MILITARY
MILITARY HOME SPECIALIST
By Esther M. Franklin
More often than not, when speaking about women in
the workforce or business arena, female accomplishments are spoken about from a disadvantaged standpoint. But in fact, women have been making strides in every area of business while simultaneously maintaining their nurturing nature as mothers, sisters, and wives. Now that is true power. In addition to time, real estate is one of their most valuable assets. The home buying process is a fundamental element in acquiring the “American Dream.” Maintaining mortgages helps ensure communities remain stable and neighborhoods viable. Housing experts are rarely educated on the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, nor the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act and their purposes. There are many issues that differentiate servicemembers from regular civilians participating in the home buying and foreclosure process. Real estate professionals need to be aware of certain factors and laws that directly affect their military clients. Women in the military have a history that extends over 3,000 years and have played many roles in the military, from ancient warrior women, to the women currently serving in conflicts, even though the vast majority of all combatants have been men in every culture. Beverly Frase—a former loan officer, real estate broker, and Army wife—understands the home buying process from a military standpoint. Frase developed a program “Boots Across America” that educates real estate professionals on the military and its many facets including the military compensation system, special situations and its impact on entitlements, foreclosure prevention and various regulations which protect servicemembers. She
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offers a certification program through the counseling’s corner. The program provides educational information on pay grades and explanations of military pay for all services including how to navigate the Leave and Earning Statement, the factors that affect military pay, tax-exempt pay and savings plans. Boots Across America educates professionals on how to work with military personnel and their families to help them transition into sustainable housing.
“Women have been making strides in every area
of business while simultaneously maintaining their nurturing nature as mothers, sisters, and wives.”
The current unemployment rate and income volatility are driving homelessness upward. Foreclosure rates have increased substantially over the years and have yet to stabilize. The Servicemember Civil Relief Act was signed into law on December 19, 2003. The Act amended and replaced the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Civil Relief Act of 1940, to strengthen the nation’s defense