Tampa Bay Veteran & Military Home Insider

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Tampa Bay Veteran & Military Home Insider

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PCSing to MacDill AFB. We are here to HELP! Contact us today & ask about our Military Discounts. Proudly serving Military and Veterans!

10/27/2026

Keller Williams agents, the market has shifted. Let’s make sure that shift works in your favor.

Will Merritt with TopFlite Home Loans, your Keller Williams lending partner, is offering a free 15-minute shift strategy session designed to help you create more closings. You will identify your motivated buyers, reactivate your database, and learn how to overcome affordability objections using smart tools like buydowns, seller concessions, and down payment assistance. Every transaction backed by a bulletproof process from start to finish.

More appointments. More applications. More closings. Text or DM Will anytime to schedule your session and let’s shift into action together.

Will Merritt | TopFlite Home Loans

10/26/2026

Your buyers have never had this much negotiating power. And most of them do not realize it.

Sellers now outnumber buyers by nearly 58 percent. The largest margin ever recorded. That means price cuts, closing cost credits, and rate buydowns are all back on the table in ways they have not been in years.

Agents across the country are closing deals $40,000 to $60,000 under asking on listings that sat for 30 days. Mortgage applications just hit their lowest level since 1995 which means your buyers are not fighting bidding wars. They are negotiating with real leverage.

And here is the part nobody is talking about: September home sales rose in defiance of surging rates. The agents winning right now are not waiting for rates to drop. They are writing aggressive offers with every contingency intact.

Send me your buyers and I will run the payment scenarios that show them exactly what buying today looks like with a buydown included.

This market will not last forever. Once rates fall competition returns and all of this leverage disappears.

10/15/2026

Three questions for the realtors in my network.

What is working best for you and your clients in today’s market? What is your biggest frustration right now? And most importantly do you have a plan to overcome it?

The market is always going to throw challenges at us. The difference is how we respond.

My job is not just to get loans closed. It is to help you find solutions, create opportunities, and close more deals. That means being a resource before the deal, during the deal, and when things get complicated.

So let’s talk. Drop your biggest challenge in the comments and let’s figure it out together.

10/13/2026

Closing costs might be about to get cheaper and this is worth paying attention to.

FHFA Director Bill Pulte is expected to announce as soon as today that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will only require credit reports from two bureaus instead of three. Fewer reports means lower costs for buyers and it could take effect within one to three months. This is especially good news for first-time buyers and anyone with thin credit who has been sitting on the sidelines.

Now pair that with what else is happening in the market.

Rents just posted their biggest annual jump since April 2025, up 2.7 percent to $1,932 a month, while home values barely moved. That gap is widening in favor of buying.

Yes rates jumped this week. But that is making sellers more flexible on credits, buydowns, and pricing. Buyers are adapting too with adjustable-rate mortgages climbing to 8.1 percent of applications.

The market is shifting and prepared buyers are the ones winning right now.

Send your buyers my way early and I will run the payment scenarios that keep your deals alive.

10/06/2026

🚀 A NEW CHAPTER BEGINS! 🏡

I’m excited to announce that I’ve joined Top Flite Financial as an in-house lending partner serving the incredible agents and clients of Keller Williams in Palm Harbor and Belleair, FL!

This move is about one thing: creating a better home-buying experience through communication, education, and a true team approach.

As an in-house lending resource, I’m here to work side-by-side with Keller Williams agents to help their clients navigate financing with confidence — from first-time homebuyers to move-up buyers, refinances, and everything in between.

I’m incredibly excited about this next chapter and the opportunity to build even stronger relationships throughout the Tampa Bay real estate community.

If you're a Keller Williams agent, a homebuyer, or someone thinking about making a move, I’d love to connect!

📍 Palm Harbor | Belleair | Tampa Bay
🏡 Top Flite Financial
🤝 Your lending partner from pre-approval to closing
DM Move so my team can help

10/05/2026

Week four and the final episode of our VA Home Loan Buyer Series. This week Will Merritt covers closing costs, maximizing your VA benefit, and what every veteran should know before buying a home.

Here are the highlights worth knowing.

On closing costs and seller contributions: VA buyers can typically expect three to four percent in closing costs based on the loan amount. Seller concessions are capped at four percent but that is separate from seller-paid prepaids, taxes, insurance, and VA non-allowables which are technically unlimited under VA guidelines. Will has agents write contracts that say the seller agrees to pay all of the veteran's closing costs, prepaids, and VA non-allowables rather than capping it at four percent. Sellers can even pay off a veteran's car loan or credit card debt to help them qualify. There are creative options most buyers and agents never hear about.

On using the VA loan more than once: yes and you can even have two VA loans at the same time. Will personally had two simultaneously. He knows a retired senior staff sergeant who used his VA benefit at every duty station and ended up with eight VA loans. Every time he PCS'd he bought a new home. The VA allows the current loan to be offset so the veteran can fully qualify for a new one at the next duty station. This is one of the most underutilized strategies in military homeownership.

On what veterans do not know: only about two percent of eligible veterans actually use their VA benefit to buy a home. Most are steered away from it by myths: that VA is too hard, that the property has to be perfect, that they will have to pay for all these extra inspections. It is not true. The VA IRRRL refinance program allows veterans to refinance without an appraisal and without income verification as long as there is a net tangible benefit and the recoup period is under 36 months. These can close in 15 days.

On what makes Will and his team different: every member of his veteran lending team served. They have gone through intensive VA certification training. They love talking to veterans about their service, their favorite duty stations, their challenge coins. They show up at the American Legion, VFWs, and AmVets. And they regularly rescue deals from big box lenders who charged veterans four, five, or six points they did not need to pay.

Contact Will Merritt directly at 727-421-7517. Call, text, or DM anytime.

10/02/2026

Some buyers may suddenly have more purchasing power in 2026 without changing a single thing about their income. Here is why.

New conventional loan limits are increasing which means the ceiling for conventional financing is moving higher. For many buyers this creates a bigger window of opportunity because they may now be able to purchase higher-priced homes while staying within conventional loan guidelines instead of having to move into jumbo financing.

Why does that matter? Conventional loans typically offer more flexibility, more competitive rates, and more program options than jumbo products. Staying within conventional guidelines can make a real difference in what a buyer qualifies for and what their payment looks like.

This is especially important for move-up buyers, buyers in higher-cost areas, and anyone who felt stuck between price points because of where the previous limits sat.

For Realtors the biggest takeaway is this: every time financing options expand new conversations open up. Now is a great time to reconnect with buyers who paused their search, past clients who have been thinking about moving, and homeowners who may finally be ready for their next step.

Understanding changes like this is how you bring more value to your clients and create more opportunities to grow your business.

Reach out anytime if you want to talk through what this means for a specific buyer or situation.

09/28/2026

Week three of our VA Home Loan Buyer Series is here and this week we are talking about finding a home, making an offer, and the VA appraisal.

Will Merritt breaks down three critical topics every veteran buyer needs to understand before making an offer.

VA appraisal versus home inspection: these are two completely different things and confusing them can cost you. The VA appraisal sets the value of the home and checks that it meets minimum property requirements. The home inspector digs deep into functionality. The appraiser will turn on the AC and confirm it blows cold. The home inspector will run a temperature gauge, check freon levels, pull amperage, and inspect the coils. Same appliance, completely different level of scrutiny. Get both.

VA minimum property requirements: the VA wants properties that are safe, sound, and sanitary. In Florida right now roofs are a major issue. A shingle roof that is 13 or 14 years old may still be functional but insurers may not give full wind mitigation credits and your insurance premium could be significantly higher. This is deferred maintenance and there are real solutions. Sellers can contribute toward a new roof. Veterans can roll roof costs into a VA renovation loan. Do not let a roof kill a VA deal before exploring the options.

The VA Tidewater process and appraisal rebuttal: if the appraiser cannot find comps to support the sales price they invoke Tidewater before completing the appraisal. That triggers a 24-hour window for the listing agent and buyer agent to each submit three comparable sales. If the appraisal still comes in short there is a second rebuttal process where the veteran can submit a formal appeal directly to the VA regional office. With a well-prepared submission 87 percent of those appeals are approved.

Bonus: Margaritaville at Sea offers a Heroes Sail Free program for US military veterans. Worth looking into.

For VA mortgage questions reach out to Will Merritt directly at 727-421-7517.

09/18/2026

A buyer you talked to six months ago who was not ready might have a completely different opportunity today. And the reason is worth understanding.

For years mortgage approvals have relied heavily on traditional credit scoring models. The challenge is that a credit score does not always tell the complete story of someone's financial habits. A person who has been diligently managing their finances, building responsible credit behavior, or who simply has a limited credit history may not have been fully captured by the models lenders have traditionally relied on.

That is changing.

The mortgage industry is expanding the use of newer credit models like VantageScore 4.0. These models are designed to look at a broader picture of someone's credit history and recognize responsible financial behavior that may not have been visible before.

What that means in practice: buyers who have been working to improve their credit, buyers who have limited credit history but strong financial habits, and buyers who simply did not fit the traditional lending model may now have options they did not have six months ago.

For realtors this is a direct reason to go back to your past leads. The opportunity may not be that they need more time. They may just need a new conversation with the right mortgage professional.

And for buyers who were told not yet it is worth having that conversation again.

Reach out and let's take a fresh look at what is possible.

09/15/2026

Week two of our four-week VA Home Buyer Loan Series is here and today Will Merritt and Shannon Stelton are breaking down one of the most important steps in the VA home buying process: getting pre-approved and knowing your budget.

Here is what this week covers.

What a VA buyer needs to get fully pre-approved. The process includes a full loan application, credit risk assessment, and most importantly the Certificate of Eligibility. The COE is the golden ticket for veterans. It confirms eligibility beyond any doubt and identifies any prior VA loans that need to be accounted for. DD-214s and VA disability documentation are also part of the picture.

Credit score requirements. VA guidelines have no minimum credit score requirement. However individual lenders apply their own overlays. Most lenders require 620 or higher. Some require 660. Will has gone as low as 520 for veterans with extenuating circumstances such as a PCS move. The VA's priority is getting the veteran and their family into a home.

Debt-to-income ratio. VA has no hard DTI cap but lender overlays exist. Will has approved veterans at 72 percent DTI due to extenuating circumstances. The key is the full picture not just one number.

Residual income. This is the calculation that often separates VA from other loan types. After all debts including the new housing payment are accounted for there must be a positive residual income remaining. Savings, thrift savings plan balances, and other assets can strengthen the picture even when the number is tight.

How taxes, insurance, HOA fees, and flood insurance affect affordability. All of these factor into the total PITI payment and affect the DTI calculation. Will works with insurance agents when needed to find ways to reduce premiums and improve the qualification picture.

Property tax considerations for veterans. Veterans with VA disability may qualify for property tax exemptions that vary by county in Florida. Some counties require 100 percent disability while others prorate based on the disability percentage. And taxes can adjust significantly after the first year especially if the home was previously homesteaded at a low rate.

Week three next week covers finding a home, making an offer, and the VA appraisal process.

Reach out to Will Merritt anytime by call or text at 727-421-7517.

Connect with Shannon Stelton at LPT Realty for your real estate needs.

Address

30522 US 19 N Suite 107
Dunedin, FL
34684

Telephone

+17274217517

Website

http://www.WillMerrittGroup.com/

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