No Chamber of Commerce version. Just the data — BAH by rank, which city actually fits your budget, VA loan specifics for Texas, and a 60–90 day timeline that gets you into a home before your report date.
Fort Hood — formerly Fort Cavazos, the name restored in July 2025 — is the largest active-duty Army installation in the Western Hemisphere, home to approximately 36,000 active-duty personnel and their families. It sits in Bell County, Texas, roughly 60 miles north of Austin on I-35.
The installation drives housing demand across four distinct cities: Killeen, Harker Heights, Belton, and Temple. Each has a different commute, price range, school district, and lifestyle. Choosing the wrong one costs money — and costs you options when your next set of orders arrives.
Bell County is currently a buyer’s market. Temple’s median sold price is $265,000 (down ~4% YoY), inventory sits at approximately 6.9 months of supply, and homes average 69 days on market. Builders across Killeen, Temple, and Harker Heights are offering rate buydowns and closing cost credits.
On-base housing at Fort Hood is privatized through Corvias Military Living. It’s an option — but it comes with real tradeoffs that most incoming families don’t find out until they’re already on a waitlist.
When you live in government or privatized on-base housing, you surrender your BAH directly to the housing contractor. You pay nothing out of pocket — but you also build zero equity. Off-base, you keep your BAH and apply it toward a mortgage. Over a 3-year tour at $1,500/month, that’s $54,000 in mortgage payments — a meaningful portion of which goes to principal reduction and equity if you bought rather than rented.
| Factor | On-Base (Corvias) | Off-Base (Buy) | Off-Base (Rent) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly out-of-pocket | $0 (BAH surrendered) | $0–$200 over BAH | $0–$300 over BAH |
| Equity built | None | Yes — every payment | None |
| Asset when you PCS | None | Sell, rent, or IRRRL | None |
| Waitlist risk | High (peak PCS May–Aug) | None | None |
| School district control | Limited by assignment | You choose the neighborhood | You choose the neighborhood |
| Flexibility on next orders | Walk away, no assets | Rent it out or sell | Walk away, no assets |
Bottom line: On-base housing makes sense if you have less than 18 months on your orders, if your family situation makes off-base logistics difficult, or if your rank doesn’t support a purchase. For everyone else — especially E-6 and above with dependents — off-base buying is almost always the stronger financial move in Bell County’s current market.
The buy-vs-rent question has a different answer in Bell County than it does in most high-cost markets. Housing is affordable enough here that BAH at mid-grade enlisted ranks actually covers a mortgage — not just rent.
BAH: ~$1,500/month. Median 3BR home in Killeen: ~$220,000. VA loan (0% down), 6.5% rate: ~$1,392/month (P&I). + Property taxes (Killeen ~1.98%): ~$363/month. + Homeowners insurance: ~$120/month. Total PITI: ~$1,875/month — approximately $375 over BAH. Comparable 3BR rentals in Killeen run $1,460–$1,641/month with zero equity.
Each city near Fort Hood serves a different buyer profile. This is the 60-second version.
| City | Commute | Median Home | School District | Best Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Killeen | 5–15 min | ~$220K | Killeen ISD | E-4–E-6, budget-first |
| Harker Heights | 15–20 min | ~$332K | Killeen ISD | E-6/E-7, safer neighborhoods |
| Belton | 20–30 min | ~$320K | Belton ISD (A-rated) | O-grade, schools priority |
| Temple | 25–40 min | ~$255K | Temple ISD / Belton ISD* | O-grade, dual-income, BSW |
*Parts of west Temple fall within Belton ISD boundaries. Always verify school zoning by address before making an offer.
The single biggest mistake PCS buyers make in Bell County: waiting until they arrive to start their housing search. By the time you’re living out of a hotel on TLA, you’re making decisions under pressure. Start 60–90 days before your report date.
Contact a lender who does VA loans in Bell County. You need your COE, 2 months of LES, and 2 years of W-2s. Local lenders: Extraco Banks, RBFCU.
Give them your rank, dependency status, school priorities, and commute limits so they can shortlist neighborhoods before you visit.
Most Bell County agents can do FaceTime walkthroughs. You do not need to be physically present to make an offer in Texas.
In a buyer’s market with 69 days average on market, you have room to negotiate seller concessions toward closing costs.
Gather these before you contact a lender — it speeds up pre-approval significantly.
PCS Orders (signed, dated — needed for the military orders clause) · Certificate of Eligibility (COE) · Leave and Earnings Statement (LES), most recent 2 months · W-2s or tax returns, 2 years · Government-issued ID · DD-214 if separated/retired · Bank statements, 2–3 months, for closing costs (typically $3,000–$6,000 in Bell County even on a zero-down VA loan).
Texas real estate contracts have a few features that are different from other states — and that matter especially for VA buyers and military families.
| Contract Term | What It Means for You |
|---|---|
| Option Period (5–7 days) | A small, non-refundable fee ($200–$500) buys the right to terminate for any reason. This is your inspection window. Do not waive it. |
| VA Amendatory Clause | Required by law on all VA contracts. If the VA appraisal comes in below purchase price, you are not obligated to proceed. |
| Military Orders Clause | Lets you terminate and recover earnest money if new PCS orders make the purchase impractical. Always include this. |
| Earnest Money | Typically 1% of price in Bell County (~$2,000–$3,000). Refundable during the option period; at risk after. |
This hub page covers the essentials. Each spoke guide below goes all the way in on one topic.
For most E-6 and above with dependents, buying beats renting in Bell County within 18–24 months. The 2026 BAH rate for an E-6 with dependents is approximately $1,500/month — enough to cover PITI on a $220,000–$255,000 home. The math favors buying if your tour is 2+ years and you have clean VA loan eligibility.
Killeen (5–15 min, ~$220K, E-4–E-6 budget-first), Harker Heights (15–20 min, ~$332K, E-6/E-7 safer neighborhoods), Belton (20–30 min, ~$320K, A-rated schools), and Temple (25–40 min, ~$255K, dual-income/BSW families).
Start 60–90 days before your report date. Pre-approval takes 1–2 weeks; search, offer, and option period take 2–3 weeks; closing on a VA loan takes 30–45 days.
Signed PCS orders, Certificate of Eligibility, 2 months of LES, 2 years of W-2s, government ID, DD-214 if applicable, and 2–3 months of bank statements for closing costs.