Bangor Submarine Base, WA

Being a military family I am very aware of several businesses around military bases that offer a military discount. I know that I can go into Lowe's or Home Depot any day and ask for a military discount and receive a 10% off my total bill. Some places advertise the discount and some places offer it but don't advertise.

Today I was searching around the area for some specials for the community and found out that several of the stores at the Kitsap Mall are offering Military discounts now until December 31, 2011.

These discounts do make a difference in a military families budget. Military families on the average are young and there are more lower ranking families who are on the lower end of the pay scale. Any and all help is very much appreciated for these young families.

Here is the list of businesses that are offering the discount.

Activate Cellular
15% off plan for life

Aeropostale
10% off

American Eagle Outfitters -new*
10%

AT&T
15% off monthly service

Buckle
10% off

Champs
20% off

Charley’s Subs
10% off

Christopher & Banks
10% off

Cinnabon
15% off

CJ Banks
10% off

Hale’s Alehouse
10% off Food only

Hot Topic
10% off

Journeys
10% off

Just Sports
10% off

Kataluma Chai
25% off Thursdays only Or 50% anytime in uniform

Kay Jewelers
10% off selected items

La-Z Boy
5% off

LensCrafters
10% off frames/lenses**

Macy’s
10% off coupon Available at Fine Jewelry Counter

MasterCuts
20% off salon services

PacSun
10% off

Piercing Pagoda
10% off

Regis Salon
20% off enlisted only (Mon-Thursday)

Relax Massage
10% off

Romy
20% off Mondays 10% off Tuesday—Sunday

Sears
10% off
Regular Priced Tools Only

Seattle Team Shop
10% off

Spencers
10% off

Sprint
15% off

T-Mobile
10-20% off

Trade Secret
10% off

Whistle Workwear
5% off

Verizon
15% off primary line only 25% off accessories

Zales Jewelry
10% off selected items

U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 3rd Class Martin S. Fuentes. (RELEASED)

What are you doing with your BAH? Are you giving it to the PPV/Military Housing? Are you giving it to a landlord to pay THEIR mortgage? No matter what you are hearing in the media you have to remember that the market is different for everyone. Here in the West Sound there are some amazing opportunities for home buyers. You need to build for your future. Please call me today! As a military spouse I know what questions you have and can answer them for you from the perspective of a member of the military community - a true member.

Just a little reminder - Don't forget to give to Toys for Tots.

Toys for Tots is a Marine Corps Reserve community service project. You will see Marines in their dress blues at malls, shops and local businesses soliciting donations. If you see one of their barrels please make sure you drop something in. On the Toys for Tots official websiteyou can find a drop location, or take your donation to any ToysRus. Toys for Tots is very special to many families in our great country. The toys collected will be given to families in need in many areas.

My husband who is in the Navy was stationed with a Marine Corps unit in Anchorage, Alaska during the years of 2006-2009 and would gear up every year to go out "on remote delivery" for Toys for Tots. The Alaska Marines do this every year prior to Christmas. In 2008 there were two teams. Team #1 flew into Galena and delivered via snowmobile toys to the school in Ruby. Usually they travel to Koyukuk and Nulato too, but due to the warm weather up in Alaska and the late icing the toys for Koyukuk and Nulato would have to be flown in. The native guide they use told them it was too dangerous to ride the snowmobiles over the water. There were toys delivered to about 550 children and teens in the remote city/villages of Ruby, Koyukuk and Nulato. Team #2 flew into McGrath and delivered to Nikolai. There is a high school there that offers a trade school so they delivered to those teens. It is nice to know an organization that realizes older children are just as important.

For some of these kids this was the only gifts they received. For some these are the only toys they receive for a year. Until the next remote delivery arrives.

I know my husband enjoyed this part of his job tremendously - the adventure of the Alaska wilderness on snowmobiles in minus 10, 20 or 30 degree weather and the look on the kids faces when they brought in the toys - and yep one of the Marines dresses up as Santa.

REMOTE DELIVERY 2008

Delta(-)Company Anti-Terrorism Battalion

Anchorage Alaska

This is how Santa loads his sleigh to go remote. (Santa's sleigh is a C130)

Here is the gorgeous view flying over Mt McKinley area!

This is how Santa travels over the vast wilderness of the Alaska Bush -(with native guide Fred)

HO HO HO !! This is the first time some of these children have seen Santa or received a Toy

Fishing with Alaska Native Guide Fred

Just looking at these photos gave me a chill. My husband loved to do this. He learned so much about the Native Alaskan life and made some real fascinating connections. He was so amazed at how people with so little would feed them and give them jams, jellies, jerky and what ever they had to say thanks.

Interest rates have been so low for so long that home ownership for military members using their BAH has actually been a reality.

Never before has the military population owned a higher percentage of homes. The days of base living has changed drastically. With most installations switching over to PPV the climate has changed. The thought of waiting until retirement to purchase a home has become a scary thought in this economy.

So as a military member do you purchase a home?

It is a very complicated process which needs some investigation and education before making a decision. You should ask yourself some questions like these at the minimum.

• Do I have upfront money to buy a home?
• Can I get financing?
• Is my tour of duty going to be longer than 2 years before the next PCS?
• Will I have the opportunity to do another tour here or will I have an opportunity to come back?
• If I had to be a long distant landlord would I have the time or recourses?
• Could I afford a property manager?
• What if I had to pay the mortgage for 2-3 months while the home is waiting for new renters?

BUYING VS. RENTING

So after you have considered all the possibilities, searched the internet for information and asked around your shop. Are you ready to buy?

Being a military spouse and real estate professional it was still a decision that I wavered back and forth. After sitting down and writing out all the pros and cons my husband and I decided to purchase. My husband is in the Untied States Navy and at the time we decided to purchase we were looking at the second tour to Iraq, at living in southern California and at a PCS 30 days after his re-deployment. We didn't know where we were going, how long we would be there or how the finance industry would view our dreams.

My husband left for Iraq and I knew that I wanted our next PCS to be a "door to door". I started to look at houses in the Bremerton, Washington area over the internet. Having my license but not practicing in the state of Washington I had to find a real estate agent too. I was lucky because I had several contacts from my days of selling homes in Washington. On a trip up to Washington I viewed a property and made an offer with my POA.

My husband just so happen to call while I was in the process. I told him what I was doing and promised to email pictures when I arrived back home. I can tell you that it was not a totally smooth process, but I can also tell you that I am writing this article in the home office of the house that we purchased so, all in all a happy ending.

Do you own your home? Are you afraid of having to sell in 3, 4 or 5 years? If you are smart and do the right things then homeownership for a military member should not be scary!

LEAVING ON A JET PLANE......

That's the song that I sing when my husband heads out on a deployment. Yep, he is in the Navy but I have never had the pleasure of being involved with a Navy command. We have spent all of our years together hanging out with the Marine Corps.

Deployment can be a very difficult time in a military family's life so; we have to find the positives. Saving all the deployment pay is one! The first tour to Iraq that my husband went on was my first deployment experience as a military spouse. I knew a little about the extra pays and was eager to learn more. I did pay attention at the Deployment Brief. I took all the pamphlets and brochures I could carry. I remember the LtCol standing at the front of the meeting room leaning on the overhead projector and emphasizing about our budgets. He had projected up on the screen the extra pays that our spouses were going to receive.

• Hostile Fire Pay (HFP)/Imminent Danger Pay (IDP). $225.00 a month (HFP/IDP)
• Family Separation Allowance $250.00 (FSH OR FSA)
• Hardship Duty Pay-Location $100.00(HDP-L). Indicated as Save Pay on the Leave and Earnings Statement (LES)
• Depending on the Command and the Branch of Service the service member usually gets to keep their BAS - Basic Allowance for Subsistence -

  Enlisted: $323.87 a month

  Officers: $223.04 a month

That is a TON of extra pay!! But the bottom line gets even better because all the pay while deployed out side the country in several tax free zones is just that TAX FREE!!!!!

Now that does add up. Depending on the length of deployment you could end up with a pretty nice chuck of change for the purchase of a house, condo or vacant land. Remember how important it is for Military members to own real estate!!

Upon return service members usually receive per-diem pay too - that rounds around $3.50 per day and adds up too!!

So add this all together and you could be saving around $800.00 - $1000.00 per month. Multiply that buy the normal deployment of 7 months - oh except for the Army and IA's which is between 12-15 months and that is a huge amount to invest in your future.

Do you own your home? Are you afraid of having to sell in 3, 4 or 5 years? If you are smart and do the right things then home-ownership for a military member should not be scary!!!!

2010 BAH NAVAL BASE KITSAP | BREMERTON | BANGOR | PSNS | NAVAL HOSPITAL BREMERTON