Can someone explain the wealthy military officer phenomenon?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Got married early, earned extra for every deployment since were married. Lived cheaply on base or got the housing and family allowance (tax free) and bought houses in every state they were based. When dh was active duty, he got like $3k in housing allowance in the DC area which paid our mortgage and it was tax free.
Free healthcare for the military member, much reduced healthcare for kids, reduced cost daycare, tax free groceries and booze, VA loans (dh is considered sufficiently disabled so we get no cost refis), no student debt. Also much better to go in as officers and not enlisted.

They also earn money from renting out any houses owned outright.

Where do you think they're getting all this money to own houses outright?
The housing allowances were laid out earlier. How many houses you think we're able to buy with that? I don't understand why everyone seems to think this "great tax-free housing" is unlimited and we're buying multiple houses...the reality is most military can barely afford to buy one. I mean w.t.f.

Are all officers in one house??

I don’t understand the question.

[Anonymous]

My spouse pivoted and did something entirely different after retirement, on purpose. His experience was transferable in some aspects, but he didn't go to military lobbying, consulting etc. Non military stuff. I've worked throughout. We have made lots of sacrifices on the way including times where it felt like we were subsidizing parts of his military duty with both family time and finances - though I know the benefits make it a wash. We are currently quite wealthy. Assumptions don't work well with military families (or anyone).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think OPs point is that some might be pompous and self righteous. Not all, of course.

Probably a greater indicator of the DMV than the military. You can’t tell me it’s the military that are bringing the pompousness in the area!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Got married early, earned extra for every deployment since were married. Lived cheaply on base or got the housing and family allowance (tax free) and bought houses in every state they were based. When dh was active duty, he got like $3k in housing allowance in the DC area which paid our mortgage and it was tax free.
Free healthcare for the military member, much reduced healthcare for kids, reduced cost daycare, tax free groceries and booze, VA loans (dh is considered sufficiently disabled so we get no cost refis), no student debt. Also much better to go in as officers and not enlisted.

They also earn money from renting out any houses owned outright.

Where do you think they're getting all this money to own houses outright?
The housing allowances were laid out earlier. How many houses you think we're able to buy with that? I don't understand why everyone seems to think this "great tax-free housing" is unlimited and we're buying multiple houses...the reality is most military can barely afford to buy one. I mean w.t.f.

Are all officers in one house??

I'm not the poster you quoted, but I don't understand your question.

PP claimed multiple houses.

I still don’t understand. You’re asking if every single military officer is housed under one roof?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Got married early, earned extra for every deployment since were married. Lived cheaply on base or got the housing and family allowance (tax free) and bought houses in every state they were based. When dh was active duty, he got like $3k in housing allowance in the DC area which paid our mortgage and it was tax free.
Free healthcare for the military member, much reduced healthcare for kids, reduced cost daycare, tax free groceries and booze, VA loans (dh is considered sufficiently disabled so we get no cost refis), no student debt. Also much better to go in as officers and not enlisted.

They also earn money from renting out any houses owned outright.

Where do you think they're getting all this money to own houses outright?
The housing allowances were laid out earlier. How many houses you think we're able to buy with that? I don't understand why everyone seems to think this "great tax-free housing" is unlimited and we're buying multiple houses...the reality is most military can barely afford to buy one. I mean w.t.f.

Are all officers in one house??

I'm not the poster you quoted, but I don't understand your question.

PP claimed multiple houses.

I still don’t understand. You’re asking if every single military officer is housed under one roof?

I’m confused too. If you follow the thread there was a claim military people rent out the houseS (multiple) they own that were purchased with a housing allowance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Got married early, earned extra for every deployment since were married. Lived cheaply on base or got the housing and family allowance (tax free) and bought houses in every state they were based. When dh was active duty, he got like $3k in housing allowance in the DC area which paid our mortgage and it was tax free.
Free healthcare for the military member, much reduced healthcare for kids, reduced cost daycare, tax free groceries and booze, VA loans (dh is considered sufficiently disabled so we get no cost refis), no student debt. Also much better to go in as officers and not enlisted.

They also earn money from renting out any houses owned outright.

Where do you think they're getting all this money to own houses outright?
The housing allowances were laid out earlier. How many houses you think we're able to buy with that? I don't understand why everyone seems to think this "great tax-free housing" is unlimited and we're buying multiple houses...the reality is most military can barely afford to buy one. I mean w.t.f.

Are all officers in one house??

I'm not the poster you quoted, but I don't understand your question.

PP claimed multiple houses.

I still don’t understand. You’re asking if every single military officer is housed under one roof?

I’m confused too. If you follow the thread there was a claim military people rent out the houseS (multiple) they own that were purchased with a housing allowance.

Sure some do. But not all- I actually know very few who have done that. And generally they won’t own those houses outright, they will be using the rental income to pay a mortgage. It’s not always by choice either—sometimes the housing market drops right before they PCS and they can’t sell the house without a short sale or other massive financial loss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:VA loans for housing and turning it into rentals when you change locations; pension + high VA disability + TSP + good savings from LCOL areas.

Spouses not working is a symptom of a lot of military life - moving every two years especially when most of it was before remote work was a thing.

I have family members who were retired military who accumulated significant wealth this way. They bought houses (multiple) in e.g., San Diego and DC in the ‘70’s & 80’s and held on to them. Lived very well on pension + rental income + good health insurance and left significant estates when they died.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Straw man. Base officer housing might not be that nice (though why you brought up enlisted housing I have no idea), but BHA definitely is.

Married to an officer. We don’t have access to base housing. Many in the Bethesda area don’t.

This isn't true at all. You have access to base housing on other bases, but you choose to live in Bethesda. You can go to Ft. Mead, Andrews, Bolling, etc.

I actually can’t. Husband has to live within a certain radius of the hospital.

You can live where ever you want. The rule is for your husband, not you and you can live in a cheaper area and not just Bethesda.

That would be stupid. Then they’re paying for 2 households. I hope you don’t give “advice” for a living.