A free housing summit will be held Saturday to provide valuable information to military veterans and active duty members on government homeownership programs.

Bryan Ahn, state director of the Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals-Honolulu Chapter, said VA home loans are one of the fastest growing markets in home sales but veterans and active duty members in Hawaii aren’t taking advantage of their hard-earned privilege.

Hawaii has the seventh largest military population in the nation, with about 20,000 veterans and 49,000 active duty members who reside in the state.

A presentation will be held and representatives from real estate companies will be available to assist attendees. Ahn said VA home loans have not been accepted at times because there’s a notion that VA loans are more difficult and take longer to close when in fact the national average shows they close sooner by two to four days.

The purpose of the event is to educate and empower veterans and active duty members on sustainable homeownership in Hawaii using VA and other government assistance programs.

The summit will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Oahu Veterans Center at 1298 Kukila St. in Foster Village. A free continental breakfast and beverages will be provided.

Free home loan pre-approval and financial counseling will be available.

Attendees are asked to bring: 

» Tax returns for the past three years.

» W-2 forms for the past two years.

» Recent 30-day pay stubs.

» Recent two-month bank statements.

» Recent 401(K) statement.

» Photo identification card.

» Copy of separation documents or DD214.

To register for the event, go to bit.ly/1pcv2T6. Registration for the summit is not required.