Can You Buy a Home in Colorado Springs Before You PCS?
By Jimmy Everetts, Mortgage Loan Originator, NMLS #1719458 · Published November 3, 2026
Yes. In most cases you can buy a home in Colorado Springs with your VA loan before you report, as long as you intend to live in it as your home and you can show your eligibility and income. And if active duty keeps you somewhere else for a while, federal law lets your spouse's or a dependent child's occupancy meet the VA's live-in requirement.
Here's how the pieces fit together, in the order they usually come up for families who just got orders to Fort Carson, Peterson or Schriever Space Force Base, or the Air Force Academy.
Yes. VA says active-duty service members can qualify once they've served at least 90 continuous days.
Your proof is the Certificate of Eligibility (COE). Active-duty members don't use a DD-214 for this. Instead, VA asks for a statement of service signed by your commander, adjutant or personnel officer.
In many cases your lender can pull the COE through VA's online system, called WebLGY. You can also request it yourself online or by mail with VA Form 26-1880. Ask for the statement of service before you out-process from your current duty station. It's a lot easier to get a signature from a command that still knows you.
No, but you have to intend to. A VA loan is for a home you'll live in. Under federal law (38 U.S.C. 3704(c)), you certify that you intend to occupy the property as your home, both when you apply and again at closing.
Here's the part many PCS families don't know. If you're on active duty and can't move in yet because of your service, the law treats the occupancy requirement as met when:
So a family that drives out ahead of the service member, or a spouse who settles the kids into school while you finish up somewhere else, can still buy with your VA benefit. VA's lender rules also spell out how soon you're expected to move in after closing. We'll walk through how that lines up with your report date before you write an offer, not after.
Military OneSource lists the military installations in El Paso County as Fort Carson, Peterson Space Force Base, Schriever Space Force Base, the U.S. Air Force Academy and NORAD. Fort Carson sits on the southwest side of Colorado Springs, between Interstate 25 and Highway 115.
Those installations aren't in one spot, so the same neighborhood can be a quick drive to one gate and a long one to another. Before you fall for a neighborhood, map the drive to the gate you'll actually use, at the time you'll actually drive it. Our free Colorado Springs relocation guide breaks down the neighborhoods, and if you're looking north toward the Academy, our Monument guide is worth a read too.
Talk to the Fort Carson Housing Services Office first. Military OneSource's Fort Carson housing page says, "Army regulations require you to visit HSO prior to making permanent off-post living arrangements." The page ties that to soldiers who receive Basic Allowance for Housing.
If you're Space Force or Air Force, check with your own installation's housing office about any steps they require before you sign.
If you have full entitlement, VA doesn't set a county loan limit. VA says that since January 1, 2020, there are no county loan limits for veterans with full entitlement. You still have to qualify on income and credit, so your budget comes from your pay, your debts and the full monthly payment, not from a VA cap.
If you used your VA benefit before and still own that home, or haven't restored that entitlement, the county loan limit comes back into the picture. Our post on what veterans are most surprised to learn about their VA loan benefit covers reuse, and we can check your COE to see exactly where you stand.
It depends on your status. As of October 2026, VA lists several groups who don't pay it, including veterans receiving VA compensation for a service-connected disability, and service members who have a proposed or memorandum rating, issued before closing, that finds them eligible for compensation on a pre-discharge claim.
The timing piece matters if your Colorado Springs move is also your retirement or separation move. VA is clear that a proposed or memorandum rating issued after your closing date doesn't exempt you from the fee. If a disability claim is in progress, tell your lender early. Our post on VA funding fees goes deeper.
In 2024, Craig and Alicia were PCSing from South Korea to Fort Carson with two young kids, and they'd never been to Colorado Springs. Alicia flew out ahead of time to house-hunt while Craig was still overseas, and she signed at closing with his power of attorney. With the time difference, it took a lot of communication to keep them both comfortable. They bought on the east side of Colorado Springs. In the negotiations, we used a seller concession to pay off a high-interest credit card.
That last part is a VA rule worth knowing: VA counts paying off a buyer's credit balances as a seller concession. As of October 2026, concessions can total up to 4 percent of the home's reasonable value, and the buyer's closing costs and normal discount points don't count toward that limit. If your spouse will sign for you, set up the power of attorney with your lender before you leave, because VA has specific rules for it.
Every move is different, but this order tends to keep things calm:
Yes. VA says active-duty service members can qualify after 90 continuous days of service. You'll use a statement of service signed by your command instead of a DD-214 to get your Certificate of Eligibility.
That can work. Under 38 U.S.C. 3704(c), if you're on active duty and can't occupy the home because of your service, your spouse's occupancy meets the requirement when your spouse signs the occupancy certification. A dependent child's occupancy can also count, with the certification made by your attorney-in-fact or the child's legal guardian.
Not if you have full entitlement. VA removed county loan limits for veterans with full entitlement on January 1, 2020. If part of your entitlement is still tied up in another home, the county limit applies. FHFA publishes those county limits each year.
Military OneSource says Army regulations require soldiers to visit the Housing Services Office before making permanent off-post living arrangements, and it ties that to soldiers receiving BAH. Plan on that visit before you sign a purchase contract.
You don't have to figure out orders, occupancy and a home search on your own. Jimmy Everetts is a Navy Submarine Veteran who has used his own VA benefit more than once, and he and the Everetts Lending Team help military families buy across Colorado, including Colorado Springs. Call 720-979-8742 or book a time with Jimmy. If you'd rather read first, start with our free VA Loan Guide.
All sources checked October 27–29, 2026.
Jimmy Everetts, Mortgage Loan Originator, NMLS #1719458. Edge Home Finance, LLC, NMLS #891464. Lakewood, Colorado. 720-979-8742
This article is general information for Colorado consumers. It is not a commitment to lend or a guarantee of approval. Program requirements change; check with a licensed loan officer. Equal Housing Opportunity.
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