How do you coordinate a PCS move with buying a home?

Start as soon as your orders come through, and talk to me and a VA lender before you pack anything. The order that works best is: get your Certificate of Eligibility and pre-approval, decide whether to buy or rent for the first year, set up a house-hunting trip or video tours, and line up your closing date with your report date. If you're selling a home at your old duty station, we plan both ends together so you're not carrying two payments longer than you need to. Once you have orders, you may have only about 60 days to report, so getting the home settled early is key. Once you've found the right home, the process typically takes about 30 days. A door-to-door move is more convenient, and with planning it can be done with one trip to your destination, then back to base to pack out your household goods after you've settled on a house. A common mistake is not having a backup plan if you head back to base to pack out. If homes are scarce at your destination, I recommend getting under contract first and going back to base afterward. The risk is that you close and start your new payment just as you report, before any BAH change has taken effect.