Why BAH Isn't Your Real Buying Power

Everyone online loses their mind arguing about BAH like it's the only thing that decides what house you can buy. It's not even close to the full picture. In this episode I break down what lenders actually look at (your debt, your credit score, your residual income, and the property type you're buying) and why an E-4 with clean credit and no debt can out-qualify an officer who's buried in truck payments. I also walk through how VA loan house hacking on a duplex, triplex, or fourplex lets you qualify for more house than you ever could on a single-family, using a real example of a single E-5 who bought a $1.2 million fourplex in San Diego and lived there for free.   Timestamps (00:00) - Intro (00:55) - Buying Power Isn't Just BAH (02:38) - Credit Score and Utilization Rate (04:47) - VA Residual Income Rule (05:59) - E-5 Buys $1.2M Fourplex (07:16) - Stop Obsessing Over BAH (08:45) - Don't Overspend Your Approval (11:00) - Free Agent and Lender Match   About the Show On the Military Millionaire Podcast, I share real conversations with service members, veterans, and their families. Each week, we explore how to build wealth through personal finance, entrepreneurship, and real estate investing. Get an intro to my recommended VA lenders and/or real estate agents: https://www.frommilitarytomillionaire.com/va-realtor  Resources & Links Download a free copy of my book: https://www.frommilitarytomillionaire.com/free-book Sign up for free webinar trainings: https://www.frommilitarytomillionaire.com/register Get an intro to recommended VA agents/lenders: https://www.frommilitarytomillionaire.com/va-realtor Apply for The War Room Mastermind: https://www.frommilitarytomillionaire.com/mastermind-application Join our investor list: https://www.frommilitarytomillionaire.com/investors Guide to raising capital: https://www.frommilitarytomillionaire.com/capital-raising-guide   Connect with David Pere Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/militarymillionaire YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Frommilitarytomillionaire?sub_confirmation=1 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frommilitarytomillionaire/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-pere/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/militaryrei TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@militarymillionaire   Produced by ⁠UNFLTR