PCS orders don't come with a lot of lead time. You find out you're headed to NAS Lemoore, you've got a reporting date, and somewhere in the middle of coordinating a cross-country move you're supposed to buy a house in a market you've never lived in.
It's doable. I've closed loans for buyers who never walked through the front door before they owned it. But how it goes depends almost entirely on one thing how early you start.
The Biggest Mistake PCS Buyers Make
Waiting too long to get preapproved.
By the time most buyers reach out, they're already under a time crunch. And a time crunch is the worst possible moment to discover that there's a credit issue that needs a few months to clear up, or that a home you still own needs to be listed before you can qualify, or that your expectations about what your money buys in California need a serious reality check.
California is expensive. The Central Valley is more affordable than coastal markets, but buyers coming from duty stations in the South or Midwest are sometimes caught off guard by the difference. I'd rather have that conversation in month one than in month four when your report date is six weeks out.
The Conversation I Have Before the Application
Before I ever pull a credit report I want to know your full picture.
How long are you likely to be stationed at Lemoore? If it's two years, that's a very different conversation than five. What's the plan for the home after you leave — are you going to sell it, rent it out, or keep it long term?
If you're planning to rent it, I'll tell you what rental income in this area realistically looks like so we can factor that into the plan. If you're planning to sell, we need to talk about the risk of rolling the VA funding fee into the loan and what happens if the property hasn't appreciated enough to cover it when you're ready to move.
Your new BAH rate for Kings County is also part of that conversation. If you're coming from a high cost of living area your BAH may be going down. If you're coming from somewhere with lower BAH it may go up. Either way you should know what your housing allowance looks like here before you decide what price range makes sense.
These are not complicated conversations. But they're ones that need to happen before the application, not after.
Yes, You Can Close Without Being Here
I've done it more than once. Buyers sign their closing documents remotely and we overnight the paperwork back. It adds a logistical step but it's entirely manageable when everyone is prepared and communication is tight.
The most memorable one: I had a client buying a home on their way to California. They were in their car driving from Pensacola, Florida headed to Lemoore. We had 12 days to close. We handled everything while they were on the road. Found the house, documents signed remotely (mobile notary on the way here), paperwork overnighted, coordination happening in real time. They pulled into Kings County as homeowners.
That's not the typical timeline and I'm not recommending 12 days as a plan. But it's proof that remote purchases work when the groundwork has been laid and everyone involved knows what they're doing.
What Makes a Remote Purchase Work
A buyer who is responsive and organized. A real estate agent who knows how to work with military buyers and understands the urgency of a PCS timeline. And a lender who has done this before and isn't figuring it out as they go.
If you have orders to NAS Lemoore and you haven't started the loan conversation yet, start it now. Not when you get here. Now.
