Some good info from military.com
It's a buyer's market. Many areas are seeing home prices decline or stabilize. We now have low prices, record low interest rates and tax credits for buying a home, particularly for first time home buyers ($8,000 this year.)
But military families are in many unique situations that make moving to the most ideal areas difficult in some situations. The Babb Group and researchers Danielle Babb and Shane Hill have done their homework to take some of the guesswork out of your decision and offer some suggestions on cities with a heavy military population that you may want to consider buying a home in.
http://www.military.com/finance/pcs-moving-guide/moving/5-best-cities-for-military-families.html?ESRC=finance.nl
1.) Oceanside, Calilf.
First let’s look at Oceanside, Calif., just outside of Camp Pendleton. The estimated median household income in 2007 was about $54,000 -- up from $46,000 in 2000. This is also about $5,000 higher than the median income in the state of California. In 2007 an average house would cost you about $500,000. Today though the price is about half this, at $250,000. You can get a great deal, and it's on the coast. Watch out for new higher income and sales taxes though, which make California an overall expensive state to live in. The nearby, sleepy beach town of San Clemente is another area to look for some good deals on the coast.
2.) Norfolk, Va.
Norfolk, Va, near the Naval Station Norfolk, offers some good opportunities with far low prices than California. Median income is about $41,000 -- up from $31,000 in 2000 after adjusting for inflation. The mean home price in 2007 was about $200,000 and is holding relatively steady, making it a bit less risky than other areas. New prices leveled off at about $180,000 as the mean price.
3.) Ft. Walton Beach, Fla.
Another option is near Eglin Air Force Base in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. Estimated income climbed about $12,000 after adjusting for inflation in seven years, which usually bodes well for markets. Mean house prices spiked at nearly $400,000 in 2007 and dropped off dramatically down to about $150,000. Obviously there are some good deals here, but as with the rest of Florida, we don’t really know if this market has further to decline.
4.) Killeen, Texas
For awhile now I’ve been a fan of Killeen, Texas, near Fort Hood. Texas in general fared the real estate storm quite well. Household income has grown about 25 percent in seven years, and prices stayed relatively stable with only about a 5 percent dip in price down to about $135,000. This is a good solid growth area that -- while growing slower in other parts of the nation -- is generally stable and provides a benefit when the investment is your own home.
5.) Portsmouth, Va.
We also have solid median income growth near the U.S. Coast Guard Station in Portsmouth, Va. The average income there is about $44,000, up from $33,000 in 2007. What's more, there substantially lower home prices in Portsmouth than in the rest of Virginia. The median for the state is about $250,000 for a home. You can buy one for about $160,000 in Portsmouth.) We have also seen more than three consecutive quarters of stable prices in homes in this area, which is a good sign that you won't risk losing money your investment if you buy here.
To get more PCS tips or information, visit Military.com’s PCS/Home Buying Guide.