Tiffany Reed, REALTOR® in San Antonio

You don't have to have one, but it helps, especially on a PCS timeline. A local agent can tell you what a listing won't: whether a home sits in a special taxing district that adds to its tax bill, how its price compares with recent sales nearby, and what's actually around it. I'm happy to talk through the trade-offs of the areas around your installation, and the military relocation hub breaks them down base by base.

Eligible VA buyers can buy with no down payment, as long as the price isn't higher than the appraised value, and without paying private mortgage insurance (PMI). You'll pay a VA funding fee unless you qualify for an exemption, such as receiving VA compensation for a service-connected disability. The process starts with pre-approval from a lender that offers VA loans, and that lender pulls your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) for you. I work with VA loan buyers, I've used the VA loan benefit personally, and I can introduce you to lenders who know the process well. The VA Loan Basics Guide walks through the rest.

Universal City and Schertz border Randolph AFB, and Converse, Live Oak and Selma are close by on the northeast side, around I-35 and Loop 1604. Windcrest, also on the northeast side, sits between the two bases, about 7 to 9 driving miles from each. Which one fits depends on your drive, budget, home style and the school campuses you're considering. Drive times vary by time of day, traffic, and gate. Check current conditions for your route before deciding. For schools, look up the TEA ratings for specific campuses at tea.texas.gov. Tell me which gate you'll use most and your price range, and I'll help you narrow this list.

Of San Antonio's military installations, Lackland is in the southwest corner of the city and Camp Bullis is on the northwest side. For either base, my guides to Alamo Ranch, Leon Valley and Helotes cover options on the west and northwest sides. For Camp Bullis, The Dominion, Fair Oaks Ranch and Boerne sit farther north along I-10. Drive times vary by time of day, traffic, and gate. Check current conditions for your route before deciding. To check a specific campus near any of these, use the TEA lookup at tea.texas.gov. Send me the base and the kind of home you want, and I'll tell you which of these guides to read first.

Yes. Buying from out of state is common, especially on a PCS move. I can tour homes for you by video call, send video walkthroughs, submit your offer remotely and coordinate inspections when you can't be there, so you don't have to fly in for every showing. Getting pre-approved early helps a lot: it tells you your real budget, and sellers expect to see it with an offer. Send me your timeline and I'll tell you which steps can happen before you arrive.

The Military Relocation Professional (MRP) certification from the National Association of REALTORS® is training for working with active duty service members, veterans and their families. It covers PCS orders and timelines, military culture, and VA loan eligibility and benefits. The bigger difference is that I've made a move on orders myself, so I plan around what orders bring: a report date that won't move, and orders that can change after you've started looking.

It depends on the loan. With a VA loan, eligible buyers can put no money down. Other loan types have their own minimums, so ask a lender which ones fit your credit and budget. Beyond the down payment, plan for closing costs, an inspection, earnest money and an option fee. Under TREC's standard resale contract, the option fee buys a set number of days to back out for any reason. If you do, you get your earnest money back but not the option fee. For down payment help, look at TSAHC's homebuyer programs and the City of San Antonio's Homeownership Incentive Program. Each has its own eligibility rules, and HIP money goes out first come, first served each year, so ask the City what's available. The First-Time Home Buyer Guide walks through all 8 buying steps.

Yes, if an agent is showing you homes. Under Texas law, the agent has to have a written agreement with you before showing you a home. The exception is an open house hosted by the listing agent's own office. The agreement lists the services the agent will provide, when it ends, and the amount or rate the agent's brokerage will be paid and how that's determined. It also has to say plainly that broker compensation is not set by law and is fully negotiable. So the amount is set in writing before you tour, not settled later. I'm happy to go through how buyer representation works and what it costs before you sign anything.

Texas has no state property tax. Local taxing units such as your county, city and school district set their own rates and use the money for local services. A home's total rate depends on every taxing unit it sits in, including any special district, so two similar homes a few miles apart can have different tax bills. The Bexar Appraisal District lists the taxing units for any Bexar County address. Schertz, Cibolo, New Braunfels and Boerne sit partly or fully in neighboring counties with their own appraisal districts. Once the home is your principal residence, you can apply for a homestead exemption. When you're comparing homes, ask me for the tax rate and HOA dues on each, and I'll lay them side by side.

I start with what similar homes near you have sold for recently, how long they sat on the market and what condition they were in, then adjust for your home's features and your timeline. Then I'll walk you through the sales I'm leaning on and where the number could move, and give you my recommended list price. You make the final call. Start with a home value request, or see how I help sellers.