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Now is a good time to move to Texas

Apr 17

Posted by Blog Admin in Military Living, VA Loans | Comments off

Now is a great time to move to Texas! There are quite a few reasons as a military family that this state will welcome you in with open arms.

One of the major reasons to move to Texas would be the overall friendly nature of the people that live in the state. Texas has a laid back open minded atmosphere and a casual feeling that is very welcoming to anyone who would want to move here. Most of the state is fairly patriotic and conservative, which many veterans find as an easy transition into a new area.

There are many large cities in the state, with surrounding suburbs, or small towns on the outskirts, so there are many different types of locations to choose from, all of which can be purchased with a Texas VA loan! Texas is an expanding state. There is room to grow, which is nice for any family. Right now, the housing is cheap and there are many opportunities for any kind of environment your family wants. In the city a variety of entertainment is available; shopping, bars and restaurants, theatres, galleries, and much more. In the suburbs and outside of the cities, there is hiking, parks, pools, lakes, rivers, the mountains, the beach, and again much more. It seems that there is an infinite amount of space in Texas. Don’t forget the warm weather, which allows an almost year round outdoor long play time. In fact, the heat in the summer is just about all that would keep you in at times, if at all.

Texas is home to many major attractions around the state to visit as well. The NASA Space Center is located in Houston. The Alamo is a very historically important monument for our country. It is located in San Antonio and symbolizes a battle where many Texans died. The Schlitterbahn Water Park and the Austin Zoo are just two places for tourists or locals to visit for a day of fun and relaxation. Texas as many national parks as well that can we visited for short trips or long vacations.

Another major reason that now would be a good time to move to Texas would be that this state is on the economic rebound. Opportunity for work is promising as jobs appear fairly plentiful. The financial magazine, Forbes, ranked small and large cities throughout America based on the best places for jobs in 2009. Texas claimed eight of the top twenty spots, including major cities Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth, and Dallas. For the unemployed this could be a fantastic prospect for work. The energy and healthcare industries in Texas especially, have many facilities available to those in search of work.

Texas has many facilities available to its inhabitants. Its medical centers are superb. The state houses some of the best burn and trauma care centers in the country, as well many cancer research centers. There are numerous universities around the state, such as University of Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Texas Christian, Baylor, Texas Women’s University, and many more. The school districts are very highly recommend. Transportation is readily attainable, as there is easy access to public buses and cabs.

Now is a great time to move to Texas. The state welcomes new people in and is even offering jobs! With an abundance of entertainment, and a safe place for your children to grow up, your family will have a wonderful place to develop. There are 7 air forces bases, 7 military bases, 1 coast guard base, and 3 naval bases in the state as well. Many veterans already live here and feel comfortable with this atmosphere the state provides. Why not move here?

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Military History of Hawaii

Mar 26

Posted by Blog Admin in Military Living | Comments off

Until becoming a U.S. state in 1959, Hawaii has been under quite a few rulers and had many different outside influences. From early Polynesian settlement and kings, to the arrival of the British and French, Asian immigration, the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, and then even a short period of time as a republic, Hawaii has had a great deal of different military backgrounds.

Early settlement began when Polynesians migrated to the island in canoes. There were a few different groups of these original migrants. In 1810, under King Kamehameha, Hawaii was united as a whole for the first time. The Kamehameha family ruled until 1872. Throughout the 1800’s French and British missionaries were sent to the islands. There were multiple invasions of the islands, including one incident where Kamehameha surrendered to the Royal Navy, but was later given Hawaii’s sovereignty back and an apology. Hawaii was recognized by the U.S., the United Kingdom, France, and Germany as an independent sovereign state until 1898. Hawaii also signed a treaty with the U.S. in 1874 for exclusive trading rights. Between 1887 and 1895 there were five rebellions against the government of Hawaii.

In 1896 President William McKinley wrote a treaty of annexation, but it failed within the senate. He and Congressman Francis Newlands then wrote a joint resolution called the “Newlands Resolution” in 1898 for the official annexation and Hawaii officially became territory of the U.S. on February 22, 1900. On August 21, 1959, with a 94% vote in favor, Hawaii became a U.S. state under the Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Since this time, Hawaii’s military has been a part of the United States’ military. Hawaii has been a very large part of the U.S. Navy and its developments had beginnings even before it was a state.

The first U.S. Navy shoreline presence was just outside of Honolulu in 1860. It resulted from the lease of a coal station. In 1893 the USS Boston located in Honolulu insured the successful dethroning of Queen Liliokalani. In 1895 the Royalists attempted a counter-revolution and the presence of the USS Philadelphia diminished this possibility. After the annexation of Hawaii in 1898, an order to prepare Honolulu for warehouses, wharves, and coal sheds. There was also an order for the survey of Pearl Harbor. “Naval Station, Hawaii”, which was to be located in Honolulu, was commissioned in 1899. More land was designated for naval use, and the land around Pearl Harbor was under acquisition for naval use. By 1940 over $100,000,000 had been used on the improvement of this establishment.

On December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor underwent one of the biggest attacks on the U.S. in history. The Japanese bombed the harbor in their attempt to take down the American Pacific fleet. Six Japanese carriers launched 183 planes at Ford Island, following with a fleet of 170 planes at Pearl Harbor. Unwarned the United State’s Navy had no idea it was coming. Nine ships were completely sunk, along with 21 damaged.

Over the years to come, Hawaii’s importance as a naval and military center had no equal anywhere in the world. It was the site of the greatest naval base, as well as supplied to and was the training center for Army forces that faced the hardest fighting job in military history. Hawaii now has one air force base, three army posts (one of which is a medical center), two coast guard bases, one marine base, two navy bases, and two military resorts.

How Military Service Can Help Get Through College

Mar 22

Posted by Blog Admin in Military Living | Comments off

The military offers many different educational opportunities for individuals before, after and while serving. Here are some of the opportunities that are offered to these individuals.

Service members Opportunity Colleges
These colleges enable military members as well as their families to get college degrees through a group of over 1,200 different colleges, and universities; that allow members to transfer credits between each. This makes it possible for members and their families who are continually relocating to get a degree. These schools offer many different plans including: two-year, four-year, and graduate-level programs.

Tuition Assistance
Tuition Assistance provides service members with the opportunity to enroll in courses at accredited colleges, universities, high schools, as well as technical schools. To qualify, there are a few requirements; you must have a minimum time remaining on your service contract and a cap on credit hours per year.

Testing Programs
Military administers over 150,000 academic exams to service members each year, which include: College Level Equivalency Program (CLEP) General Exams, CLEP Subject Exams, DANTES Subject Standardized Test (DSST), and Regents College Exams.  The College Level Equivalency Program allows you to receive up to 30 hours of college credit by passing one of these exams. There are five different types of exams that they offer: English, Social Sciences and History, Mathematics, Natural Science, and Humanities. Each gauges the knowledge that you would acquire in your first two years of college.  CLEP Subject Exams allow you to receive three hours of college credit, though six or 12 hours for every exam that you pass. The DSST program is a series of exams in 35 college subjects that complement the CLEP Subject Exams, and passing is very similar, in that you also get three hours of college credit. The Regents College is a “virtual university” that counts 30,000 military personnel as well as the 80,000 individuals worldwide that have graduated from it. This program offers eight different degrees to military personnel. There are 38 Regents College exams available, and over 900 colleges and universities that accept Regents college exams for credit.

Military School Credits
Service members can earn up to four semester hours of college credit, by completing the Initial Entry Training. So, while doing the required training, they are also getting credits towards a degree at the same time. The advanced job training the Military gives you, which is called “A School” also counts for college credit.

Certification Programs
Certification testing is available in the automotive, computing, electronics, management, broadcast engineering, emergency medical technician, medical technology, and food preparation fields, as well as many others.

Montgomery GI Bill
The Montgomery GI Bill allows members to get up to $37,224 for college if serving on active duty and up to $10,692 if you serve part time in the Reserve or in the National Guard. The MGIB program provides up to 36 months of education benefits, which can be used for degree and certificate programs, flight training, apprenticeship/on-the-job training, and correspondence courses. Benefits are usually payable for 10 years following release from active duty, date of program eligibility, or date of severance from the Reserves/National Guard.

College Fund Programs
In the Marine Corps/Coast Guard, college fund grantees can be up to $30,000 if combined with the GI Bill. College fund awards are competitive, so decisions are made on the basis of academic merit.

Community College of the Air Force
An accredited two-year college open only to those that have served in the U.S. Air Force, offering more than 70 different associate degree programs. Some of the programs that they offer include: Computer Science Technology, Aircraft Systems Maintenance Technology, Space Operations Technology, Allied Health Services, Paralegal, and Information Management. Every CCAF degree requires courses in your technical job specialty, leadership/management/military studies, general education, and physical education.

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Top Places for Veterans to Visit in North Carolina

Jan 27

Posted by Blog Admin in Military Living | Comments off

Whether you are a veteran who prefers the beach, the mountains, winter activities, amusement parks, or history, North Carolina is a great place to find all of these!

North Carolina beaches are very popular places to visit. If you are looking for more of a “family beach,” Topsail Island and Surf City are great places to start—they have nice places to dine with the family! The Wrightsville beach is the best option if you are looking for entertainment and shopping, while still have access to the beach. What if you like culture and history ?! Do it along the North Carolina’s Outer Banks that stretch 130miles, where you can find lighthouses and all sorts of adventures. The Outer Banks have drawn explorers for over 400 years where the first manned flight at Kitty Hawk took place and where colonist have disappeared on Roanoke Island.

Let’s move along to the beautiful mountains of North Carolina for those who love hiking, camping, fishing, horseback riding, and enjoying the outdoors. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is perfect for this, where 800 square miles have been preserved since 1934, with 700 miles of it having beautiful streams and rivers, 800 miles of trail to hike, and 2,000 acres of forest with plants and animals. It has been chosen as an international biosphere reserve and seen as the most biologically assorted spot on earth. Other mountainous places to experience are the Southern Mountains where you can have fun rafting the whitewater rapids or skiing during the winter; the Blue Ridge Mountains where about 20 million visitors come each year—it is the biggest attraction for the National Park Services; High Country and the Northern Mountains with more skiing and unique places to shop; the 88 miles of the Appalachian Trail; and finally, the Asheville and Central Mountains, which are known for their arts, history, and culture in the towns of Brevard, Flat Rock, and Hendersonville. Discover here the prehistoric forests and magnificent waterfalls!

As mentioned previously, North Carolina has numerous fun things to do during the winter months! It has the highest ski areas and biggest tubing resort in the eastern United States, as well as sledding parks, ice skating, and frozen waterfall climbing. The Hawksnest Snow Tubing and Zipline Course has the longest zip line in the country, which is 1.5 miles!

Other must-see attractions are the King Dominion amusement park, Wilmington’s USS Battleships, North Carolina Arboretum, Pack Place Education, Arts, & Science Center, Cherokee Heritage Center and Museum of the Cherokee Indian, the Folk Art Center, and the Flat Rock Playhouse: State Theatre of North Carolina.

If you are a veteran that loves the mountains, coast lines, museums, entertainment, winter sports, culture and history, or whatever it may be, you can find it all right in North Carolina making it the perfect place to buy a home using a North Carolina VA loan!

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Why Should a Veteran Buy a Home in Florida?

Jan 25

Posted by Blog Admin in Military Living | Comments off

Florida can be a great place to live! Especially in the eyes of a Veteran, due to its generous benefits it offers for someone who served our country. To start off, let’s talk about some of the facts in the state of Florida. CNNMoney.com offers some great insight from their Best Places database. There are some things more important to consider when buying a home. The location is definitely something to look into, and Florida has much to offer.

The Best Places database asserts that of the top 25 Fastest Job Growth counties, Florida takes 5 of those slots, all of which have grown by more that 50% since 2000. These following counties are Lake County, St Johns County, Pasco County, Hernando County, and Lee County. They also show Ponte Verda, FL among some of the highest median incomes for families, earning $116,399. What if you are looking for a place with quick travel time to work? Commuting in Marathon, FL is also on the top list at 10.3 minutes of travel time to work. And finally, another fun little fact is that the median age of people living in Florida is 27.9.

Florida also offers a number of other veteran benefits. The following are a list of several of these benefits, but keep in mind some may have certain qualifications one must fit in order to participate. They are: favor in employment and retention, homestead exemption of $5,000 from property tax, Florida VA loans, veterans who weren’t able to get a High School Diploma due to service—depending on the time—can receive their Diploma, tuition deferment, scholarships to the children of a disabled or deceased veteran, Identification Card to a disabled veteran, a hunting and fishing license at no cost, military license plates for a vehicle, permits and fees for parking/too paid for, and no fee for issuance of a Commission as a Notary Public. Florida also has Homeless Veteran Programs and Benefits Counseling for veterans.

As you can see, Florida has a wide range of great reasons why a veteran would want to buy a home in Florida using a Florida VA loan!

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