Use your benefit. Buy a home. Build a portfolio.
Share this with someone who served.
Print it, post it, text it, hand it to a friend. The official VAHBW Workshop flyer.
No pitch.
Just answers.
We built VAHBW because too many veterans we know either don't know what their VA benefit can do — or have been told "VA loans are too hard" by an agent or lender who's working from outdated information.
The workshop is 90 minutes. You'll leave with a clear plan, real numbers, and zero pressure. Hit play to hear it from us directly.
$0 down.
No PMI. Ever.
VA isn't just another loan program. For most veterans it's the most powerful home-buying — and wealth-building — tool ever created. And it's been earned. In 90 minutes, we'll show you exactly how to use it.
See what we'll coverYou can buy with nothing down.
No down payment. No private mortgage insurance. We'll walk you through eligibility, your Certificate of Eligibility, and exactly how to use it.
Most agents flinch. We don't.
VA buyers can absolutely win in this market. You just need to know how to structure the offer. We'll show you what works — with real local examples.
Quick check.
Most veterans qualify.
There are a few thresholds the VA uses. Don't worry about getting it perfect — if any of these sound like you, you should come. Matt will verify on the night.
2 years of active service
If you've served 2 years on active duty, you're in.
6 years in Reserves or National Guard
Standard threshold for non-active-duty service members.
Activated 90 continuous days
Reserves or Guard members activated 90 continuous days qualify regardless of total years served.
The 90-day rule changed everything for Reserves and Guard.
The day this rule was added, 68,000 National Guard members became eligible for a VA loan for the rest of their lives. Most don't know yet. If you (or someone you know) was activated for 90+ continuous days, you qualify — full stop.
Honorable or in most cases a General discharge. Both work.
Dishonorable — and BCD (Bad Conduct Discharge). Both close the door on VA loan eligibility.
The VA changed
the rules. Recently.
If you (or your real estate agent) think you know how VA loans work, you might be working from old info. Here's what's actually changed.
You can pull your COE for free at VA.gov
As of just weeks ago, veterans can download their own Certificate of Eligibility directly from VA.gov — instantly and at no cost. Some mortgage companies are still charging $172 for this. Don't pay.
Radon testing is gone.
VA appraisals no longer require a radon test. If you've been told you need one for a VA loan in 2026, that's outdated information.
Chipping paint is now cosmetic.
For homes built after 1978, chipping paint is a cosmetic issue and won't kill your VA loan. (Homes built before 1978 still have lead-based paint requirements.)
VA appraisals now finish in days, not months.
Appraisers used to have 30 days. The VA cut that to 8 days. The old "VA loans take forever" excuse is dead — most VA loans now close as fast or faster than conventional.
Pest inspections: anyone can pay.
Used to be the buyer's bill. New rule: the buyer, the seller, or Grandma can pay for it. The only hard rule: the home can't close with an active infestation.
If you're disabled, make sure your COE shows it.
Service-connected disability eliminates the VA funding fee — potentially saving thousands. We've seen veterans charged $6,000+ in funding fees because their COE didn't reflect their disability. We catch this on day one.
Six topics.
One bonus.
Your VA benefit, decoded.
Eligibility, your Certificate of Eligibility, entitlement, funding fee — translated into plain English.
$0 down. No PMI.
Why VA usually beats conventional and FHA — and the rare cases where it doesn't.
Win multiple-offer wars.
How to write a VA offer sellers say yes to. Even when there's cash on the table.
Pre-approval, done right.
What to bring, what to avoid, and how to keep your pre-approval bulletproof at offer time.
The local market.
Real numbers from Visalia and Tulare County this month. Days on market, prices, where veterans are buying.
Live Q&A.
Bring your spouse, partner, or parents. Ask anything. This is the meeting you wish you'd had before your first home. (21+ only — it's a pub.)
Become an investor. With $0 down.
Your VA benefit isn't just for buying one home. We'll show you how veterans use VA to buy 2-to-4-unit properties (duplex, triplex, fourplex), live in one unit, and rent the rest — turning their first purchase into the foundation of a real estate portfolio. Then how to restore your entitlement and do it again.
Save the deal.
Or create one.
VA Renovation is a separate program inside the VA loan world that lets you buy a home AND fund the renovation — in one loan. We use it three ways.
Save a deal.
Inspection finds problems — termites, roof, plumbing. Don't lose the home. We flip the loan from traditional VA to VA Renovation, get a contractor bid, submit it to the VA, close on time, then do the work after closing.
$1.5M home in San Francisco with $40K in termite damage. Buyer wanted the property — mom lived three doors down. We flipped to VA Renovation, did the termite repair post-closing. Deal saved.
Create a deal.
The house needs work — and you already know it. Don't walk away. Start with VA Renovation. We get contractor bids, the VA approves the after-construction value, you buy the home, then do the work.
Prime-location home in North Carolina, vacant 17 years. Veteran bought it for next to nothing, put in $250K of work via VA Renovation. House is now worth close to $800K. 10 months later they're flipping it.
Make a deal better.
The house is fine. It just needs an update — new kitchen, new bath, paint, floors. Don't buy first and then run up a credit card. Roll the updates into your VA Renovation loan at closing.
Most veterans buy the house and put $30-50K of updates on a credit card. VA Renovation lets you fund it inside the mortgage at VA loan rates — not credit card rates. Math wins every time.
Requirements: licensed and insured contractor with 3 verifiable references, VA-approved bid, work scope reviewed and approved by the VA before closing.
Two locals.
Zero fluff.
No corporate roadshow. Just two Central Valley pros who specialize in VA buyers — sitting down with you and your family at a pub.
Matt Cattivera
Matt has walked dozens of veteran families through the VA loan process — from first conversation to keys in hand. He'll break down the loan side: eligibility, COE, funding fee, and the questions you've been afraid to ask in front of a banker.
★ Bring your DD-214 questions. Matt loves them.
Lis Mazza
Lis works the home-buyer side — finding the right property, writing offers sellers actually accept, and protecting veteran buyers from the games that get played in this market. She'll show you how to win in a multi-offer situation when you're using VA.
★ Real local market data. No theory.
They did it.
So can you.
These aren't paid actors. They're neighbors who used their VA benefit — and want you to know it's possible.
One veteran.
$200,000 saved.
A retiring Command Sergeant Major. 25 years of service. 100% disabled. Submitted a full-price VA offer on a $500K home. The listing agent told him "we'd prefer conventional financing." We made him compare the math.
What the agent pushed
Conventional
★ What he actually used
VA Loan
What the listing agent told him (every claim is outdated):
Offer accepted. Closed in 27 days.
Plot twist: the seller was also a veteran with a VA loan on the same house. The "we'd prefer conventional" was just stigma talking — and it almost cost a fellow veteran $200,000.
Thursday.
June 4. 6:00 PM.
Show up. Grab a drink. Stay for the Q&A. Bring whoever you want.
Save your seat.
Instant email confirmation. Optional text reminders so you don't forget.
Questions, answered.
Is this really free?
Can I really use VA to buy investment property?
I'm not sure I'm eligible. Can I still come?
I already used my VA benefit. Can I use it again?
My spouse is a veteran but I'm not. Can I still benefit?
Will there be a hard sell?
Can I bring my family?
What if I can't make it last minute?
I'm in the Reserves/Guard but haven't hit 6 years yet — am I eligible?
What's the difference between a DD-214 and a Certificate of Eligibility (COE)?
I heard some mortgage companies charge for the COE — is that real?
Can my non-veteran partner be on the loan with me if we're not married?
Can two veterans buy a home together?
Why does the VA require me to occupy the home? How long?
What property types does VA approve?
I heard the VA changed a bunch of rules recently. What's actually new?
What's VA Renovation and how is it different?
I have a Bad Conduct Discharge or Dishonorable Discharge — can I still get a VA loan?
See you Thursday.
June 4. 6 PM. The Patriot Pub, Visalia. Free food + free food. Honor your benefits.