Home or Townhouse with VA Home Loan

[Ellis Paulk]

Good morning everyone. I am a veteran about to use my VA home loan to purchase a property, but I have a couple of questions about what to buy and where. First, a little bit of preliminary information. I am currently renting out a room from a family member and the rent is relatively cheap. I'm a full time student at a University in Miami, and I have a considerable amount of time before I finish school. However, I may be moving before I start my post-bacc education. Here's my question. My VA loan is $200,000 and I'm not sure what type of property to buy and where. I was originally going to buy a small town home somewhere in the vicinity of my college, but a family member is strongly suggesting that I look for a house instead because the value will increase more over time. However, if I don't think I can afford a decent home in my area. I would have to buy something further away, such as Coral Springs, or Pompano, maybe even further North. I would rather not purchase something that would make my commute so long, but I plan on refinancing the VA loan and renting it out after a year or two so that won't matter eventually. In terms of investing, would it be smarter to buy a town house in the Pembroke Pines, Miami Gardens area, or to buy a house a little further up north?