Your numbers
Filled in from the 2026 DoD rate for your base. Change it if yours is different.
An estimate. Your lender quotes the real number for the home you pick.
Veterans with a VA disability rating are usually exempt.
Your assumption. Nobody can promise appreciation.
Rent with your BAH
Equity after
$0
Own with your VA loan
Equity after
Equity, year by year
Renting: what your BAH sends to a landlord. Owning: the equity in your name at the end of each year.
Annual schedule
Your VA loan, one year at a time.
| Year | Interest | Principal | Loan balance | Home value | Equity | Rent paid instead |
|---|
2026 BAH rates
| Grade | With dependents | Without dependents |
|---|
Source: Defense Travel Management Office, 2026 BAH rates. Confirm your own rate with your finance office or LES.
How BAH works in Arizona
The short version, so you can plan your next set of orders.
It follows your duty station
BAH is set by the ZIP code of your permanent duty station, not where you choose to live. Live closer, live farther, rent or buy: the amount is the same.
It's yours to spend
BAH is paid whether you rent, buy or live with family. If your mortgage is less than your BAH, the difference stays in your pocket.
Rate protection
If the rate for your area drops while you're stationed there, you keep the higher rate. If it goes up, you get the increase.
The VA loan side
- No down payment with full entitlement
- No monthly mortgage insurance
- The funding fee can be financed, and Veterans with a VA disability rating are usually exempt
- When orders come, many Veterans keep the home and rent it out