Active Duty Real Estate From Afar

[Bryan M Klouda]

Hi there.

In about 2 months I'm going to be station at Fort Meade (Air Force). My job is unique in that I really only have 2 assignment possibilities, Fort Meade and Korea. While yes, deployments and when I'll PCS between locations are still unknowns, I still wanted to purchase a property for myself in the Meade area. My plan is to use the VA loan and put 0% down since I can't afford a down payment (or at least a very large one). Since BAH at Meade is 1920/month, I can afford around 265000 max for a loan and still have enough left of my BAH for utilities.

Obviously I'm posting here so this is a house hack idea with a plan to have fellow service members for roommates.

My question stems from my dad's concern, saying that it's a terrible idea to purchase a house because "I'll have to sell it as soon as I move locations." My plan would be to rent out at least 2 rooms of my place if I got sent to Korea (looking for a 3 bed 1-2 bath). Even if I pay out of pocket for the remaining of the payment, isn't it still a good idea to buy in the area instead of renting a 1400 apartment and splitting the bill?

I think the main concern is how often I'll be moving around, but with my job it's quite certain that I will only go between Korea and Meade.

Anyone in a similar situation/have any input?

This is only slightly related, but I also co-own a duplex in another state with my dad.