Moving to San Diego on PCS?

You have orders to San Diego. Now you need to figure out where to live, what you can afford, and how to buy from 1,500 miles away without making an expensive mistake.

This guide gives you the answers before you start your search.

I'm Hilary Reese, a San Diego Realtor who works with military families on PCS. My family served in the Coast Guard for 22 years. I was the spouse on orders, and we bought and sold homes in three states. I built this guide around the questions I wish someone had answered for us.

What's inside:

✔ 2026 San Diego BAH rates for every enlisted, warrant officer, and officer paygrade, including O1E to O3E, plus what your BAH adds up to over a 3-year tour
✔ Your PCS entitlements explained: TLE, travel per diem, DLA, and San Diego's new COLA
✔ The California tax advantage: how the SCRA can keep your military pay free from California income tax
✔ The VA buying process and VA loan process, step by step
✔ What it really costs to buy with a VA loan: earnest money, down payment, and closing costs
✔ Neighborhood breakdowns with price ranges and base commutes for Coronado, Point Loma, Imperial Beach, Chula Vista, South Park, Bay Park, and La Mesa
✔ Answers to the questions PCS buyers ask most
✔ Why so many families choose to stay in San Diego after the military

This guide is for you if:
You're active duty or a military spouse PCSing to San Diego, you're thinking about using your VA loan, and you want to show up informed instead of overwhelmed.

Download it, read it on your phone, and when you're ready to talk through your timeline, I'm here.