Veterans Affairs plans to allow agent payment

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to temporarily halt the ban that does not allow Veterans to pay for representation when buying a home.

The ban left Veterans without paid professional representation.

It also caused them to switch to other, potentially more expensive, loan products.

Local Veteran David Ibarra has lived in Yuma for four years and was in the Navy for 16 years.

He explained how having a paid representative will help them when purchasing a new home.

“Because paper work as you know is sometimes difficult to go through, especially with us that are challenged with computer technology, we are computer challenged, and therefore they can assist the Veteran to make these purchases easier and to streamline the process," said Ibarra.

The Arizona Association of Realtors President, Shelley Ostrowski, shared how helpful this could be for Veterans.

“They can use their loan program and know that they are able to compensate if a seller doesn’t… their representation where before they could not,” said Ostrowski.

Ibarra thinks this will help even more Veterans stay in Yuma.

“It’s a great community to raise your family that’s why veterans chose Yuma to live here and that’s why I chose to live here, so yes this will definitely be positive for our veterans to live here in Yuma and make this place there home,” said Ibarra.

It is still not clear when the ban will be lifted, or its duration, but it is expected to start soon.