Use a buyer's broker rather than just picking an agent from ads. They are often the same person, the difference is that a buyer's broker has fidiuciary responsibility to you the buyer while an agent technically works for the seller. That can affect their obligation to pursue or disclose certain information. I have a couple people in the Springs that I trust a lot.

VA Loan is nice if you don't have a large amount for downpayment but you can often find better terms with a traditional loan if you have good credit and the 20% (or more) downpayment. Not having to do the downpayment can be convenient if you need the additional cash flow to fix up or furnish the house (e.g., new appliances) but if you don't need to do that then you should think about the overall cost after rates and fees.

I used a VA loan for my very first house purchase and the agent was familiar enough with them that it was really no stress and I had all the eligibility paperwork done and qualifiers in hand before we finished looking at prospective houses. In fact, I would advise you figure out your loan details before even looking at places so you have the comfort of knowing what you can or are willing to pay and have the assurety of pre-approval on the loan while you begin the negotiation process. You may find it worthwhile to talk to a mortgage broker to compare the VA loan versus other types of loans in terms of overall cost, fees, etc.