What is Colorado Springs like?

Hmm...

If you're military and being stationed elsewhere you either - live on base (for NCO's and below), or you're a senior NCO, a staff NCO, an officer (junior officers live on base) or married and get a nice BAH which in my experience, exceeds the median range it costs to live in said area.

Wondering what the OP's situation is exactly.

 

Idk what a single acronym you listed means, but I work with quite a few military families and it’s extremely common for families here to live off base all over the place.

 

i think NCO is non commissioned officer (but idk what that means)
bah is base assisted housing maybe?
op is original poster, that i know for sure

 

Ok, I know what OP is

 

An NCO (if enlisted, E4 and E5) is a non-commissioned officer.

It's the biggest pay increase from one grade to another before moving up to staff NCO (E6 and up).

Pay difference between E1 up to E3 is pennies (not literally, but pay sucks at these grades).

An officer gets paid quite a bit more and is at the E5 level or roughly, and up based on officer ranking.

Being married however, pays out basic allowance housing and regardless of your pay grade, is based on the location where you will reside. So you get this, as well as your pay per grade.

Unless you're married, it's pretty much a waste of money to live off base unless you're senior and are a pay grade high enough to afford living off base since it costs nothing to live on base.

Could also be a situation where on-base housing is unavailable, then you get paid the same way to live off base.

In other words, if you have to live off base, you get paid enough to do so comfortably.

But if the above situations don't apply to you where you're not senior, as well as not married, then living off base is literally throwing away money.

 

It doesn’t cost nothing to live on base. If you’re eligible for BAH and live on base the military takes that money. If you live off base you use that money to pay the rent/mortgage.

 

Although this could all be thrown out the window if things have changed since I've been out for 14 years now.

I used to live in San Clemente, and in a really nice area when I was still in and stationed in Camp Pendleton.

Only did so cause I was married but before I got married, I lived on base.

 

You're basically saying what I said

And if you're a GO bachelor as we called it (meaning you live on base in the barracks) and your wife is out of state, you collect BAH and still live free.

 

I guess. I wouldn’t say it costs nothing since if I lived on post I’d lose my $2200/month housing allowance.

 

I now understand why people in the military seem to marry so quickly lol

 

If you're unmarried, it costs nothing.

I was throwing out different scenarios, sorry for the confusion.

 

As a senior NCO, trust me we've discouraged so many FNG's from doing so and it still happens.

Real talk; on my last tour to Iraq there were 2 junior Marines that became friends ever since they joined our unit.

Apparently, their wives decided to live together in one apartment to split the rent and save some money (they we're couples-friends, always together) while their husbands were in Iraq with us.

A few months in I noticed one of them (since he was in my squad) become more and more depressed only to find out his wife (as well as the other wife) had a dude staying at the apartment with them.

They were partying often, drinking a lot and even involved in doing drugs and sleeping with one another.

Was a real fucking shit show...

 

Or just earn enough rank to get a housing allowance without being married or having kids.

 

And that's where my senior/staff NCO comment comes into play lol yep

So it seems your knowledge is right on with what I said; so nothing's changed huh

 

LOL My Son is at Carson had to talk him out of getting married (Right before deployment) and buying new Tacoma when He first go there. He is now E4 still single living on base driving my 2017 Tacoma that we sold to him at good rate and enjoying life. Only thing that truly sucks is we had to keep him on our insurance as the rates in Colorado are ridiculous.

 

God.... You aren't kidding about insurance. It sucks here

 

yeah no man, this is helpful for sure. I probably sound like a broken record, but I am absolutely clueless. I’m from Atlanta, so when I moved back here, it was easy to know where to look because I know this place like the back of my hand. Out there, I’m 100% blind.

I’m coming to the realization that I need to visit very soon and get a feel for the whole place. Once I get orders, I’ll be able to take a trip out there and spend some time on the ground.

But the towns you mentioned are very helpful and kind of confirms what I’m gathering about each place.

 

I’m a Captain. BAH is $2418, which is fine for the rental market. Looking to buy, but the interest rates suck and I’m looking at $2600+ (just for the mortgage, not utilities) for a house comparable to the $2000-$2400 rental market.

So ideally, if I’m going to rent, I might as well stay in base housing to take advantage of saving money and the convenience it offers, so this would all be a moot point.

I would definitely prefer to buy if I can.

 

I moved to the border of Colorado Springs and Monument about 10 months ago and don't have enough good things to say about the area. It feels a little removed from the actual Colorado Springs area but still close enough for a commute. The area has a few different housing developments, so housing prices can vary quite a bit, but there's affordability if you're willing to hold out for the right place. Also, being close to Mt Herman for wheelin and outdoor activities is worth every penny. If you're into that sort of thing.

 

Purchasing is a sound investment, but yeah not at the moment.

Tons of new houses in our neighborhood unsold; we got ours at a 3.49% like a year and a half ago, and now I think it's upwards of 5-7%, on top of homes going up by 50-100k. That shit adds up quick.

Hopefully these rates start dropping otherwise more and more people are gonna be stuck where they're at.