The Full Story

Jonas and Carrie were living in San Diego. Jonas was closing out more than twenty years of military service and had accepted a job in the Kansas City area, which meant the family had to be moved and living in a home before his start date. They had no local network here, no working knowledge of the market, and a window that did not move.

They found Joe the way a lot of relocating military families now do — through his VA relocation content on YouTube. That led them to nelsonhomegroupkc.com, where they downloaded The Kansas City VA Home Buying Guide. After working through the guide, they reached out and set up a Zoom consultation. By the end of that call they had decided Joe was the person to handle the move, period.

Then came the harder question: how do you buy a home at the top of the Johnson County market, sight unseen, from 1,500 miles away, on a deadline, with a VA loan?

The Strategy

The search got compressed into one trip. Jonas and Carrie flew out and spent two and a half days on the ground with Joe, walking more than 25 properties. That volume was deliberate — when a family only gets one trip, the job is to show them enough of the market in one pass that they can make a decision with confidence instead of second-guessing it from another time zone.

They landed on a lake-front estate on a cul-de-sac in North Shore Estates at Cedar Creek. The home had gone active for showings on May 16 after a coming-soon period, so it was still new to the market when they walked it — the point in a listing’s life when most sellers are least willing to move on price. Joe wrote a strong offer anyway and negotiated through several rounds, securing the home at $2,100,000 against a $2,250,000 list price, with the sellers also agreeing at contract to pay $35,000 toward the buyers’ closing costs. That is $150,000 off a property that had been open to buyers for less than two weeks.

Then came inspections, and the second round of value. The house was beautiful but carried real deferred maintenance, and Joe pushed for a repair list the sellers ultimately agreed to in full — a complete professional pool restoration, roof and chimney repairs, rotted deck posts and boards, wood rot and failing exterior finishes, and licensed electrical work, all completed by licensed and insured professionals with receipts and warranties delivered to the buyers before closing.

The financing side ran in parallel. Our in-house mortgage team structured the purchase as 100% VA financing at 5.75% — no down payment on a $2.1 million home. Veterans with full VA entitlement have no county loan limit; the limit is what the lender will approve and what the borrower qualifies for. Very few lenders will actually write that loan at that price point, and getting it approved and closed is a result in its own right. The closing timeline ran longer than a typical contract because of how many moving pieces had to line up — financing, appraisal, repairs, and a cross-country move on a hard deadline.

The Success

Jonas and Carrie closed August 4, 2026 and moved into Olathe ahead of his start date. They bought $150,000 under list, put nothing down, got $35,000 of their closing costs covered by the sellers, and took possession of a home with the pool and the deferred repairs already handled on the seller’s dime. After twenty-plus years of service and a move across the country, they start the next chapter in a lake-front home in Cedar Creek — and the entire relationship started with a YouTube video and a downloaded guide.

About This Property

10462 S Oakcrest Lane is a 2002 reverse 1.5-story Tudor on 1.3 lake-front acres at the end of a cul-de-sac in the North Shore Estates neighborhood of Cedar Creek in Olathe, Johnson County, Kansas. Four bedrooms, three full and three half baths, 7,359 total square feet with a finished walkout lower level and a four-car attached garage. The back of the property overlooks Shadow Lake from an infinity-edge pool, and the home is in the De Soto school district.

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Common Questions

Can I use a VA loan to buy a house over a million dollars?

Yes. Veterans with full entitlement have had no county loan limit since 2020, so the ceiling is set by what a lender will approve and what you qualify for, not by a published cap. The practical hurdle is finding a lender who will actually write it — our in-house mortgage team closed this Olathe purchase at $2,100,000 with 100% VA financing and no down payment.

I’m retiring from the military and moving to Kansas City with a start date — how fast can I actually buy a house?

Faster than most people expect if the search is structured. On this relocation the buyers flew in for one trip, toured more than 25 homes in two and a half days, went under contract, and closed in time for his job start. The key is doing the market education and the lender pre-work before the plane lands — The Kansas City VA Home Buying Guide is where most of our military buyers start.

How do I buy a home in Kansas City when I live out of state and can only visit once?

You compress the search and you go in prepared. Our team maps your criteria to specific neighborhoods before you arrive, books a full itinerary so you see enough of the market to decide with confidence, and handles the inspection, repair and closing coordination once you’re back home. Military relocations are a large part of what we do.

Do I have to put money down on a VA loan for an expensive home?

Not necessarily. With full entitlement, zero down is possible at high price points — this buyer put nothing down on a $2.1 million purchase. Whether it works for your situation depends on entitlement status, income, credit and the lender’s guidelines, so the right first step is a conversation with a VA-savvy loan officer.

Can I negotiate repairs and closing costs on a luxury home purchase?

Yes — and they are two separate negotiations, which is where a lot of money gets left behind. On this purchase the sellers agreed to $35,000 toward closing costs at the time of contract, and then agreed to a full repair list at inspection on top of it: pool restoration, roof, chimney, deck and electrical work, all completed by licensed professionals before closing. Older high-end homes frequently carry deferred maintenance, and that is leverage when it is identified and documented properly.

What is the Cedar Creek neighborhood in Olathe like?

Cedar Creek is a master-planned community in western Olathe built around lakes and green space, and North Shore Estates is one of its lake-front enclaves. Amenities in the community include a clubhouse and community center, swimming pool, tennis and pickleball courts, an exercise room, a boat dock, sauna and trails. Lots here are larger than typical suburban parcels — this one is 1.3 acres.

What school district serves Cedar Creek in Olathe?

This address carries an Olathe mailing address but is served by the De Soto school district (USD 232), and the listing noted an option to apply for enrollment in Olathe schools. Boundaries, transfer policies and ratings change, so buyers should confirm current assignments directly with the districts and review published ratings through independent sources.

Why work with Nelson Home Group on a VA purchase or a military relocation?

Joe Nelson is a 21-year Air Force veteran and a licensed mortgage originator, so the loan side and the real estate side get handled under one roof — which is exactly why this $2.1 million VA purchase closed at all. Our team is the highest-rated real estate team on Google in the Kansas City Metro and works military relocations into the Northland, Olathe and the wider metro regularly. Call our team before you book the house-hunting trip, not after.