They’re out! Go see! The Department of Defense has announced the 2022 military basic allowance for housing rates! As usual, there will be some big winners and some big losers. (If you are on an iPhone and reading this on Facebook, you may need to open this page using the three dots instead of clicking… | Read More…
Five Things You Need To Know About The New BAH Rates
Military families across the country are waiting anxiously to see what their Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates will be in 2022. (The new bah rates are usually announced on or around 15 December.) With housing prices going up significantly in many areas, many have fingers crossed for a big increase for next year. Here… | Read More…
BAH Rate Protection (or The Grandfather Clause)
As the Department of Defense (DoD) gets ready to release the 2022 Basic Allowance for Housing rates, this is a perfect time to review BAH rate protection, or “the grandfather clause.” (Rates are usually announced on or around the 15th of December.) Each year, the DoD does a thorough study of the actual costs to… | Read More…
How Much Should Military BAH Pay For?
I was at a really great military spouse event a few years ago and someone mentioned that the military’s Basic Allowance for Housing (military BAH) doesn’t always cover the cost of housing. It’s true that a lot of military families spend more than their BAH on housing. I hear things like this all the time,… | Read More…
Everything About Military Moving Inconvenience Claims
Moving has challenges. (If that isn’t the biggest understatement ever.) And just when you think that you’re past the hard part, sometimes your stuff gets delayed. Maybe there was a problem at the warehouse, or your truck driver quit, or the ship broke. But to you, the reason doesn’t really matter, because you just need… | Read More…
From the Mailbag: Dislocation Allowance FAQ
Ah, dislocation allowance, aka DLA! Such a huge benefit, and such a source of frustration. Here are some of the DLA questions I’ve answered recently. (As always, things change. Talk to your finance folks to find out the exact rules for your branch this week.) Learn more at Everything About Dislocation Allowance. Can I Get Dislocation… | Read More…
The Hidden Costs of Homebuying
Homebuying costs feel through the roof – (ack, that was a bad pun) – and that’s just the purchase price. Ask anyone who has bought a house, and they’ll pretty much universally agree that buying a house is more expensive than it seems on the surface. And that there are places where you didn’t anticipate… | Read More…
Housing Want vs. Housing Needs: What’s Really Important?
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. Because every military family I know has a budget, and keeping wants and needs in different columns is a key to finding the right housing… | Read More…
The Math of Buying and Selling Houses, Military-Style
The topic of home ownership for military families is a hot one. I absolutely agree that there are many reasons that a military family may want to buy a house: the pleasure of being able to do whatever you want to the house, the guarantee that you won’t have to move mid-tour, the difficulty in… | Read More…
Evacuations, Military Entitlements, and Insurance Coverage
There are TWO hurricanes headed to the Gulf Coast of the United States, and wildfires are burning across much of the west. Military bases are preparing. Many military families are wondering if they should evacuate, and when and if the military or their insurance company will help with expenses if they evacuate from the path… | Read More…