Meet The Veteran Helping Veterans Get Their Homes

Jason C. Scott spent 20 years in the U.S. military— completing multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Shortly before his retirement from the military, Jason was purchasing his second home when he became interested in the mortgage industry. Attributing this interest to his loan officer and now friend, Jason became invested in the mortgage industry, specializing in VA home loan benefits*. “My passion is the VA loan, because I get to educate veterans on how to buy a home,” Jason said.

Recently, Jason started a new initiative for VA loans through Guaranteed Rate. In just two months, he’s been able to get in front of 1,000 people and over 40 percent have wanted more information. Of that 40 percent, over $15 million in preapprovals have been issued, and five escrows and two closings have already taken place.

It’s Jason’s mission to uncover the potential of the VA loan for his clients. He briefs every incoming member of the Navy, Air

Force, Army, Marines and Coast Guard that comes into Hawaii, explaining that often-times veterans don’t realize the full scope of benefits they’re entitled to in return for their service. “When you’re active duty, you have the same three choices no matter where you go—rent, live on the post (both those options are giving money back to someone else) or purchase and take advantage of the market.”

Jason points out that housing is the number one expense for most families in America. When you’ve earned benefits to help accommodate that expense, why not use them? “The VA home loan offers veterans an opportunity to own a part of the country they’ve helped protect.”

VA home loans offer the option to put little to no money down—up to the VA County Loan Limit ($726,525 in Oahu)— without the need to pay for Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI), which is typically-required with lower down payment transactions, all while offering competitive interest rates to eligible applicants. Jason gave an example of a family he worked with that purchased a home in late 2012. In just over six years, they’ve already earned over $210,000 in equity.

Jason’s passion for veterans extends beyond helping them with home loans. He’s dedicated to giving back to his community. By working closely with US Vets, an organization that supports veterans dealing with homelessness, Jason helps to re-educate them with the skills necessary to function in the civilian world. After eight combat tours, Jason knows the difficulty of staying mentally healthy—crediting his own ability to do so to his wife’s support.

While Jason’s heart lies with the VA loan, he also provides full-spectrum lending with conforming and jumbo loan programs, in addition to a handful of down payment assistance programs—regularly closing both conventional and VA loans incredibly quickly.

To find out more about Jason C. Scott, Branch Manager/VP of Mortgage Lending, contact him via email at Jason.C.Scott@ rate.com, by phone at (808) 791-9865, or check him out online at www.rate.com/jasoncscott.