Buying a House When Your Spouse Is Deployed

Last Updated on September 19, 2024 by Luke Feldbrugge

A deployment is one of the hardest things a member of the armed forces can experience in their military career. But it’s almost equally difficult for families who miss their loved ones and want to see them return safe. Many spouses dream of having their spouse come back to a brand-new house so they can jumpstart their lives stateside again. But buying a home is extremely complex, especially if your spouse is overseas and unable to help in the search. But, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible! Here are some tips when buying a house when your spouse is deployed.

Power of Attorney

Before you make any big decisions or sign any contracts, you’ll likely need to establish power of attorney between you and your deployed spouse. Essentially, giving someone power of attorney allows them to sign legal documents on someone else’s behalf. This is obviously critical for military members who are overseas and can’t sign things in person.

By taking on power of attorney for your spouse, you can be ready to sign on the dotted line to make sure you don’t miss out on the home you want. This is made even easier now that some law firms are now using online document management software, so no matter where you are, you can receive the documents you need to secure your home.

Once you’ve established power of attorney, you can then begin your house search in full force. Sign up with Homes for Heroes and we’ll match you with a local real estate specialist who can help you find your dream home. We’ll also connect you with one of our mortgage specialists who can help guide you through the intricacies of the homebuying process. Our lending partners are very familiar with VA loans and take great pride in helping military families achieve their goals.

Utilize Technology

Technology has made buying a home easier than ever by improving nearly every part of the process. Use technology to your advantage, particularly when it comes to involving your deployed spouse in the house hunt.

Sure, most listings include pictures online, but it can be difficult to get a true sense of space, not to mention the neighborhood, from a few still images alone. To help keep your spouse up-to-date when touring homes, send your own pictures and video using WhatsApp or Facebook. If possible, you could even try facetiming for a virtual tour. Real estate agents are also increasingly offering virtual tours of their properties, which can be a great way to explore a home from a distance.

Technology can also be useful for the more technical aspects of the homebuying process. Ask your lender or real estate agent if you can stream or record your meetings so your spouse can have all the information you do. Also, ask if your real estate professional offers electronic documents or signatures. Even if you’ve established power of attorney, digital signatures can make it easy to sign contracts or other documents from overseas. Plus, you can make sure you’re both looking at the same documents when you’re discussing options.

Save Money

Perhaps the best thing you can do to improve your homebuying experience is to save money on the purchase. After all, wouldn’t you love to tell your spouse how much you saved buying a house while they were deployed? By working with Homes for Heroes, military families can save on their real estate transaction, lending fees, title fees, home inspection fees and more. A military family saves an average of $2,400. That can buy quite the welcome home present!

Deployments are challenging enough; the homebuying process shouldn’t add to it. Homes for Heroes aims to be a supportive resource for all military families going through the homebuying process. It’s our way of saying thank you for the sacrifice all active military, veterans and their families make in service to our country.

Want your deployed spouse to return to a new house? Sign up today and let us help you navigate the homebuying process and save you money along the way.