Military families have unique challenges when they buy a house.  The biggest challenge is what to do with the house when you receive PCS orders a few years (or months!) later.  Some folks bought the house with clear plans to turn it into a rental property, but the majority planned to sell, or didn’t have… | Read More…

One little known aspect of the military pay and allowance system is the ability to request advance payment of Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH).  While this opportunity has been around since 1999, you will still find that most admin folks and senior leadership are completely unaware that it even exists.  And, unfortunately, even those who… | Read More…

I was just emailing with a reporter about homebuying costs, and I thought I would share my long version here with you.  We were talking about how buying a house is more expensive than it seems, and in parts where you might not be expecting to spend money.  Even if you have a no money… | Read More…

Identifying your housing needs is a great first step in the process of finding a place to live.  Just be sure not to blur the line between need and want. A friend-of-a-friend recently posted something very similar to this on Facebook: We’re moving to the Tampa area, and we are looking for a house with… | Read More…

If you’re military, and you own a home, you’ll eventually either have to sell it or rent it.  Either way, making your home look great is important.  Even more important is not spending too much money making the house shine. This article courtesy of USAA talks about the best ways to make improvements for the… | Read More…

Working out your 2014 budget?  Be sure to factor in changes to the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) and Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) rates. BAS rates for 2014 are: Enlisted:  $357.55 Officer:  $246.24 I still haven’t found a rational explanation for why enlisted get more BAS than officers, but it has always been that way…. | Read More…