FOUR BASES · ONE LO WHO KNOWS THEM
Start with your base.
Buying a home near a Colorado military base isn't a generic transaction. Each installation has its own BAH, its own neighborhoods, its own commute realities, and its own quirks that lenders outside Colorado miss. Pick your base — the playbook for it is on the next page.
Choose your Colorado base
Each guide is the actual length the topic deserves — usually 5,000-8,000 words. BAH by rank, where people actually live, schools, commute by gate, on-base housing waitlist reality, and the local market dynamics that matter when you're working with a 60-day PCS clock.
Fort Carson · Colorado Springs, CO
The biggest section on the site. Fountain vs Security-Widefield vs southeast Colorado Springs vs Monument — which works for your rank and your spouse's commute. El Paso County property tax, the Colorado disabled-Veteran exemption, and hail-belt insurance. The model guide.
Open the Fort Carson guide →Peterson SFB · Colorado Springs, CO
East-side Colorado Springs and Cimarron Hills sit closest to the gate. Same Colorado Springs BAH as Fort Carson, same El Paso County tax picture. Where to live and where to skip. The Colorado Springs playbook.
Open the Peterson SFB guide →Schriever SFB · Colorado Springs, CO
Schriever sits east of the city, so Falcon and eastern Colorado Springs are the natural commute. Newer construction, more land, and the same Colorado Springs MHA BAH. The east-side guide.
Open the Schriever SFB guide →Buckley SFB · Aurora, CO
Buckley uses the Denver-Aurora BAH — the highest in the state. Aurora, Centennial, and Parker are the core markets, with the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center close by. The Denver-Aurora playbook.
Open the Buckley SFB guide →U.S. Air Force Academy · Colorado Springs, CO
Mostly permanent-party staff and instructors buying here. North Colorado Springs and Monument are the natural fit, with the Springs MHA BAH and a quick I-25 commute. The north-Springs guide.
Open the Academy guide →Buying on Native American land? Use NADL.
Colorado has two federally recognized tribes, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, both in the state's southwest corner. If you're a Native Veteran buying or building on participating tribal trust land — in Colorado or on participating trust land in another state — the right product isn't a regular VA loan. It's the Native American Direct Loan (NADL) program, run directly by the VA.
Mike doesn't fund NADL loans (no private lender does — the VA itself is the lender). But the NADL guide on this site explains who qualifies, how the tribal MOU process works, and what the rate and term advantages look like.
Not sure which base guide applies to you
If you're in the in-between — you've got orders to "Denver area" but no base assignment yet, or you're a retired Veteran looking at multiple CO markets, or you're a surviving spouse trying to figure out where to settle — start with a call. Five minutes will sort which guide applies.
Useful resources outside this site
Some of what you need isn't a lending question — it's an official VA process. Here's where to go for the things we don't run ourselves.
- BAH lookup (official DoD tool). defensetravel.dod.mil → BAH Rate Lookup — every MHA, every rank.
- VA base finder. va.gov/find-locations — official VA facility directory.
- Request your Certificate of Eligibility (COE). va.gov COE request portal — self-serve, or Mike can pull it through his origination platform in 24-48 hours.
- VA disability rating & claims. va.gov/disability — for claim filing or rating questions. Mike doesn't file claims; he helps you use the rating once you have it.
- Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs). va.gov accredited representatives — find a free, accredited VSO if you need help with anything claims-related. American Legion, VFW, DAV, and IAVA are all good places to start.