Buying Before You PCS To Colorado Springs

Can I Buy A Home Before I Arrive In Colorado Springs For My PCS?

Orders in hand, clock ticking, market moving—buying a home before you arrive in Colorado Springs doesn’t have to feel risky. We walk through a proven remote‑buying playbook built for military families: fast pre‑approval, truth‑forward video tours, and contracts shaped to protect you while staying competitive. Along the way, we separate listing sizzle from real‑life details, sharing what we actually check in every walkthrough: street views, neighbor upkeep, drainage slopes, floor feel, paint edges, and more.

We dig into the numbers that matter. Your BAH is a starting point, not a ceiling, because property taxes, insurance, and HOA fees can swing monthly payments by hundreds. With a responsive lender running scenarios on demand, you’ll know the real payment before you fall in love with an address. We also map the hidden line items many buyers miss—earnest money, inspection fees, and the VA appraisal—and show how to negotiate seller credits when cash is tight without weakening the offer.

VA loan facts get a reality check. The VA appraiser looks for safety and soundness issues like peeling paint, exposed wood, proper drainage, and roof condition, but it’s not a home inspection. That’s why we pair the appraisal with a detailed inspection report that includes photos and video clips so you see the notes in context. We also cover local must‑knows: Colorado Springs’ high‑desert climate, radon testing basics, and how soil movement and snowmelt shape home care. For timing, we use exclusive right‑to‑buy agreements to set expectations and, when needed, add touring contingencies so you can step inside before you’re locked in.

Whether you’re three weeks out or overseas, this guide helps you shop smart, avoid surprises, and land the right house on your schedule. If this helped, follow the show, share it with a fellow military family, and leave a quick review so more buyers get the clarity they need.

To learn more about RE/MAX Properties Inc. visit:
https://www.LoriThompson.REMAX.com
RE/MAX Properties Inc. 
Colorado Springs 
719-332-1807 

Transcript

Welcome And Host Intros

SPEAKER_01 0:03

Welcome to your Colorado Springs life at home, where real estate means real time. Maybe a little too much coffee. Hosted by Remax Properties licensed realtor broker and top producer Mori Thompson, a local legend who's been helping military families and civilians buy himself homes for over 40 years. Whether you're PCSing, upsizing, downsizing, or just a dream, Lori's got you covered. Why? Because she's your lifetime realtor. And she actually answers her phone. Imagine that.

The PCS Question

SPEAKER_02 0:45

Military families move fast and the housing market doesn't slow down. Here's how to stay ahead of the curve. Welcome back, everyone. Frederick, co-host and producer in the studio with Remax Properties licensed realtor and broker, Lori Thompson. Lori, how's everything going on your end?

SPEAKER_00 1:04

Oh, pretty good. Like I was telling you before, we're just a little too dry out here right now.

Remote Touring With Honest Videos

SPEAKER_02 1:09

Yeah, well, hopefully uh that will all change soon. So to get us started, could you please walk us through today's question? Can I buy a home before I arrive in Colorado Springs for my PCS?

SPEAKER_00 1:22

You know, that's definitely something that we can help you with. Typically, when you arrive here, they give you 10 days in the hotel to find a place. So, what I typically like to do, depending on where my clients are coming from, is I give them options. And one option, which I have done successfully numerous times, is um I help them tour homes before they get here. Because what you have to remember is what they put online as far as photographs, they're gonna take the best pictures, they're gonna touch them up. Sometimes they even remove things. And so what I do is I walk through the house, if you're interested in a home, and I take a series of one-minute videos. And the reason they're one minute long is that's usually the maximum length to send via text or messenger or WhatsApp, depending on where you're at. So what I do in those videos is I show you, okay, this is what your street looks like. And as I'm walking through the house, I point out anything that you should be aware of. And so I try to show you, oh, we should get this checked, we should get that checked. So I have helped people buy a house that they've never seen till they arrive, and I literally hand them a key and a roll of toilet paper. Not everyone is up for that, and so the other option, depending on when they're going to be here, is we make an offer contingent upon a touring of the home. So let's say they're three weeks out. Sometimes we can get that done. Usually the videos are really good option. Another option that I do is sometimes they have a friend who's already out here. And so I'll take their friend through the house. And once again, my job is just to point out things you should know about the neighborhood and things you should be aware of with the house. When they're overseas, the video touring is really essential. If they want to become a homeowner out here, it's really essential for us to work that way just because I can show them a heck of a lot on multiple homes using my phone.

Pre‑Approval And Payment Planning

SPEAKER_02 3:36

That's true. That's true. Phone is a very handy tool. Um, and you talked about video tours and those things. And so if you can just clarify, what are the most important first steps for a service member who wants to buy before arriving?

SPEAKER_00 3:49

Oh, always, always, always get pre-approved. You need to know with the current rates what is your payment going to be? And that's a lot of the education that I do with them over the phone is I tell them, hey, you know, this particular neighborhood, it might be close to this military base and they are new homes, but let's look at the taxes. Those property taxes might be five or six hundred dollars a month, and that affects your payment. Or if you are interested in land or getting closer to downtown. So the most important step is I do an interview or I'll ask them a series of questions as to what they're looking for, then getting the pre-approval in place long before I start touring the homes. And I like to work really, really well with a responsive lender who can run payments for me at the drop of a dime because they need to know this is what my BAH is, this is how much we can afford. And it's not always in sync with the BAH. Matter of fact, that's almost impossible to do because every house will have a different insurance cost or a different property tax rate. So it's really important to get the numbers and the finances in place first. One of the hardest things is when people fall in love with a house and they find out what the payment's gonna be, and it just does not work. And so I try to minimize heartbreak as much as I can.

Marketing Tours Vs Reality Checks

SPEAKER_02 5:18

Yeah, that uh that's real, that heartbreak. And you mentioned numbers, getting the numbers in place and all that stuff. Um, aside from getting the numbers in place and all that, how do virtual tours and remote showings help buyers feel confident when they're out of state?

SPEAKER_00 5:34

Well, and that's just it. A lot of realtors they'll pay for professional photography and virtual tours to be done on a house. That's one type of virtual tour. What I'd like to compare it to. Now keep in mind, I've never really done online dating, but I've heard people really touch up their photos to make them look super good. They do not roll out of bed with their hair sticking up before the first cup of coffee, take a picture and say, Here I am. And so a lot of those marketing photos can be touched up. A lot of the virtual tours, I always say they sell the sizzle and not the steak. And so when I do my tours, this is where I am walking through a home with my phone and I show them everything they should be aware of. What do you back to? What's the street look like? What do the neighbors' lawn look like? You know, because I do a turnaround. So I do a 360-degree turnaround showing them the street. Then I'll point out everything from peeling paint, if the floor feels uneven below my feet, it's not as in-depth as a home inspection, but my job then is to look for things I think they should be aware of because I I don't like surprises. I really, really want my clients to have a great experience from beginning to end, and I do everything in my power to make that happen.

SPEAKER_02 7:04

Yeah, and speaking of having a great experience from beginning to end, um, are there any specific documents or timelines that PCS buyers should prepare for in advance?

SPEAKER_00 7:15

Yes. The first thing is an exclusive right-to-buy agreement, and that's an executed agreement between me and the buyers, and it tells them, hey, these are my obligations to you. Here is what I owe you here. This is what I do for you, this is how I get paid. It spells out everything in that first document, and then I send them additional resources such as uh radon, uh information on radon. Um, what is radon? You know, it's an invisible odorless gas caused by decomposing granite. So it's nothing you can smell. You have to run a radon test. And so just to let them know this is something you should look out for. Um, depending on what part of town they want to be in, I will also give them additional information on things they should look out for.

SPEAKER_02 8:06

Wow, that sounds really helpful. Um, so in addition to giving the potential buyers a list of things they should look out for in the neighborhood or things they you highly recommend they do, like radon tests and those things. How does working with a local agent who's familiar with military moves make the process smoother?

VA Appraisals, Inspections, And Costs

SPEAKER_00 8:25

Um, first of all, it's up to each VA appraiser. They do not, and this is one of the most common misconceptions, the VA does not inspect the house for you. The VA approved appraiser will look for things that VA does not allow, such as peeling paint, bare wood. Um, you have to have proper drainage away from the foundation. I've mentioned how dry we are. If you can think of Colorado as like a high desert with snow, we're a very dry climate, but sometimes we get heavy snow or we'll get heavy rainfall, so the soils can shift. And it's incredibly important to keep water draining away from the foundation system. They will look through binoculars to kind of check out the roof. So the VA will do just a preliminary walkthrough, but they do not do an inspection. And so what's really important is let's say we have the buyer agency executed. I'm looking at houses for them, they find one they really, really love. Then the next step after we negotiate a contract is we have a home inspection. Now I know because I've been doing this now for almost 41 years, um that you'll have certain costs involved. A lot of veterans think, oh, it's zero down, but it's not the zero cost. So I discuss with them up front. These are the kinds of closing costs you need to be prepared for. You need to be prepared for the earnest money deposit. You need to be prepared for the home inspection and the VA appraisal. And if you don't have all of that cash ready right now, then I tell them what they need to negotiate in their contract to have the seller pay on their behalf.

SPEAKER_02 10:16

Wonderful. Um, so you talked about preparing the potential buyers for the upcoming closing costs, all those things. In your 41 years' experience, what challenges have you seen or what challenges do remote buyers typically face? And how do you help them overcome those hurdles?

Common Hurdles And How To Avoid Surprises

SPEAKER_00 10:33

You know, I'll be honest with you. I once again I don't like for my clients to have surprises. And so I want them to know everything they can about the house. Honestly, I can say I've never had anyone unhappy who's bought a home remotely with the videos I send them, plus the detail that's contained in the home inspection. I've never had surprises except for, huh, maybe these drapes weren't quite the color I thought they were. You know, I really just don't have a lot of surprises because I tried to do my homework up front to make it more seamless for them.

SPEAKER_02 11:15

Wow, uh, that's a lot of uh work you do for your clients, and I'm sure they really do appreciate that. So, in closing, um, you know, you've mentioned you do a lot of work on behalf of your clients, like in-depth and detailed videos, 360-degree views of the street, all that. Um, that being said, are there protections or contingencies that help PCS buyers feel secure when purchasing sight unseen?

Protections, Lifestyle Fit, And Closing CTA

SPEAKER_00 11:39

Well, and keep in mind it is and it is not sight unseen because of what I provide to them. And then the inspection will be a combination of both photos and short video clips. So really the only surprises might be what type of schooling they want for the kids, fencing for the dogs, dog parks. I mean, honestly, I try to tell them as much as I can about the house, about the neighborhood, about the commute. Um, I really try very hard to give them all the information they need to make it a good experience for them.

SPEAKER_02 12:20

Wonderful. And I'm sure it is a great experience for them. Well, that does bring us to the end of our episode. So, Lori, thank you for breaking down uh all of that information and helping our military families feel more prepared. For everyone watching this episode, thanks for joining the journey, and we'll see everyone next time.

SPEAKER_00 12:37

All right, see you later.

SPEAKER_01 12:44

That's a wrap for this episode of Your Colorado Springs Life and Home. Got questions? Need advice? Just want to talk about interest rates and granted countertops? Call or text Maury at 719-332-1807. Yes, she'll really respond. Or visit laury Thompson.reemax.com to get started with your lifetime realtor. Because when it comes to Colorado real estate, Maury doesn't just know the market, she is the market.