NAR has joined with VA, Quicken Loans, and nonprofit organizations on a series of online forums to answer questions and engage veterans and Realtors® about available housing benefits.
“Many Realtor® members show their deep commitment to helping veterans in need through their professional and personal volunteer efforts,” said Thomas. “Two shining examples of members who are driven to give back to the veteran community are 2013 Good Neighbor Awards honorable mentions, Nick Manis from Manis Realtors® in Dayton, N.J., and Rebecca Moniz with Weichert, Realtors® Cress & Company in East Greenwich, R.I.
Manis co-founded the G.I. Go Fund, a nonprofit that helps returning veterans to transition back to civilian life. Moniz supports military families through The Rhode Island Military Family Programs, which provides housing-related resources for service members, recent veterans, and their families after deployment. She also co-founded the Realtors® Troop Support Task Force and has educated more than 1,300 service members about homeownership, loan modifications, refinancing scams and tax assessments.
NAR has also developed a VA Toolkit for Realtors®, which gives an overview of VA’s home loan guaranty program, offers detailed information on VA products, and provides resources to address common misconceptions about the VA loan guaranty
“In our industry, there is nothing more gratifying than helping a deserving family find a house they can call home,” said Thomas. “We salute those veterans who have served and protected our country’s freedom; and to all of the service men and women currently deployed in overseas warzones, working diligently on bases near and far, or marching in peacekeeping missions before the dust of conflicts have even settled, we wish you a safe return and are eager to welcome you home.”
For more information, please visit www.realtor.org.