Military relocation guide
PCS planning
These are overlapping tasks, not a rigid sequence — most families run several of them at once. What matters is knowing which one is holding up the rest.
Research the destination, but hold off on permanent decisions. Military OneSource cautions against decisions such as buying a home before orders are in hand. Use this window to learn the communities, compare loan programs, and get your financing questions lined up.
Military OneSource: preparing to moveContact your transportation or personal property office for counseling and confirm your entitlements. Official orders — or an authorized letter in lieu of orders — are what allow a move to be booked. You do not need a final street address to start scheduling.
Military OneSource: PCS moving FAQsHill's newcomer guidance directs arriving members to obtain housing counseling before signing a lease or sales contract, and Hill's military housing office asks to be contacted as soon as you know you are moving to Hill. That conversation can happen while you are still out of state.
Hill AFB newcomersArriving members report to their unit's commander support staff during normal duty hours; after-hours arrivals report the next duty day, and the squadron schedules newcomer orientation. Stay in contact with your gaining-unit sponsor.
Hill AFB check-in proceduresHousing
Hill's family housing is privatized and operated by Boyer Hill Military Housing. Eligible members may apply for that housing or buy and rent in the surrounding community. Because a privatized home involves a tenant lease, treat it like any other housing decision: ask about availability, wait lists, floor plans, and the lease terms directly. Housing availability changes and is not guaranteed.
Air Force Housing: Hill AFBBasic Allowance for Housing is housing compensation based on local civilian housing costs when government quarters are not provided, and DoD computes it from rental-housing and utility-cost data — not from your individual mortgage. Look up your own rate by year, duty-station ZIP code, pay grade, and dependency status on the official rate lookup, and confirm unusual situations with finance.
DTMO BAH rate lookupYour household-goods weight allowance depends on your circumstances, including the rank on your orders, and moving above the authorized allowance can result in charges to you. A personally procured move means arranging the move yourself; transportation-office counseling and documentation, including weight tickets, are part of that path. Do not plan around a reimbursement figure until you have had that counseling.
Military OneSource: PCS entitlementsHousing availability, wait lists, and entitlements change. Confirm your own situation with the military housing office, your transportation office, and finance — not with a forum post or a neighbor's experience.
Communities
There is no single "best" city near Hill — the right one depends on your commute, budget, and how long you expect to stay. Each community page below covers what that city actually offers, with sources.
Where Raquel is based — a Davis County community on the eastern shore of the Great Salt Lake, with the Syracuse Recreation Area and a large county park on its edge.
Community guideThe largest city in Davis County, built around the Layton Parkway corridor, the Layton Hills shopping district, and the Frontier Freeway connection toward Hill.
Community guideA Davis County city on the west side of I-15, close to the Hill AFB access roads and the western edge of the Wasatch Front.
Community guideAlso serving Ogden, Roy, Clinton, and Salt Lake City — call or email to talk through anywhere on the Wasatch Front.
Commute
Two homes ten minutes apart can feel completely different depending on which gate you report to and which direction traffic runs. These are the factors I ask about first.
Questions worth asking
Look up the rate for your duty-station ZIP code, pay grade, and dependency status on the official lookup, then confirm anything unusual with finance.
BAH rate lookupMilitary OneSource publishes rent-versus-buy resources, financial calculators, and financial counseling. Work the numbers before you commit to either.
Housing and living guideA COE establishes that you are eligible for the VA home loan benefit based on your service. It is not loan approval — a lender still underwrites the loan.
VA loan eligibilityThe VA funding fee is generally a one-time fee with exemptions for qualifying borrowers, and no down payment does not mean no closing costs.
Funding fee and closing costsVA states the loan must be current and the purchaser must meet VA credit and income underwriting standards, with the assumption processed by the current loan holder or servicer. It is not automatic because a listing says 'assumable'.
VA assumption guidanceIf the gaining unit has not assigned one, ask for a sponsor. Sponsorship is the official channel for help before, during, and after the move.
Hill sponsorshipOfficial resources
Listed at 801-777-4681, 5837 D Avenue, Building 150. Confirm hours and available services before you travel.
800-342-9647, with secure live chat available. Free, confidential support for moves and relocation questions.
Official installation guidance for arriving members, including housing counseling and in-processing.
The official starting point for on-base housing questions and the privatized housing operator.
Send your reporting date and the questions you have. I will help you sort the housing, financing, and community decisions into an order that works.
