Brevard County · Buying
Military move (PCS) and buying in Brevard County
A plan built around your report date, with VA loan steps if you use one.
Free · Agents who know Brevard County · Every step in one app
A PCS move brings a lot at once: a report date, packing, goodbyes, and maybe buying a home in a place you’ve barely seen. Buying from far away on a fixed timeline can feel like a leap.
That feeling is normal, and you are far from the first to do it. Service members buy homes on tight schedules and from a distance all the time, with a clear plan and the right people helping.
There is a clear path: build the plan around your report date, get your VA Certificate of Eligibility if you’ll use the benefit, get preapproved, tour in person or by video, and line up closing with your move.
What’s different for you
- Set the report date. Moving Day around your orders.
- Use your VA benefit if it fits. Your eligibility certificate first.
- Buy from afar. Sign in the app; your agent tours for you.
When you start in CloseHive from this page, your plan already includes these steps, along with the usual ones for buying in Brevard County. You always see what to do next, and your agent handles the how.
What to know
The VA home loan benefit in plain words
A VA-backed purchase loan is made by a lender you choose and backed by the VA. VA says there’s no down payment as long as the price isn’t higher than the home’s appraised value, and no private mortgage insurance. Closing costs are fewer, and the seller may pay some. Seller concessions (credits from the seller) are capped at 4% of the home’s reasonable value as shown on the VA Notice of Value.
Your Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
The COE shows a lender you qualify for the VA benefit. Service members generally need at least 90 continuous days of active duty; veterans, Guard and Reserve members have their own service rules. You can request it online at VA.gov, ask your lender to request it for you, or mail VA Form 26-1880. On active duty, you’ll also need a statement of service signed by your commander, adjutant or personnel officer.
The VA funding fee
Most VA buyers pay a one-time funding fee, which can be added to the loan. For a purchase, it’s 2.15% the first time with less than 5% down, 1.5% with 5% or more down, and 1.25% with 10% or more down. After the first use, it’s 3.3% with less than 5% down. You don’t pay it if you receive VA compensation for a service-connected disability, are a surviving spouse receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, or show proof of a Purple Heart on active duty by closing, among other exemptions.
You must plan to live there
VA loans are for a home you will live in. Federal law has you certify that you intend to live in the home. If you’re on active duty and can’t live there because of your service, your spouse can meet that requirement by living there, and in some cases a dependent can. Your lender also has occupancy rules; ask them how they apply to your orders.
Leaving a lease when orders come
If you rent now and get PCS or deployment orders for more than 90 days, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act lets you end a residential lease early without penalty. Give your landlord written notice and a copy of your orders. The lease generally ends 30 days after your next monthly rent payment is due.
Florida property tax help for service members
Florida’s homestead exemption is for a home you own and live in as your permanent home on January 1; in Brevard, apply by March 1. A homesteaded service member who was deployed outside the continental United States, Alaska or Hawaii in support of certain military operations can get an extra exemption based on days deployed, applied for by March 1 of the following year. An honorably discharged veteran with a service-connected total and permanent disability who lives in Florida on January 1 can qualify for a full exemption on the homestead.
Buying from far away
You can tour by live video, have your agent preview homes, and use a home inspection to see what you can’t see on a screen. Ask your agent and lender early how documents will be signed and whether any part of closing needs to happen in person or with a notary, so your report date isn’t at risk.
Your options
What to gather
- Your PCS orders and report date
- Your VA Certificate of Eligibility, or a request started online or through your lender
- A statement of service signed by your commander, adjutant or personnel officer (active duty)
- Your Leave and Earnings Statements and bank statements for the lender
- A preapproval and Loan Estimates from more than one lender
- A plan for remote tours and the home inspection
- Your landlord notice and a copy of orders, if you’re ending a lease
- Your VA disability rating letter, if you have one, for the funding fee and property tax exemptions
- A note to apply for the homestead exemption by March 1 after you move in
Mistakes to avoid
- Waiting too long to get the COE. Request it as soon as you know you’ll buy, so it doesn’t hold up your preapproval.
- Treating the appraisal as an inspection. The appraisal sets the value for the loan. A separate home inspection tells you about the home’s condition.
- Paying the funding fee when you’re exempt. If you have a service-connected disability rating or another exemption, make sure your lender has the proof before closing.
- Closing too close to your report date. Leave a cushion in case closing slips by a few days.
Brevard County in numbers
- The typical home in Brevard County is worth about $339,600, and 77% of homes are lived in by their owners.
- Typical rent here is about $1,556 a month, including utilities.
Free help
Questions people ask
Can I buy before I arrive?
Many service members do; your agent and lender plan it with you.
Can I buy a home before I arrive in Brevard?
Yes. Many service members buy from a distance with video tours, an inspection and documents signed remotely where allowed. Ask your agent and lender early how closing will work.
Do I need a down payment with a VA loan?
VA says no down payment is needed as long as the price isn’t higher than the home’s appraised value. Your lender may still have its own requirements.
How much is the VA funding fee?
For a first-time purchase with less than 5% down, it’s 2.15% of the loan; it drops to 1.5% with 5% down and 1.25% with 10% down. After first use, it’s 3.3% with less than 5% down. Some buyers, like those receiving VA disability compensation, are exempt.
Can my spouse live in the home if I deploy?
Yes. If you’re on active duty and can’t live in the home because of your service, your spouse living there can meet the VA occupancy requirement.
How do I get my Certificate of Eligibility?
Request it online at VA.gov, ask your lender to get it through VA’s system, or mail VA Form 26-1880. Active-duty members also need a signed statement of service.
Can I break my lease when I get PCS orders?
Under the SCRA, if your orders last more than 90 days you can end a residential lease early by giving written notice and a copy of your orders. It generally ends 30 days after your next rent payment is due.
Are there Florida property tax breaks for service members?
Yes. Beyond the homestead exemption, Florida has an extra exemption for deployed service members and a full exemption for veterans with a service-connected total and permanent disability. The Brevard County Property Appraiser can tell you what you qualify for.
Can seller money cover my closing costs?
Often, yes. VA allows seller concessions up to 4% of the home’s reasonable value, and buyers and sellers can negotiate who pays many closing costs.