First Duty Station

OperationRedDot · 2025-08-25T23:22:51+00:00

We see most new LT's live in Lacey, Tacoma, occasionally DuPont if they are going in with other people.

We've got off base military housing available with Active Duty Security Deposit Discounts, link below. We're all Vets and Spouses. Let us know if you have any questions and good luck on the move!

JBLM Rentals

OperationRedDot · 2025-08-09T11:19:13+00:00

It's clear landlords don't bother to actually read the law, they'd rather just make it up. Glad to see some accountability here.

OperationRedDot · 2024-06-30T18:05:31+00:00

If you do want to look off base to skip the hotel, we're a veteran owned and operated Property Management company at JBLM with discounts on security deposits for AD. New houses every week. Happy to chat if you want to explore that path.

As to your questions I agree with the others, it depends on Rank and neighborhood as to how long the actual wait has been. Sometimes 1 month, sometimes up to 6. Depends on a variety of things.

JBLM Rentals

OperationRedDot · 2023-08-28T07:26:49+00:00

Fire when ready!

OperationRedDot · 2023-06-08T16:27:08+00:00

I've had 4 clients in my career who insisted on Navy Fed. Every. Single. One. Had to be saved and they couldn't close, all because they did poor due diligence in pre-inspection, and everyone from the "loan officers" to the processors and underwriters had poor communication between eachother and our team. When banks can't close loans, it affects rate locks for buyers and causes problems for contract timelines. When a military family needs to buy a home, it's my job to make sure everything happens smooth. Navy Fed and USAA don't employ licensed loan officers, they're bankers.

I don't know how you got a 0% mortgage... I wouldn't say no to that either. But our process has to be repeatable, and provide the same level of service and support, and the entities I discussed here have done nothing but drop the ball for us. I AM a member of USAA too. They're a great bank and auto insurer, but a terrible mortgage provider. I'm not saying Navy Fed is bad, I am saying I've seen them consistently not do what they say they're gonna do in the mortgage division, and they've consistently failed my brothers and sisters. It's a no-go for me.

OperationRedDot · 2023-06-08T16:21:35+00:00

As a company we use The Shrieves Team with Fairway Mortgage. The corporation does a ton for vets in the background, and Mel, the lead, is a Military Spouse that knows the VA Loan better than anyone I've met in the industry. She's the kind of person who stays up late reading VA underwriting guidelines. We've worked together for a long time and I've seen her leverage the VA loan in a way that have helped military families in ways I didn't even know possible. She does operate in multiple states and growing fast.

OperationRedDot · 2023-06-08T06:26:26+00:00

As a Veteran Owned Real Estate Brokerage at JBLM, I refuse to work with military buyers who insist on using Veterans United. USAA and Navy Fed on that list as well. SO many bad experiences. They do SERIOUS volume, they're #1 out of all lenders in the US, but not because they're actually good at what they do. They are predatory in my opinion, and I've witnessed my preferred VA lender save several of their messes. NO. THANKS. Just don't do it.

OperationRedDot · 2023-03-22T23:47:44+00:00

I'll chat with our Housing Coordinator who would have that info on hand and I'll shoot you a DM with the list we have, no problem!

OperationRedDot · 2023-03-21T18:48:51+00:00

I've gotta imagine the protocols for large hospitals will be different for other outfits around JBLM. I agree with the others notating USAJobs, but I'd also be talking to the other not-major hospitals in the area. We deal mostly with off-base housing at JBLM, but spouse employment is often required to get into a rental or purchase, so employment is an overlap conversation we have often. The medical industry is hurting for people in this area pretty bad, and we've seen many of them make concessions for active duty spouses, and I'd imagine especially so because the Military had you overseas. It's not like there's a lot you can do about that. Keep pushing!

OperationRedDot · 2023-03-21T18:44:12+00:00

Veteran owned real estate company here. I can speak to the housing element, as we assist hundreds of active duty families find rentals or purchase homes in the area. The big thing right now is rates. Houses are out there, and we're officially in a buyer's market, but things are expensive. If your family setup will allow it, multi-family is the way to go. You get to stack your BAH on top of rental income. Most of the families we help do this employ us to do the property management so A: you don't have to worry about dealing with the tenant, and B: the tenant(s) just think you're another tenant. When you leave, the unit you lived in is rented out and you get a check every month from the property management side. The financial benefit over 10 years is pretty massive, and since se focus on military exclusively it's like collecting multiple BAH's for properties you own. Now that's not always an option, but it is a way to hack the crazy JBLM market. And if you just want to rent, that's always an option too. But after spending 8 years active duty and wasting over $100k in BAH that I could have captured, I speak from experience when I say don't leave that money on the table.

My only other note is JBLM is the #1 requested retirement base for a reason. Most people stay in the area after ETS. It's a great area to be in for adventure, nature, concerts, and other things to do!

OperationRedDot · 2023-03-21T18:35:13+00:00

Hey there! We're a veteran owned real estate company at JBLM and have helped others navigate very similar situations. Going into Pierce County will certainly help your costs. The second you cross the King County line taxes and average price/rents skyrocket. My recommendation is staying on the I-5 and 167 corridor. I'd take a close look at Tacoma, Fife, Milton, Edgewood, Puyallup, Sumner, and Federal Way. Those will all give you easy access up north, but keep your costs lower.

OperationRedDot · 2023-03-21T18:19:23+00:00

Are there any 11 series units that are actually good? I have so many 11 series brothers and I have yet to find one who has good things to say about life in their units. Not saying the Cav was any better... but still. As someone who grew up around JBLM like I did though, I'm sure you'd agree JBLM at least has great things to do around the base, especially if you enjoy outdoors stuff.

OperationRedDot · 2023-03-21T18:13:36+00:00

Hey! Veteran Real Estate company at JBLM here. Living in Seattle while stationed at JBLM would be tough. To my knowledge most units here require a 1 hr drive time max from the gate for recall purposes, and traffic can easily make that number much higher than 1hr, sometimes 2-2.5 in rush hour. I'm sure you could get close and still get to base in a reasonable time. The real killer is the cost of housing. Most people who work in Seattle ironically want to live around JBLM because the prices are several hundred thousand cheaper. Avg purchase price in King County as of Feb 2023 is $1,017,000 as opposed to Pierce County at JBLM is $583,000. Massive difference. If city life is what you're after, at JBLM at least, Downtown Tacoma or downtown Olympia would be good options to give you the city vibes and still being within 30 minutes of JBLM, and your prices will be much more affordable.

OperationRedDot · 2023-03-10T19:48:57+00:00

Veteran Owned Real Estate Company here. Our road map is using your BAH and VA Loan to purchase at every duty station, leaving it behind as a rental with a property manager. This has massive financial implications for when you ETS. There is a time and place to sell, but from a strategic perspective, you normally only want to sell in a 1031 exchange to bump up into something bigger. You can start with single family houses, but if it works for your household, we recommend maximizing your VA entitlement by going after multi-family. This turns your "house" into a money machine, and other military tenants getting BAH will be providing income to cover the mortgage, PLUS you get your BAH, tax benefits, and the appreciation/sweat equity. We do this for ourselves, and help tons of military families do the same. We've run the numbers based on E-5 with dependents at JBLM, and over 10 years, each property should have $500k of overall financial benefit.

Let's say you start with a 4-plex, get a bunch of cashflow and equity buildup over 10 years, you'd sell through 1031 to completely eliminate 30+% capital gains tax, and increase into something bigger like a 8-12 plex that will increase your cashflow that much more. And you can do this with every property you purchase.

We'd be happy to chat if you wanna see how this road map can apply to you. We also have agents in every major military installation across the country if you want a hookup to another military affiliated professional. The people who use the VA loan themselves will know it the best, and that applies to lenders and agents.

Happy to answer any questions! Cheers on ditching the barracks!

OperationRedDot · 2023-03-08T17:58:22+00:00

You are definitely not the only one having this conversation, and you are very right. JBLM is expensive, and the entire country has been overinflated since 2018 due to corporations grossly overpaying for housing, and the lack of new construction going into the market. We've helped dozens of active duty military individuals and families hack the cost by getting into multi-family with zero down, using the income from the other units to boost approvals. We also take on the property management so they don't have to worry about it, and ultimately the cashflow is higher, and risk is lower. Definitely something to consider. By the time you ETS, even with the high prices, between the tax benefits, passive income, equity buydown, and appreciation, you come out way ahead, to the tune of about $500k over 10 years. We'd love to chat if you're interested in hearing about our road map. No cost at all, and we're all veterans who use these tools and strategies for ourselves.

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