
703.842.8005 (f)
540.628.0028 (0)
E-mail: Sam@SamCachola.com
Skype: SamCachola
Web: www.SamCachola.com | www.RealityRealtyPros.com/Homes-for-Heroes
Reality Realty - Making your family's dreams a reality!

How to chose a home?

Sat, 11 Sep 2010 03:00:00 GMT

RISMEDIA, September 11, 2010--Finding the home that is right for you can be a time-consuming process. The experts at Move.com offer the following tips to help make sure you don’t just settle for a home, but instead find the home that is perfect for you.

Once you've settled on a couple of neighborhoods where you would like to live, it's time to pick out a few homes to view. Your wish list can remind you which features are absolute requirements and which amenities you'd like to have if possible. When narrowing down your home search, consider:

-Types of homes
-Home purchase considerations
-Home comparison chart
-What to do when you’ve found the right home for you

Types of homes
In addition to single family homes (one home per lot), there are other forms of home ownership to consider as you begin looking for the next place you will call home:

-Multifamily homes: Some buyers, particularly first-timers, start with multiple family dwellings, so they'll have rental income to help with their costs. Many mortgage plans, including VA and FHA loans, can be used for buildings with up to four units, if the buyer intends to occupy one of them.
-Condominiums: With a condo, you own "from the plaster in" just as you would a single house. You also own a certain percentage of the "common elements"—staircases, sidewalks, roofs and the like. Monthly charges pay your share of taxes and insurance on those elements, as well as repairs and maintenance. A homeowners association administers the development.
-Co-ops: In a few cities, cooperative apartments are common. With those, you purchase shares in a corporation that owns the whole building, and you receive a lease to your own apartment. A board of directors supervises management. Monthly charges include your share of an overall mortgage on the building.

Home purchase considerations
Most buyers' first consideration, after neighborhoods are chosen, is the number of bedrooms. As you begin to view homes, keep the following purchase and resale considerations in mind:

-Weigh your needs, budget and personal tastes in deciding whether you want a home that’s a newly constructed, an older home or a home that requires some work—a ‘fixer-upper.’
-One-bedroom condos are more difficult to resell than two-bedroom condos.
-Two-bedroom/one-bath single houses generally have less appeal than houses with three or more bedrooms, and therefore less appreciation potential.
-Homes with ‘curb appeal,’ (a well-maintained, attractive and charming view-from-the-street appearance) are the easiest to resell.
-When resale is a possibility, don't buy the most expensive house on the street, or anything that is unusual or unique. The best investment potential is traditionally found in a less expensive, more moderately sized home on the street.

Home comparison chart
While house-hunting, it's a good idea to make notes about what you see because viewing several houses at a time can be confusing. Create a comparison chart before you begin looking at homes so you can keep track of your search, organize your thoughts and record your impressions.

When you’ve found the right home
Before you begin the home buying process, resolve to act promptly when you find the right house. Every Realtor has stories to tell about a couple who looked far and wide for their dream home, finally found it, and then revealed that "we always promised my Dad we'd sleep on it, so we'll make an offer tomorrow." Many times the story has a sad ending—someone else came in that evening with an offer that was accepted.

Resolve at this point that you will act decisively when you find the house that’s clearly right for you. This is particularly important after a long search or if the house is newly listed and/or under-priced.

Tax Credit extended for Employees of the Intelligence Community, Foreign Service, and Military

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Additionally, there are new benefits for members of the military and certain other federal employees:

Members of the military and certain other federal employees serving outside the U.S. have an extra year to buy a principal residence in the U.S. and qualify for the credit. Thus, an eligible taxpayer must buy, or enter into a binding contract to buy, a principal residence on or before April 30, 2011. If a binding contract is entered into by that date, the taxpayer has until June 30, 2011, to close on the purchase. Members of the uniformed services, members of the Foreign Service and employees of the intelligence community are eligible for this special rule. It applies to any individual (and, if married, the individual’s spouse) who serves on qualified official extended duty service outside of the United States for at least 90 days during the period beginning after Dec. 31, 2008, and ending before May 1, 2010.

In many cases, the credit repayment (recapture) requirement is waived for members of the uniformed services, members of the Foreign Service and employees of the intelligence community. This relief applies where a home is sold or stops being the taxpayer’s principal residence after Dec. 31, 2008, in connection with government orders received by the individual (or the individual’s spouse) for qualified official extended duty service. The credit is still allowable even if this happens during the year of purchase. Qualified official extended duty is any period of extended duty while serving at a place of duty at least 50 miles away from the taxpayer’s principal residence (whether inside or outside the U.S.) or while residing under government orders in government quarters. Extended duty is defined as any period of duty pursuant to a call or order to such duty for a period in excess of 90 days or for an indefinite period.

Question and Answer

Q. Are both spouses required to be overseas for the requisite time period in order to qualify for the 2011 extension to claim the credit?

A. Only one spouse must be overseas on official extended duty for the requisite amount of time for either spouse to be eligible for the 2011 extension of time to purchase a principal residence and claim the credit.

Military Tax Credit

Sat, 29 May 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Home Buyer Tax Credit Extended for Military Personnel

The popular Home Buyer's Tax Credit has expired for all Americans, except for three very deserving groups: the brave men and women of the uniformed services of the U.S military, members of the Foreign Service of the U.S., or employees of the intelligence community who are actively serving outside of the U.S. on "official extended duty."

Official extended duty is defined as any period of extended duty outside of the United States for at least 90 days during the period beginning December 31, 2008 and ending before May 1, 2010.

That's right. Thanks to the Worker, Home Ownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009, which was signed into law by the President on November 6, 2009, qualified military service members have one extra year to take advantage of The Homebuyer's Tax Credit of up to $8,000 for first-time buyers and up to $6,500 for certain repeat buyers. This means qualified military members must be under contract on a purchase by April 30, 2011 and close on the deal by June 30, 2011.

Qualified military buyers can also utilize this tax credit along with other available benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), making this dollar-for-dollar tax credit extremely financially attractive with today's lower home prices and lower interest rates. That's because the VA allows qualified military borrowers to purchase certain homes in certain areas with no money down and no private mortgage insurance.

To be a qualified first-time home buyer and receive a tax credit of up to $8,000, the buyer and his or her spouse cannot have owned a home in the last three years. Unlike the Home Buyer Tax Credit for civilians, however, the maximum purchase price of a home is $800,000 under this program – anything over that and the tax credit is invalid. The credit phases out for individual taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) between $125,000 and $145,000 or between $225,000 and $245,000 for joint filers.

To be a qualified "repeat buyer" or non first-time buyer and receive a tax credit for up to $6,500, a buyer must have lived in his or her current residence for five out of the last eight years. The rest of the requirements are generally the same as the $8,000 tax credit.

You served your country, let us serve you. If you or someone you know is looking to purchase a new home and may qualify for this incredible opportunity, please don't hesitate to give us a call right away.

Homes For Heroes and Tax Credit Combo

Sat, 29 May 2010 03:00:00 GMT

www.RealityRealtypros.com/Homes-For-Heroes

Qualifying Military Tax Credit Extension $8,000

25% of gross commission plus the $8,000 can add up to substantial savings!

The standard commission on a home is 3%.

Average sales price $250,000; Commission is $7500

$7500 x 25% =$1875 HFH credit

$8,000 + $1875 = $9875 to the Hero!

www.RealityRealtyPros.com/Homes-For-Heroes

Testimonial For Sam Cachola

Sat, 29 May 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Sam Cachola,

I want to start off by saying, thank you for the hospitality and the exceptional service, you and your team of real estate professionals have shown over the last four years of our relationship. The last place I felt I really felt this much trust and confidence was when I was in the Marine Corps.

I know through many of my own personal experiences that people in business, especially in real estate, are about self 99.9999% of the time. Who is to blame them though, times are tough and money can be hard to come by; however, that does not apply to your business strategy, personality or love for your fellow service member/hero(Policeman/Fireman/Nurse/Teacher). I say "love" because that is your driving factor. You love our nation heroes! You do not just throw on a mask and where it temporarily throughout your day, and put on a good skit when the time comes...you truly care! I commend you for that. Your positive mindset, drive and technical expertise topped with free home inspections and the 25% of your commission is absolutely phenomenal!! I want to personally thank you once again for taking care of me, my family , the Davis's, the Rigsbey's and Anthony Roberts over the past four years. I must also tell you my family and I are extremely excited to break the hatch on our new home.

You have not only become a life-long friend but also a hero’s hero!

Semper Fi,

Phi

Extension Of Tax Credit for Military!

Thu, 27 May 2010 03:00:00 GMT

The Home Buyer Tax Credits Have Expired

The $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers and the $6,500 tax credit for repeat home buyers have expired. (However, service members who were on official extended duty outside of the United States for at least 90 days between Jan.1, 2009 and May 1, 2010, may qualify for a one-year extension.)

For home purchases where a binding sales contract was signed by April 30, 2010, otherwise qualified buyers have until June 30, 2010 to complete the purchase.

Although the home buyer tax credits have expired, the National Association of Home Builders will continue to maintain this website as a public service.

Its not all about houses! Military Spouse Preference!

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 03:00:00 GMT

OPM finalizes hiring preferences for military spouses

By Alyssa Rosenberg arosenberg@govexec.com August 12, 2009

The Office of Personnel Management has finalized a rule allowing federal agencies to hire the spouses of some military service members without requiring them to compete for jobs.

"The intended effect of this rule is to facilitate the entry of military spouses into the federal civil service as part of an effort to recruit and retain skilled and experienced members of the armed forces and to recognize and honor the service of members injured, disabled, or killed in connection with their service," OPM director John Berry wrote in notes on the regulation, published in the Federal Register on Wednesday.

The rule allows agencies to appoint the husbands or wives of members of the armed forces to jobs without comparing them to other candidates under three conditions: if a service member is transferred to a new location permanently, becomes completely disabled during active duty (though the injuries do not have to result from combat), or dies during an active-duty assignment. If the spouse is killed during service, the widow or widower must remain unmarried before receiving an appointment.

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Should I Buy a Home Now?

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 03:00:00 GMT

I'm often asked if this is a good time to buy a home. Some clients are concerned that home prices may fall further than they have already. They are assuming that the best course of action is to wait for the bottom in the market and then buy. The problem with this approach is that you don't know where the bottom is until you see it in the rear view mirror, meaning until you've missed it!

Home prices are one factor in determining your cost of ownership, but so are interest rates and financing availability. Even though interest rates have gone up in the last six months, they are still near historic lows. Since your monthly mortgage payment is a combination of paying down your principal and paying the interest owed, if home prices come down a little further but interest rates up, it could cost you even more to service a mortgage on an identical home!

While a home is a major investment, it is also the center of your personal life. It's important to live in a home that reflects your taste and values, yet is within your financial "comfort zone." To that end, it may be more important to lock in today's relatively low interest rates and low home prices, rather than to hope for a further break in prices in the future.

Please give me a call if I can be of any assistance in determining how much home you can afford in today's market.

Stafford Virginia Real Estate Blog

A Hero Testimonial!

VA Announces New Payments for Sex Organ Injuries

SNAP Fredericksburg, Stafford, and Spotsylvania

Ohio Is Supporting Her Vets In A Big Way! Cash Bonus To All Who have Served

How to chose a home?

Tax Credit extended for Employees of the Intelligence Community, Foreign Service, and Military

Question and Answer

Military Tax Credit

Homes For Heroes and Tax Credit Combo

Testimonial For Sam Cachola

Extension Of Tax Credit for Military!

Its not all about houses! Military Spouse Preference!

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Should I Buy a Home Now?