Season 2 Episode 11: Serving Your VA Buyers Well: Escrow, Taxes & VA Loans

In this episode of the Closing Chapters Podcast, Brittney breaks down how VA loans, escrow accounts, South Carolina property taxes, and homeowners insurance impact your VA buyers’ real monthly payments. These insights help real estate agents and military homebuyers avoid common VA loan mistakes, especially around primary residence tax rates and DTI limits. If you help families during a PCS move or work with military relocation, this episode will strengthen your expertise.

Timestamps
00:00 Intro and why escrow matters for VA buyers
01:00 What escrow really covers and how it affects VA loan affordability
02:00 SC primary vs secondary tax rate rules for military homebuyers
03:00 How property tax errors blow up VA loans and impact DTI
06:00 Full $300K VA loan monthly payment breakdown
08:00 When property taxes triple and destroy affordability
10:00 Listing agent convo: fixing the tax class
15:00 Brittney’s story of losing her tax break
16:00 Homeowners insurance shopping and escrow savings
18:00 Why VA buyers must work backward from their all-in payment or BAH

Key Takeaways
Escrow significantly affects the VA home loan monthly payment, not just principal and interest.
South Carolina property tax rates change drastically depending on primary residence classification.
Incorrect tax rates can kill a VA loan by pushing debt-to-income ratios too high.
Listing agents should fix tax status before going live to help VA buyers maintain affordability.
Always pull the property card to confirm property tax payment history.
Insurance premiums should be shopped to protect both military families and lenders.
The best VA loan strategy is to start with the buyer’s desired monthly payment or BAH.
Understanding VA loan escrow, property taxes, and homeowners insurance is essential for agents serving military families.

Connect
Host website: https://www.homeswithbrittney.com
Training site: https://www.elevatefreedomtraining.com
YouTube:    / @homeswithbrittney  
Instagram:   / bfryerealtor  
Instagram (training):   / elevate.freedom.training  
Facebook:   / brittneyfryerealtor  
Facebook (training):   / elevatefreedomtraining24  
LinkedIn:   / elevatefreedomtraining24  

If this episode helped you serve your VA buyers better, Like, Subscribe, and share it with another agent or military family. Want tools and training? Visit https://www.homeswithbrittney.com.

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