{"version":"1.0","type":"stack","id":"54e6a455-b082-4d5b-bdc2-869ef469f057","url":"https://stacklist.com/c/finance/stack/54e6a455-b082-4d5b-bdc2-869ef469f057","title":"VA Loans Made Simple","description":"The VA home loan is one of the most powerful benefits earned through service: no down payment, no PMI, competitive rates. Kim McClure of ERA ONETEAM Realty in Jacksonville is honored to serve military members and veterans, and this stack walks First Coast buyers through the VA loan from eligibility to closing.","privacy":"public","created_at":"2026-07-16T07:16:56.538Z","updated_at":"2026-07-16T07:16:56.538Z","author":{"username":"kimmcclure","name":"Kim Mcclure","url":"https://stacklist.com/kimmcclure","type":"person"},"category":{"id":"finance","name":"finance","url":"https://stacklist.com/c/finance"},"items":[{"id":"600eb861-ffc0-4ffa-8859-a554d7501157","position":1,"title":"How to Request Your Certificate of Eligibility","url":"https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans/how-to-request-coe/","note":"The COE is step one of any VA loan, and it proves to your lender you qualify. Request it online, by mail, or let your lender pull it through the VA's system in minutes; you'll want your DD214 handy.","image":{"url":"https://ucarecdn.com/71ba8fdd-dfee-4f0b-b4cb-4a73fbb9a58d/","alt":"How to Request Your Certificate of Eligibility","width":474,"height":474},"direct_link":"https://stacklist.com/card/600eb861-ffc0-4ffa-8859-a554d7501157","created_at":"2026-07-16T07:17:23.704Z","updated_at":null},{"id":"15c4faab-d7ed-4dc8-8151-d19084ba4688","position":2,"title":"COE Evidence Requirements by Service Type","url":"https://benefits.va.gov/homeloans/purchaseco_certificate.asp","note":"What proof you need depends on how you served: active duty, veteran, Guard, Reserve, or surviving spouse each have different documentation paths. This official page maps them all out, worth reading before you apply.","image":{"url":"https://ucarecdn.com/ade004c9-2fa2-4a73-8552-4e93dcb89b5d/","alt":"COE Evidence Requirements by Service Type","width":679,"height":452},"direct_link":"https://stacklist.com/card/15c4faab-d7ed-4dc8-8151-d19084ba4688","created_at":"2026-07-16T07:17:25.790Z","updated_at":null},{"id":"09c79e3b-a111-4956-9b75-c37a7ac4d431","position":3,"title":"Free Homebuyer Counseling (HUD Florida)","url":"https://www.hud.gov/states/florida","note":"HUD-approved agencies across Northeast Florida offer free homebuyer education, useful for first-time military buyers navigating BAH budgets and PCS timelines, and required by some assistance programs.","image":{"url":"https://ucarecdn.com/81b6f126-2566-41af-bf1d-7a28d77fdfad/","alt":"Free Homebuyer Counseling (HUD Florida)","width":390,"height":280},"direct_link":"https://stacklist.com/card/09c79e3b-a111-4956-9b75-c37a7ac4d431","created_at":"2026-07-16T07:17:27.836Z","updated_at":null},{"id":"03b24298-8c6a-4344-8cdc-ac4c8390bea1","position":4,"title":"Search Homes Across the First Coast","url":"https://kimberlymcclure.sites.erarealestate.com/search/#!/defaultsearch:true","note":"Live MLS search covering Jacksonville and Northeast Florida, including a Drive Time search that's perfect for house-hunting by commute to base. When something catches your eye, Kim and the team can get you in the door.","image":{"url":"https://ucarecdn.com/cdb65fa5-8b23-4ea0-a13b-166f72786eb2/","alt":"Search Homes Across the First Coast","width":1080,"height":771},"direct_link":"https://stacklist.com/card/03b24298-8c6a-4344-8cdc-ac4c8390bea1","created_at":"2026-07-16T07:17:29.877Z","updated_at":null},{"id":"d1e5c5bc-3a2e-4b7a-a208-1d1988e889f7","position":5,"title":"VA Form 26-1880 (COE Request)","url":"https://www.va.gov/forms/26-1880/","note":"The actual form for requesting a COE by mail if you'd rather not apply online. Jacksonville-area buyers can also skip the paperwork entirely by asking their lender to request it electronically.","image":{"url":"https://ucarecdn.com/7939fbf0-79ab-476e-b93c-d69be36dc049/","alt":"VA Form 26-1880 (COE Request)","width":540,"height":360},"direct_link":"https://stacklist.com/card/d1e5c5bc-3a2e-4b7a-a208-1d1988e889f7","created_at":"2026-07-16T07:17:24.759Z","updated_at":null},{"id":"03a8fe43-7a62-45d1-9e1d-ff484f136936","position":6,"title":"Hometown Heroes: Extra Down Payment Help for Military","url":"https://www.floridahousing.org/live-local-act/hometown-heroes-program","note":"Florida's down payment program offers up to $35,000 in assistance, and it can stack with a VA loan. A key detail for Jacksonville-area military buyers: veterans are exempt from the program's first-time-homebuyer requirement.","image":{"url":"https://ucarecdn.com/b3bc9944-d283-40c4-9423-71b40f7f86d2/","alt":"Hometown Heroes: Extra Down Payment Help for Military","width":612,"height":382},"direct_link":"https://stacklist.com/card/03a8fe43-7a62-45d1-9e1d-ff484f136936","created_at":"2026-07-16T07:17:26.810Z","updated_at":null},{"id":"5f0301ac-60cd-4f4e-81ba-ff6b51971112","position":7,"title":"VA Home Loans Program (Official)","url":"https://www.benefits.va.gov/homeloans/","note":"The VA's official home loan hub, the starting point for any service member or veteran buying in Jacksonville. Since 1944 the program has helped generations into homeownership, and it remains the best zero-down option in the market.","image":{"url":"https://ucarecdn.com/f008dfb5-3091-424a-a0de-3aa17ff83b07/","alt":"VA Home Loans Program (Official)","width":1024,"height":683},"direct_link":"https://stacklist.com/card/5f0301ac-60cd-4f4e-81ba-ff6b51971112","created_at":"2026-07-16T07:17:22.671Z","updated_at":null},{"id":"fa41c75b-ac75-4cca-8349-23f301b55eb7","position":8,"title":"Check the Flood Zone Before You Buy (FEMA)","url":"https://msc.fema.gov/portal/search","note":"VA appraisals have minimum property requirements, and in coastal Jacksonville the flood zone shapes both approval and insurance costs. Look up any address near NAS Jax, Mayport, or the beaches before making an offer.","image":{"url":"https://ucarecdn.com/f4c2c56b-84e8-402f-b401-17090785127c/","alt":"Check the Flood Zone Before You Buy (FEMA)","width":678,"height":452},"direct_link":"https://stacklist.com/card/fa41c75b-ac75-4cca-8349-23f301b55eb7","created_at":"2026-07-16T07:17:28.856Z","updated_at":null}],"stats":{"likes_count":0,"items_count":8},"_links":{"self":"/api/public/stack/54e6a455-b082-4d5b-bdc2-869ef469f057.json","html":"https://stacklist.com/c/finance/stack/54e6a455-b082-4d5b-bdc2-869ef469f057","rss":"/api/feeds/stack/54e6a455-b082-4d5b-bdc2-869ef469f057/rss","json_feed":"/api/feeds/stack/54e6a455-b082-4d5b-bdc2-869ef469f057/json"}}