Florida Military Specialist 4 Hours CE Florida Realtors® Copyright © 2015.

Florida Military Specialist4 Hours CE

Florida Realtors® Copyright© 2015

ObjectivesFlorida’s Military HistoryBase Locations in FloridaRanks Pay GradesMilitary DemographicPrograms for Disabled Veterans

ObjectivesEducation BenefitsFlorida Homestead ExemptionsVeteran Employment BenefitsHealth Care for Veterans in FloridaVA LoansGuaranty vs. Guarantee

Florida’s Military History

• The explorer Ponce de Leon, was the first to come ashore in Florida and give the state its name

• The French established Fort Caroline in 1564 near modern day Jacksonville

• The Spanish retaliated by building a fort themselves – Fort Castillo de San Marcos

Florida’s Military History• Florida’s military history seems a perpetual battle

between Spain, France and Britain over ownership of the land

• Eventually the British persevered, taking control around 1763

• Florida is inherently intertwined with military endeavors, successes and defeats, both in peacetime and in war

Military Installations

When working with military service personnel whether active duty or retired, it’s important for you to know the mechanics of the military to provide knowledge driven information to your clients

Military InstallationsOne of the best ways to assist these military families is to understand the military representation in one’s own marketplace.

This means becoming familiar with the areas of the state that have a significant military presence.

http://militarybases.com/florida/

Military Bases in Florida

Let’s take some time to review the military bases in Florida.

Military Bases in Florida

Military Bases in Florida

Military Bases in Florida

Military Bases in Florida

Military Bases in Florida

Military Bases in Florida

Military Bases in Florida

Military Bases in Florida

Military Bases in Florida

Military Bases in Florida

Military Bases in Florida

Military Bases in Florida

Military Bases in Florida

Military Bases in Florida

Military Bases in Florida

Military Bases in Florida

Military Bases in Florida

Ranks

• The U.S. Armed Forces has its own culture, language, and ways of conducting business.

• For civilians with little or no personal exposure to the military culture, the Armed Forces may seem overwhelming, incomprehensible, esoteric, or even anachronistic

Ranks• Protocols are in order which must be

followed• Individuals are put through a very precise,

scientifically studied program to make them tougher, more resilient, and highly efficient in strenuous or stressful environments

Ranks• Military rank is more than just who salutes

whom

• On the battlefield commanders can be killed or captured at any time

Ranks• Without a concrete chain of command, less

experienced soldiers would be left without direction or instruction in the absence of a leader and could face the prospect of death or capture

• The military rank structure provides that someone is in command at all times

Ranks• What does rank mean for the Florida Military

Specialist?

• How might this past experience change the way your military client shares information with you?

• How might it affect family decisions?

Ranks

Modern military services recognize three broad categories of personnel:

• Officers• Non-Commissioned Officers• Enlisted

Pay and the Role it Plays

History•The Continental Congress passed rudimentary laws regarding service pensions

•These pensions were administered by the individual states

Pay and the Role it PlaysHistory•The Bureau of Labor and Statistics uses the Employment Cost Index (ECI) to adjust military wages

•Military pay raises coincide with wage earnings in the private sector

Pay vs. Allowance• Pay is money which is based upon

remuneration for employment

• Allowance is money necessary for the efficient performance of duty

• Generally speaking, pay is income, while allowances are reimbursements

Pay vs. Allowance• Basic pay also known as base pay, is provided on

a monthly basis and is determined by rank and length of military service

• Service members are paid on the 1st and 15th of the month

• The monthly pay statement is known as Leave and Earnings Statement (LES)

Pay vs. AllowanceTypes of Allowances:Basic Allowance for Housing – is non taxable money paid on a monthly basis for service members not occupying government quarters. Three factors for determining BAH:

1. Pay Grade2. Location3. Dependents

Pay vs. AllowanceTypes of Allowance:Basic Allowance for Subsistence – meant to offset service members costs for meals

Clothing Allowance – provided on an annual basis to buy and replace required uniforms. Amount determined by rank and branch of the military

Pay vs. AllowanceTypes of Allowance:Overseas Housing Allowance – enables service members stationed overseas to privately lease housing based on the economy of the area stationed

Family Separation Allowance – for service members with dependents who serve unaccompanied tour of duty

Pay vs. AllowanceTypes of Allowance:Overseas COLA – is a non taxable allowance to offset the higher cost of living overseas for non-housing goods and services

Cost of Living – helps offset the effects of higher cost areas that service members may be located in

Pay vs. Allowance

Types of Allowance:Dislocation Allowance – is to partially reimburse a service member for the expenses incurred in relocating the household on a PCS, ordered for the Government’s convenience, or incident to an evacuation

Pay vs. AllowanceLenders have the discretion to super-cede any and all VA

guidelines, when counting allowances as income to qualify for a

mortgage. The key would be to determine which allowances

would be considered Long Term such as BAH, BAS and

sometimes the clothing allowance. Most of the other

allowances are Short Term and cannot be counted as effective

income.

Getting to Know Them

The Florida Military Specialist should understand the varying needs of active service members, retirees and veterans

All people who previously served in the military are considered veterans, but a retiree is a veteran who has met certain criteria

Getting to Know Them

Retiree Criteria:All branches of the Armed Services provide retirement for personnel with 20 or more years of service

When the 20 year criteria is met the retirees name is moved to the Rolls of Retired Personnel

Getting to Know ThemAge Distribution

Getting to Know ThemAge Distribution

Getting to Know ThemEducational Background

Getting to Know Them

Getting to Know ThemRace Distribution

Getting to Know ThemMedian Income

Getting to Know ThemVeterans Living in Florida by Age

Age Number Age Number

<20 304 55-59 145,224

20-24 13,616 60-64 135,209

25-29 41,050 65-69 216,820

30-34 62,891 70-74 169,631

35-39 68,377 75-79 143,071

40-44 84,231 80-84 130,135

45-49 103,368 85+ 134,250

50-54 135,519 Total 1,583,697

Getting to Know ThemFlorida’s Veteran Population

ERA Amount

Gulf War 431,062

Vietnam 490,589

Korean Conflict 163,760

World War II 101,590

Peace Time 403,662

Female 166,222

Male 1,354,341

War Time Veterans

Total Veteran Population (9/30/2013)

1,124.894

1,520,563

Florida By The Numbers

Number of veterans: 1,583,697

VA expenditures in Florida: $10,430,774

Compensation and pensions: $4,728,273

Construction programs: $131,870

Florida By The Numbers Insurance and indemnities: $139,645

Number of veterans receiving disability compensation or

pension payments: 262,072

Number of Florida veterans using GI Bill education benefits:

36,394

Florida By The Numbers Number of home loans in Florida backed by VA

guarantees: 19,679

Value of Florida home loans guaranteed by VA: $3.9

billion

Number of VA life insurance policies held by Florida

residents: 111,114

Florida By The Numbers

Value of VA life insurance policies held by

Florida residents: $1.3 billion

Number of Florida participants in vocational

rehabilitation: 5,053

Florida By The Numbers

Number of veterans buried in Florida’s VA

national cemeteries: 13,044

Number of headstones and markers provided for

graves of Florida veterans and survivors: 19,514

Florida Veteran’s Benefits• Benefits are vast and variable based on a significant

list of factors

• Be familiar with the benefits that are most suited and available to your military customer

• A licensee who can correlate an individual’s unique military background with the right benefits will embody what it means to be a Florida Military Specialist

Florida Veteran’s BenefitsVeterans seeking benefits for the first time must submit a copy of their service form, which documents service dates and type of discharge, full name, military service number, and branch of service

DD-214DD-215WD (for World War ll Veterans)

Lost RecordsNPRC

National Personnel Records CenterMilitary Personnel Records

1 Archives DriveSt. Louis, MO 63138

Phone: 314-801-0800 http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/#where-to-send

Health Care BenefitsThere are two Veterans Integrated Service Networks serving Florida:

•VISN 8 encompasses 60 counties in North, Central and South Florida

•VISN 16 serves the remaining 7 counties in Northwest Florida

Health Care Benefits

Six VA operated medical centers in Florida:1. Bay Pines2. Miami3. Tampa4. West Palm5. Gainesville6. Lake City

Health Care Benefits

VA provides nursing home services to Veterans through three national programs:

1. VA owned Community Living Centers2. State Veteran’s Homes owned and operated by the state

where it’s located3. Community Nursing Home Program are VA contracted

health care facilities

Burial and Memorial BenefitsThere are 7 VA National Cemeteries in Florida1.Barrancas – Pensacola2.Bay Pines – St Petersburg3.Florida National – Bushnell4.St. Augustine National – St. Augustine5.Jacksonville National – Jacksonville6.Sarasota National – Sarasota7.South Florida – Lake Worth

Americans with Disability Act

ADA is a wide ranging law that prohibits, under certain circumstances, discrimination based on disability

The law was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990.

Florida Specific Benefits

• Disabled veterans in Florida are eligible for a number of benefits

• Some of the benefits are available exclusively to disabled veterans, while others are available to all veterans of armed forces

Florida Specific Benefits• Parks and Recreation• Licensing• Department of Motor Vehicles• Homestead Exemption• Employment• Education

Guaranty or Guarantee13% of U.S. Adults are Veterans the majority of which have not used their VA benefits to purchase a home

Qualified Veteran’s may borrow up to $417,000 for their owner occupied home without a down paymentNote: VA does not set a cap on how much a Veteran can borrow to finance a home however, there are limits on the amount of liability VA can assume, which affects the amount of money an institution will lend.

Guaranty or GuaranteeEligibility Requirements:1.Two years ( or more) on active duty as a current service member2.Six years of active Reserve or National Guard duty3.90 days of active wartime duty under U.S.C. Title 104.181 days of active peacetime duty under U.S.C. Title 10

Guaranty or GuaranteeVA Loans Offer:•Equal Opportunity•No Down Payment•Buyer Informed of Reasonable Value•Negotiable Interest•Ability to Finance the Funding Fee

Guaranty or GuaranteeVA Loans Do Not:•Guarantee the Home is Free of Defects•Cannot Compel a Builder to Correct Construction Defects•Cannot Guarantee the Veteran is Making a Good Investment•Cannot Provide Legal Services

The Basics

A VA home loan is a mortgage loan, made by an institutional lender (not the VA, which only guarantees the loan to the lender) to an eligible veteran.

The veteran may borrow up to 100% of the purchase price of an owner- occupied principal residence

The BasicsRepayment Plans•Traditional Fixed-Payment Mortgage•Buy Downs•Adjustable Rate Mortgage

The Basics

• Down Payment Requirement• Interest Rates• Closing Costs

Take a Walk with Ron REALTOR® and Vicki Veteran

Questions Before the Loan is Awarded

Questions After the Loan is Awarded

When All Is Said and Done

The purpose of the Florida Military Specialist certification course is to familiarize you with Florida specific resources

The Florida Military Specialist will have superior knowledge of the local military bases and military communities in one’s region, even if they are not right around the corner

When All Is Said and DoneBy understanding the nuances of your military client’s professional life you are fostering confidence in their belief that you can help them succeed in the listing, sale or rental of property

It is not necessary for you to know the details of every program available to all veterans, but rather the ones that are most suited and available to the military customers you serve

When All Is Said and DoneAs a Florida Military Specialist, you are doing your best to assist our veterans here at home, and those serving abroad, by taking the time to learn about their lives and applying what you learned to lend a helping hand

Thank YouDon’t Forget to Sign Out for CE