The loss of a loved one is hard. You find yourself alone even if you have children and want to move on with your life but don’t know how. Your husband enlisted and it seems so did you. You may feel like you are experiencing the post-traumatic stress of combat, grief and desolation.

I won’t tell you I know how you feel because I don’t. I will say that I have had some dark times in my life when my faith in God was challenged by horrific circumstances. But I am here to tell you that healing happens. By grace, the resiliency of the human spirit begins to soar again and we can use our woundedness to help others come out of the darkness into the light.

If you are a surviving spouse of a combat veteran, the VA provides benefits for you and your children.  The Ft. Lauderdale area is home to one of the finest comprehensive outpatient medical facilities in the country, located at 9800 Commercial  Blvd. The VA Outpatient Clinic opened in September 2008, and provides Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA), and TRICARE (the medical program for civilian dependents provided by DoD).

Additionally, you can apply for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) and receive your spouse’s benefit for 100% financing guaranteed by the US Govt.  There are stipulations that apply:

• The death must have occurred while in combat.
• If after being in the service, the death has to be due to a service-connected disability.
• The widow or widower must not be remarried.
• Only the spouse can use the benefit, not adult children or other family members.
• The surviving spouse can be of a serviceperson missing in action or a prisoner of war.
• A surviving spouse who remarries on or after attaining age 57 and/or after December 16, 2003, may be eligible for the home loan benefits.  (Special criteria for applications apply).

The surviving spouse still must meet satisfactory income and credit guidelines for the VA approved lender to underwrite the loan but I think this is a terrific light at the end of the tunnel. Prices on homes have dropped considerably over the past two years and now more than ever this NO-NO loan benefit could be the opportunity to establish homeownership and own an appreciating asset that could be a roof over your head for years to come.

VA does not have a prepayment penalty. Therefore, if you want to accelerate the payments so that at retirement you have no mortgage, you are more than able to do that under VA guidelines.

Very few people are able to purchase with 100% financing guaranteed by the government, so if you are a surviving spouse living in Sunny Florida I recommend you take advantage of this benefit provided for you as a form of appreciation for the service rendered by your loved one.

Any surviving spouse should look thoroughly into all the possible help provided by the VA including monthly payments, lump sum payments, educational payments and job retraining assistance.

Ft. Lauderdale is an ideal place to be located to start one’s life again and create new beginnings.  I’m The Home Lady and care about surviving spouses and their children, and I want you to know you can make a good life with all the support provided by and for the Veteran community in Ft. Lauderdale.