Guides, checklists and plain-English walkthroughs of how this actually works in San Antonio — written to be useful whether or not you ever call me.
Five phases, from pulling your Certificate of Eligibility to filing your homestead exemption.
Five phases, from the pre-listing walkthrough to a leaseback that lets you close and stay put until your report date.
Buying a spec home the builder already finished is not the same purchase as building from your own dirt. Choose your path and the roadmap below — five phases either way — updates to match, with the pitfalls, your responsibilities, and how I protect you at each step.
All guides, checklists, and fact sheets below are original work — © 2026 Chad Sellers, REALTOR®, JBGoodwin REALTORS®. Free to use for your own move or transaction; please don’t repost, resell, or redistribute them. Want to share one? Link to this page instead.
The full interactive walkthrough — getting pre-approved, working with a REALTOR®, making an offer, inspections, and closing, phase by phase.
Open the Buying RoadmapExplore communities on the interactive map — nearest JBSA installation, median price, property tax rate, schools, and a full fact sheet for each area.
Open the Neighborhoods MapStart with the basics on Conventional and FHA loans — the two most common first-time buyer programs — in the Lending & Loan Education tab.
See Lending & Loan EducationEducational only — not legal, tax, or mortgage advice.
A free 32-page guide covering everything about a move to JBSA-Randolph — base overview, gate access, cities & communities, BAH & VA loans, schools, childcare, moving benefits, and a week-by-week PCS timeline.
View / Download PDFA free 32-page guide covering everything about a move to JBSA-Lackland — base overview, gate access, cities & communities, BAH & VA loans, schools, childcare, moving benefits, and a week-by-week PCS timeline.
View / Download PDFA free 32-page guide covering everything about a move to JBSA-Fort Sam Houston — base overview, gate access, cities & communities, BAH & VA loans, schools, childcare, moving benefits, and a week-by-week PCS timeline.
View / Download PDFBase-by-base community guides, BAH breakdowns, VA loan basics, and PCS Resources for JBSA-Randolph, Lackland, Fort Sam Houston, and Camp Bullis.
Open the Full Guide$0-down VA Home Loan Benefit basics, plus the Texas Veterans Land Board program — separate from, and stackable with, your federal VA entitlement.
See Lending & Loan EducationEducational only — not legal, tax, or mortgage advice. Chad is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense or any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.
A simple guide to non-government financing — private-lender loans typically sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, with removable PMI and no government upfront fee.
View PDFA simple guide for first-time and repeat homebuyers — low down payment as low as 3.5%, flexible credit down to 500, and gift funds allowed.
View PDFA Home Equity Line of Credit — a revolving credit line secured by your home's equity, letting you draw, repay, and draw again during a set period.
View PDFZero-down financing for eligible rural and suburban homebuyers, guaranteed up to 90% by the USDA's Rural Development program.
View PDFA simple guide for Veterans, service members, and eligible survivors — $0 down, no monthly PMI, and a reusable benefit guaranteed in part by the VA.
View PDFHow a buyer takes over a seller’s existing VA mortgage at its original rate and balance — eligibility, the players involved, timeline, and pitfalls to watch for.
View PDFState-run land and home loans for Texas veterans — separate from, and stackable with, your federal VA loan entitlement, offered since 1946.
View PDFA simple guide to Debt Service Coverage Ratio financing — qualify using a rental property's own cash flow instead of your personal income, popular with investors.
View PDFThe two companies behind almost every home loan, explained in plain English — they buy loans from your bank so it can keep lending to the next family.
View PDFWhere rates actually come from, why loans differ, and two ways to pay less over time: discount points and temporary rate buydowns.
View PDFHow a seller or builder can cut your rate 3%, 2%, then 1% over the first three years — with a worked payment example, what it costs, and whether it fits under VA, FHA, and conventional concession limits.
View PDFBreaking down P-I-T-I — Principal, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance — with a real $350,000 Cibolo, TX example.
View PDFState-run down payment assistance through TSAHC and TDHCA, plus the Texas-only rules that govern home equity loans, HELOCs, and cash-out refinances.
View PDFPrimary vs. secondary — why your loan may get sold to another company right after closing, and why that's completely normal.
View PDFA side-by-side look at the three most common loan types, with a real $300,000 Cibolo, TX example showing what each one costs per month.
View PDFThese fact sheets are for general education only and are not exhaustive. Chad is a licensed Texas real estate agent, not a lender, attorney, or tax professional — for guidance specific to your situation, talk with a licensed mortgage professional.
Pick your community and loan details and see your full estimated monthly payment — principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and mortgage insurance — plus a complete amortization schedule.
Open the CalculatorNo online tool can replace the judgment of a real estate professional who knows your neighborhood. Contact Chad for a free Comparative Market Analysis — a real, agent-prepared estimate of what your home is worth.
Request a Free CMAAlready used your VA loan benefit? See how much entitlement you have left, the max price you can buy a second home for with $0 down, and how adding a down payment lowers your VA funding fee.
Open the CalculatorCompare the full cost of buying against renting a similar home in the same community over your chosen hold period — down to closing costs, equity built, and money in your pocket if sold.
Open the CalculatorSee which home builders are actively building near JBSA-Randolph, plotted by community with current pricing and status.
Open the Builder MapSearch or filter 80+ named subdivisions around JBSA-Randolph by community — school district, price range, and property tax rate for each.
Open the Subdivision ExplorerZoom into any Bexar-area community for hospitals, schools, DMV & tax offices, shopping, and concert venues — plus a full fact sheet for each area.
Open the MapOfficial crime data sources and local law enforcement contacts for communities near JBSA-Randolph — Universal City, Schertz, Cibolo, Converse, and more.
Open the Crime Data LookupOfficial ratings, independent profiles, and district contacts for the school districts serving communities near JBSA-Randolph.
Open the School Data LookupA step-by-step, timeline-based guide from "you've decided to sell" through moving day — decluttering, repairs, staging, pricing, and what to handle once you're under contract.
View PDFA step-by-step, timeline-based guide from getting your finances ready through your first 90 days in the home — pre-approval, the search, making an offer, and closing.
View PDFEnter the address and it builds a personalized move-in checklist — the right electric, water, and trash providers for that exact area, the county appraisal district for the homestead exemption, address changes, and optional PCS/military items.
Open the Checklist GeneratorEnter your Report No Later Than Date and work backward — house-hunting or showing windows, contract and closing targets, and the date to start talking to a realtor so it all fits before you report.
Open the Timeline CalculatorEducational only — not legal, tax or mortgage advice.
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To my 558th family, both former students and colleagues alike!
Greetings! I hope this finds you all doing well, wherever the Air Force has taken you.
To my former students, still early in your careers: I built this page with you in mind! I was once where you are. Back then, I was blessed with several wonderful mentors who took time to teach me valuable lessons about finance, investment, and real estate. Recently, I have had the honor of being your instructor. It is my hope that if you have a question about any of the above, you will consider me a safe person to ask!
To the officers and enlisted I had the privilege of serving alongside as permanent party, many of you now moving on to new bases: this is for you as well. You've earned some things through your service, and I want to make sure you know how to use them.
Here's what 22 years of service, a decade of real estate investing, and my time as a licensed real estate agent have taught me: if you serve long enough, and use your entitlements right, the military will buy you a house! Your VA loan benefit, coupled with your BAH, is one of the best tools you'll ever have. Too many of us waste these benefits, either by using them poorly, or not at all. My hope is that this page becomes a real resource for you: a place to understand your benefits, plan your PCS, and make the kind of smart, informed decisions that set you and your family up to be as blessed as I and my family have been.
So please, use what's here. And more than that — reach back out anytime, for anything. You don't need a reason, and you're never a bother. Students, I have put some considerable time into building comprehensive PCS guides for all of the bases you might be PCSing to. Let me know if they are missing anything, but hopefully you will find them a blessing. Also, feel free to use any of the resources you find here, including my loan fact sheets, calculators, and tools. I especially like the “Buy vs. Rent” tool.
One more thing: if you know anyone PCSing into San Antonio who could use some help on the real estate side, send them my way. Taking care of our people is what this is all about.
Proud to have served with you,
JUKE
Plain-English fact sheets on every major loan type — VA, VA assumable, Texas VLB, FHA, conventional, USDA, HELOC, and DSCR — plus how mortgage rates and 3-2-1 buydowns work, what's in your payment, Texas homebuyer programs, and a VA vs. FHA vs. Conventional comparison.
Mortgage payment, VA second-tier entitlement, and buy vs. rent calculators; a home value estimator; interactive builder, subdivision, and neighborhood maps; crime and school data lookups; and buyer, seller, post-closing, and PCS timeline checklists.
A free guide covering the move to Creech AFB near Indian Springs, NV — base overview, gate access, Las Vegas-area communities, BAH & VA loans, schools, and a week-by-week PCS timeline.
View / Download PDFA free guide covering the move to Ellsworth AFB near Rapid City, SD — base overview, gate access, area communities, BAH & VA loans, schools, and a week-by-week PCS timeline.
View / Download PDFA free guide covering the move to Hurlburt Field near Fort Walton Beach, FL — base overview, gate access, area communities, BAH & VA loans, schools, and a week-by-week PCS timeline.
View / Download PDFA free guide covering the move to Shaw AFB near Sumter, SC — base overview, gate access, area communities, BAH & VA loans, schools, and a week-by-week PCS timeline.
View / Download PDFA free guide covering the move to Cannon AFB near Clovis, NM — base overview, gate access, area communities, BAH & VA loans, schools, and a week-by-week PCS timeline.
View / Download PDFA free guide covering the move to Whiteman AFB near Warrensburg/Knob Noster, MO — base overview, gate access, area communities, BAH & VA loans, schools, and a week-by-week PCS timeline.
View / Download PDFCopy any card above, swap in the name, description, and link — new items can be added to any tab any time.
Questions? Contact Chad