BAH Buying Power
Automatic from the supplied Honolulu chart. Confirm with your LES or DTMO.
Automatic from the official Oahu COLA index (120, effective July 16, 2025) with your grade, service years and dependent status, computed from DTMO's published annual compensation and spendable income tables. The with-dependents estimate assumes one command-sponsored dependent; enter your LES amount for your exact figure. COLA is not a fixed amount and can change every pay period, and your lender must confirm whether it qualifies. Official DoD COLA lookup. Compare with COLA excluded before committing to a fixed payment.
Allowances & property costs
Standard 2026 BAS. Confirm eligibility and lender treatment; meals may be deducted on your LES.
Your monthly income
50% of gross monthly income, minus existing debts. Includes mortgage, tax, insurance and HOA. Not lender approval.
Pay effective Jan 1, 2026: DFAS basic pay · BAS table. Basic pay changes with grade and service, not dependents. No tax-free gross-up. New annual tables require a source update.
VA funding fee 2.15%
VA funding fee 2.15%
A temporary buydown can reduce payments in years 1 and 2. It does not increase qualifying buying power: lenders use the full note-rate payment. Seller pays the buydown cost. Seller Credit Optimizer
Your household housing budget of $4,442 covers a house up to about $645,575 or a condo up to about $568,300 at the selected rate.
See neighborhoods that fitHow this works
Basic pay comes from the dated DFAS table using pay grade and years of service. BAH uses the latest imported Honolulu chart and dependent status, unless you select a personal override. COLA is automatic from the official Oahu index with your grade, service and dependent status, or your LES amount when you override it. Household housing budget is 50% of monthly basic pay, BAH, selected BAS, included COLA, other qualifying allowances and spouse gross income, minus existing monthly debts. Each income is counted once, with no tax-free gross-up. Allowance mode uses the selected BAH share plus included COLA and extra budget instead. COLA is variable and not automatically lender-qualifying income. We solve for a 30-year VA loan payment, financed funding fee, property tax, insurance and HOA using the choices above. This is not lender approval. A temporary buydown changes early payments, not the qualifying note rate.
Frequently asked questions
Does BAH count as income for a VA loan?
Yes. Lenders count BAH as income for VA loans, and because it is not taxed many lenders gross it up. BAH also counts toward residual income. Your lender confirms how they treat it.
What if I PCS off island?
You can keep the home and rent it out, sell it, or in some cases let another eligible buyer assume your VA loan. BAH changes with your new duty station, so plan for the rent to cover the payment.
Can I buy above my BAH?
Yes. The household estimate includes basic pay, BAH, selected allowances and optional spouse income, then subtracts existing debts at a modeled 50% DTI. You can also compare against BAH only. Lenders must verify income, residual income, credit and entitlement.
When do 2027 BAH rates come out?
New BAH rates typically come out in mid December and take effect January 1.
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