PCS to Naval Station Norfolk: A Home Buying Guide

Starting Your PCS to Hampton Roads

Naval Station Norfolk is described by the Department of Defense as the largest naval complex in the world, and orders here bring thousands of families to Hampton Roads every year. A few steps come before house hunting.

1. Build your moving checklist. Plan My Move creates a customized PCS timeline.
2. Call the Navy Housing Service Center. It is at 7924 14th Street in Norfolk, 757-445-2832 or 1-800-628-7510, weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Staff cover privatized and government housing, the Rental Partnership Program and counseling for buying in the community.
3. Look up your housing allowance. BAH is set by duty-station location, pay grade and dependency status. Use the official BAH rate lookup for current rates, which reset each January.
4. Use the Military and Family Support Center at the installation for relocation assistance.

Sources: Military OneSource and the Defense Travel Management Office, September 2026.

VA Loans, Legal Protections and Virginia Taxes

VA home loans

• A Certificate of Eligibility proves your entitlement to a lender. You can request it online, through your lender, or by mail.
• VA purchase loans require no down payment when the price is not above the appraised value, and carry no monthly mortgage insurance.
• The one-time funding fee is waived for several groups, including veterans receiving service-connected disability compensation and active-duty Purple Heart recipients who document it before closing.

Servicemembers Civil Relief Act

• Interest on obligations taken on before service is capped at 6% during service, and for mortgages for a year afterward.
• Non-judicial foreclosure on a pre-service mortgage is generally barred during service and for 12 months after.
• A residential lease can be ended without penalty after PCS orders, or deployment orders of 90 days or more.

Virginia and Norfolk tax rules

• Virginia exempts the principal residence of a veteran rated 100% service-connected permanent and total from real estate tax, with no income test. Norfolk administers it at 741 Monticello Avenue, 757-823-1130.
• Norfolk exempts vehicles of active-duty members whose home of record is outside Virginia, with a current LES or W-2 each year. Since 2019 a spouse may elect the member's residence for tax purposes. Contact [email protected] or 757-664-7884.

Other installations in the region

• JEB Little Creek-Fort Story, at the northwest corner of Virginia Beach, extending into Norfolk
• NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach
• Norfolk Naval Shipyard on the Elizabeth River in Portsmouth
• Joint Base Langley-Eustis, split between Hampton and Newport News
• Naval Weapons Station Yorktown in York County

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