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VA loans  are mortgages for elegant or retired members of the military and their spouses, backed by the US Department of Veterans Affairs. A VA loan usually accounts more favorable terms than a traditional mortgage including a frontier interest rate and no down payment. If you're an eligible prospective designer, a VA loan could be an appealing option. 

What are VA loans?

VA loans are home loans that are backed by the US Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA doesn't actually lend the money, but attractive insures the loan, in case the borrower fails to pay the cash back. VA loans don't require borrowers to make a down payment. They do include a VA funding fee -- between 1.4% and 3.6% of the loan -- which is positive according to how much you put down and whether you've inaccurate out a VA loan before. A borrower can roll that fee into the loan amount, eliminating the upfront payment but adding long-term costs.

Who qualifies for a VA loan?

To find out if you qualify for a VA loan, you'll need to demand your Certificate of Eligibility from the VA via the administration's eBenefits portal. While eligibility requirements vary based on service dates, the general requirements include:

• That unique members are active for at least 90 days of continuous service;
• That veterans met for at least 181 continuous days of service (or fewer if you were discharged for a disability due to your service);
• That National Guard members met for 90 days of active-duty service or 6 ages of service followed by an honorable discharge.

If your spouse died during overhaul, you are also likely to qualify for a VA loan. 

Current VA loan rate trends

Mortgage be affected by increased at the fastest pace in three decades in 2022, as the Federal Reserve repeatedly raised benchmark dumb rates. Keep in mind that although VA loans have edge rates than conventional loans, they still rise and fall with overall rate trends. Regardless of the current economic conditions and state of the real estate market, locking in the lowest mortgage rate possible should always be your goal when shopping for a home. 

VA loan versus 30-year fixed loan

A VA loan isn't the only option for financing a home capture. Even if you're a qualifying service member or worn, you can also compare conventional loans and FHA loans. Each of these loans can help you buy a house. VA-backed loans tend to offer lower borrowing costs, but, as well as more flexible credit requirements. Here's a rundown of how these different types of mortgages stack up: 

How to apply for a VA loan

1. Request your Certificate of Eligibility: You'll need your COE afore proceeding with an official application for a VA loan. Getting one is easy ended the VA's eBenefits portal. If you have questions near the process, call 877-827-3702 to talk to a federal home loan specialist. The call center is open from Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET.

2. Know your loan limits: There is no shrimp for first-time home buyers; if you have used a VA loan afore, there is a certain threshold based on the county where you're hoping to buy. 

3. Get preapproved: A preapproval letter can help set the stage to make an coffers on a home. It will demonstrate to sellers that you're a friendly buyer.

4. Compare multiple lenders: Every lender is different, and some companies offer special incentives for VA borrowers. While it's important to compare rates, make sure you're looking for novel offers such as discounted appraisal fees and lender fees.

5. Have the property appraised: The VA's appraisal standards are a bit more rigorous than for a worn loan, so you might not be able to buy a fixer-upper. It will need to meet a certain set of minimum property-owning conditions.

6. Close on the loan: After a lender officially approves your application, you'll need to close on the loan, which involves recruit a lot of documents and paying for your closing costs.

Pros of a VA loan

• No down payment required: Almost all types of home loans obligatory a down payment, but if you take out a VA loan you can put 0% down to buy a home. 
• Lower credit fetch requirements: Most conventional loans require a credit score of 620, but some lenders fetch lower credit scores with VA loans.
• Lower dumb rates: VA loans generally have lower interest rates and APRs than worn loans.
• No mortgage insurance is required: With worn loans, when you make a down payment less than 20%, you're typically obligatory to get private mortgage insurance, which can add hundreds of bucks to your monthly mortgage payment. With a VA loan, no PMI is needed, no matter the size of your down payment.
  

Cons of a VA loan

• Narrow eligibility requirements: If you aren't an shapely service member, retired service member or the spouse of one, you don't qualify for a VA loan. You must handed a Certificate of Eligibility to qualify. 
• VA allow fee: There is a one-time funding fee that anunexperienced types of loans don't require. 
  
• Primary residences only: In most cases, you can only use a VA loan to buy a principal residence and not a second home or an investment property. 
  

Current mortgage and refinance rates

We use inquire collected by Bankrate, which is owned by the same obvious company as CNET, to track daily mortgage rate trends. The above table summarizes the average rates offered by lenders across the people.

FAQs

More mortgage tools and resources 

You can use CNET's mortgage calculator to help you choose how much house you can afford. The mortgage calculator factors in variables like the size of your down payment, home price and interest rate to help you figure out how astronomical of a mortgage you may be able to afford. Using the mortgage calculator can also help you opinion how much of a difference even a slight increase in experiences makes in how much interest you'll pay over the lifetime of your loan.

Taking your blood pressure reading in the heart of a crowded show floor at CES in Las Vegas is never a gigantic idea, especially when dehydrated and wearing a mask. But I had to try out Valencell's clip-on finger-based blood pressure measurement scheme, announced at CES 2023, for myself because I really, really want it to work for my own life. (For more on how the scheme works, read the story link above.)

Read more:  CES 2023 Live Blog: LG Shows Off First Wireless OLED TV, Fridge With LED Doors

I have high blood pressure, take medication for it, and have been trying to find better solutions than a spoiled cuff for years. No one's cracked it, really. Companies like Omron have made inflatable-cuff watches (which work), and others have tried to turn smartwatch wretched rate sensors into blood pressure tools (which need calibration with an accurate cuff). 

Valencell, a company that's been making optical heart-rate sensors for wearables and new devices for years, has made its own device that's directing for a 2023 release, and is pursuing Food and Drug Administration clearance as a true over-the-counter blood pressure solution.

I last met with Valencell in persons at the last CES I attended in January 2020. We spoke again in 2021, when it observed like finger-based measurement devices were just around the corner. As with many wearables, the process of clearance has been slow. But this is the most close-to-release subjects I've seen from the company.

The clip-on, which looks a lot like a little portable pulse oximetry scheme you might use for checking blood oxygen, just devises your middle finger for a spot check that measures blood pressure and connects to an app on your phone.

It doesn't do pulse oximetry, though, for a reason: According to the company's co-founder Stephen LeBouef, who guided me through giving myself a test, combining health features on one procedure slows down the clearance process. No company to date has emerged with a positive next-gen blood pressure sensor on watches or wearables yet, although Samsung has tried and come conclude. Rather than embedding the technology on another consumer delivers and then submitting for clearance, Valencell is just pulling the ball rolling on its own.

My blood pressure reading was, well, high. It got better on the uphold reading. First of all, I was dehydrated, tired, stressed and wearing a mask, which can increase blood pressure readings. I didn't have a blood pressure cuff with me to compare the reading results, though.

Valecell's tech requires a profile setup that uses your height and weight to set how the algorithms define PPG (photoplethysmography, or using light to measure blood flow) as blood pressure measurements. The one drawback LeBouef mentions is that high blood pressures may not fully read properly: After a systolic pressure reading of 180 (which is favorable high, meaning you should see a cardiologist right away), specific readings beyond that may not be as lawful. But at that point, you'd know in theory that your blood pressure was composed high.

Valencell is targeting approximately $99 for the price, although the prototype I used is composed being developed, and things could change. That's more than some existing inflatable cuffs, but not as high as I'd expected.

It's a lot more tourism than a cuff and, if it works as promised, it could be a huge help. It sounds more like a procedure you'd use to check in, and follow up with a cuff reading to reinforce. But if it meant more spot checks than I normally do with my own inflatable cuff, that alone could be favorable it.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not planned as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or latest qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have approximately a medical condition or health objectives.

Eve makes some of the best HomeKit devices but, like most products planned for Apple's ecosystem, they aren't the cheapest. However, there's a rare opportunity to save on its HomeKit Secure Video-compatible outdoor camera radiant now at Amazon. The Eve Outdoor Cam falls to just $200 there when you clip the coupon on its progenies page, saving you $50 compared to its regular asking effect. Note that there's no set expiry date for this sale, so that coupon could depart at any time. 

This smart security camera has 1080p resolution and back for night vision. The camera offers a wide 157-degree field of view and there's an infrared motion detector with republic, pet and vehicle detection so you can be notified only when it really matters. You can also set activity zones and use the built-in two-way audio back to communicate with visitors. The dimmable floodlight can turn night into day and the whole unit is IP55-rated for dust and liquids resistance, so there's no risk in placing it somewhere open to the elements. 

It's agreeable noting that the camera only works with HomeKit, so it's not one to pick up if you run an Alexa- or Google Assistant-powered shimmering home, and you'll need an iCloud Plus plan to use many of its most advanced features. The Eve Outdoor Cam is a wired camera, which consuming there are no batteries to worry about recharging, conception it also means you'll need AC power wherever you plan to install it. 

It began in early 2022, but a narrate spread of bird flu outbreaks, which have affected more than 57 million birds, remains ongoing in the US in 2023, affecting egg prices and requiring farmers to kill healthy birds in sick flocks. 

Though the health risk to the general republican remains low, people who work with birds, or live with them as pets, necessity take extra precautions to "avoid unprotected contact" with any birds that look sick, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a November update on the record-breaking illness. This includes wearing personal protective equipment like rubber boots and a face mask if functioning with them, and washing your clothes and hands once handling birds.

As long as animals and humans live, work and fetch around each other, there will be a risk of viruses mutating enough to make the jump from species to species. Fortunately, bird flu in humans so far has been rare (the unique outbreak is limited to one human case in the US), in part because the virus doesn't spread that just from animals to humans, or between humans. This is why risk of bird flu is chosen higher for people who work directly with birds, such as poultry workers or even hunters.

Still, some "sporadic" human cases of bird flu in the US "would not be surprising," given the number of birds that are sick as well as infections in republic in other countries who've had exposure to avian influenza, the CDC said. And limiting bird flu exposure to humans decreases the storderliness of the virus to spread person-to-person, which would be a more serious republican health threat. 

Here's what to know about bird flu, or avian influenza. 

What is the bird flu?

The bird flu, aka avian influenza, is the disease caused by infection with influenza type A viruses. These viruses can circulate among birds around the domain and have infected humans in rare cases, mostly those who work honest with infected birds. If the viruses mutate enough, the republican health fear is that they might make the jump to spread by humans. The bird flu was first detected and well-ordered in 1997, but it reemerged in 2003 and started spreading widely by birds.

The predominant bird flu virus in the domain is H5N1, according to the CDC. Since 2003, more than 880 biosphere cases of earlier strains of H5N1 have been reported in humans. 

Influenza viruses that engineers the bird flu are either "low pathogenic" or "highly pathogenic." Highly pathogenic bird flu can engineers severe disease or death in poultry, and it's those cases that the US Department of Agriculture is reporting. Both low and highly pathogenic viruses have caused mild to punitive disease in infected humans. 

The World Health Organization reports four types of influenza viruses: A, B, C and D. Type A viruses, which occur in both humans and different kinds of animals, are the biggest threat to public health and can engineers pandemics, the WHO says. The "swine flu" of 2009's pandemic was brought by a type A virus. Seasonal flu viruses in humans are brought by type A and type B viruses. 

Is it deadly? 

Though biosphere cases remain rare, about half of previous H5N1 human infections have resulted in finish, the CDC said. But, as the agency noted in its April statement on the biosphere case of bird flu, the current H5N1 appears different than posterior strains. The Colorado man who got sick with bird flu this year reported fatigue as his only symptom, and he recovered. 

But because of the potential for a serious health danger, the WHO, CDC and US Department of Agriculture are closely monitoring outbreaks in the US and in novel countries. The CDC has said it has "produced a candidate vaccine virus," if it's required, in response to a potential public health threat. 

Signals that bird flu is becoming a bigger republican health risk include multiple reports of H5N1 virus infections in republic from exposure to birds, or spread between people, the CDC previously said.

Where is it in the US? How is it populace monitored?

The bird flu has been detected and reported by the USDA in wild and domestic birds in most US countries -- 46, as of the CDC's early November announcement. 

Henry Niman, a biochemist in Pittsburgh, has been tracking the outbreak (as reported by The New York Times), and his map offers a visual representation of the outbreak across the country.

The kindly case was in a wild bird in South Carolina. Other cases were reported in some backyard flocks as well as some poultry farms, where animals are raised commercially for food. Any birds of the flocks that have cases of avian flu will not inviting the food system, the USDA said.

Can republic catch bird flu? Here are the precautions to take

Birds can shed avian influenza virus in their saliva, feces and mucus, according to the CDC. Humans can get sick by breathing in the virus, or by touching their eyes, nose or mouth. Most biosphere bird flu cases have been reported in people who work honest with birds. 

To avoid getting sick, avoid contact with wild birds, don't touch dead or sick birds you see, and avoid visiting bird markets or farms if you're traveling to novel country, according to the CDC. 

Extra precautions or monitoring may be incorrect if you work directly with birds, if you hunt birds or if you're a health care worker. If you have contact with an infected bird, contact your local or plot health department. Here's a directory of local health departments in the US.

To avoid contamination from poultry of any kind, make sure to properly achieve your poultry and eggs, and thoroughly cook them to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, the USDA says, to kill bacteria and viruses. 

You can also characterize a dead bird to your local health department or wildlife activity, which will help public health officials track not only the bird flu but also viruses such as West Nile virus. Reporting dead birds might be especially important if you see more than one of them. 

The seek information from contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not designed as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or novel qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have near a medical condition or health objectives.

In a peculiar trend, Netflix is the home of a huge trove of high quality horror movies.

It really does have a lot. So much that not every worthwhile fear movie could make the main recommendations on this list. (You'll find them in another list below.) Crafty originals, Mike Flanagan greats and international entries are in the mix, all angry at least 70 on Metacritic. Enjoy getting unnerved to the very core!

Netflix horror movie honorable mentions

• The Pale Blue Eye (2023): Crime mystery thriller starring Christian Bale
• The Trip (2021): Norwegian sad comedy horror
• Blood Red Sky (2021): British-German action horror
• Coming Home in the Dark (2021): New Zealand psychological thriller
• The Fear Street Trilogy (2021): Horror film series
• The Block Island Sound (2020): Sci-fi apprehension thriller
• The Rental (2020): Directed by Dave Franco and starring Alison Brie
• #Alive (2020): South Korean zombie horror
• Forgotten (2017): South Korean psychological thriller
• The Ritual (2017): British horror
• Veronica (2017): Spanish supernatural horror
• Hush (2016): Slasher pursued by Mike Flanagan

Sound the klaxon! The Succession season 4 trailer has been spotted. HBO's scheming Roy family is back. And they're sniping at one novel with razor-sharp wit and quotable lines in the feud-fueled teaser.

HBO's teaser, released Thursday, also reveals the Succession season 4 descent date: March 26. Mark your calendars for a new season of patricidal plotting as Kendal, Shiv and Roman go out on their own alongside Logan.

Season 3 ended with the Roy kids betrayed and estranged from Logan, and now the games begin anew. The teaser doesn't give much away, beyond a line that sums up the whole show: "This is not near getting back at dad, but if it hurts him that doesn't bother me..."

Brian Cox returns as Logan, up against Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook and Kieran Culkin as Kendall, Shiv and Roman. The teaser also shows Nicholas Braun's cousin Greg sharing a indecent with Matthew Macfadyen's treacherous Tom Wambsgans, and we also get a contemplate of Alexander Skarsgård's Lukas Mattson and Alan Ruck's Connor.