The Platinum Group, REALTORS®Weldon HobbsColorado Springs | REALTOR®
Veteran | USAFA
Military, PCS & VA

Can I buy a Colorado Springs home remotely during a PCS?

ByWeldon HobbsTeam Hobbs RealtyPublished Last reviewed

Short answer: Yes. Military families buy Colorado Springs homes without being here all the time. You can tour by live and recorded video, rely on a professional home inspection, and sign your closing documents remotely, ahead of time, or through a spouse with a power of attorney. The title company coordinates how you sign, so tell your agent, lender, and title company your plans early. The paperwork is rarely the hard part. The real work is making a confident decision from a distance, and accepting that a home can feel a little different in person than it did on a screen.

What buying remotely actually looks like

A remote purchase follows the same steps as any other purchase: get pre-approved, tour homes, make an offer, inspect, appraise, and close. What changes is how you see the homes and how you sign.

Touring by video. When we tour for a family who isn't here yet, we start in the street and scan the neighborhood, then walk up to the house. Inside, we pause and rescan each room so you can keep your bearings, and use a tape measure so you can judge the size of rooms. We talk through the air conditioning, radon, the inspection, the HOA, and the contract and insurance deadlines as we go. We overshare, because you can't ask a follow-up question about something you never saw.

Your own sources. Many families aren't starting from zero. Some have lived in Colorado Springs before. Some have friends or family members here who can drive by a home or walk through it. Video tours plus people you trust on the ground cover a lot of what an in-person visit would.

House-hunting time. If you can make a trip, your service may let you take permissive TDY for house hunting in connection with your PCS. It's commonly up to 10 days, it doesn't count against your leave, and it's approved by your command. It doesn't include travel pay or per diem. Since February 26, 2026, Air Force and Space Force members can take their house-hunting days in increments rather than all at once under DAFI 36-3003; Army rules are in AR 600-8-10. Ask your unit what applies to you. A trip after you're under contract, during the inspection period, can also be worth it.

For the timeline itself, see how early to start buying before a PCS.

How closing works when you aren't here

The title company coordinates the signing. What I do is reach out early to find out what your plans are, so everyone can prepare. These are the common options, and your lender and title company decide which ones work for your loan.

Remote online notarization. Colorado has allowed remote online notarization since December 31, 2020, and the Colorado Secretary of State confirms that real estate deeds and other real estate documents can be notarized remotely. It isn't required, though, and not every lender or title underwriter accepts it for every loan. I've had remote closings with clients overseas, signing on the computer with a notary watching by video.

Signing with a notary where you are. Title can often send your documents to a notary or signing agent near you, wherever you're stationed, and you send the originals back.

Signing ahead of time. Depending on the loan, you can pre-sign much of your documentation, which makes the day at the table much shorter. You don't always have to sign on the closing date. I've had sellers sign days and even a week before closing because they weren't going to be here. The closing itself still depends on your lender's funds being in place and the documents being recorded.

A power of attorney. If one spouse can be at closing and the other can't, or neither can, a power of attorney lets someone else sign for you. Three things to know:

  • VA has its own rule. A general power of attorney usually isn't enough by itself for a VA loan. VA wants evidence that you, the veteran, knowingly agreed to this specific loan on this specific home, which is why lenders usually ask for a specific power of attorney that names the property and the loan. Lenders can add their own requirements, and many do an "alive and well" check on the day of closing.
  • Colorado records it. Colorado law requires a power of attorney used to convey or encumber real estate to be recorded, so the title company will typically need the signed original and will record it with the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder along with your closing documents.
  • Get it approved before anyone signs it. Send a draft to your lender and the title company first, and allow time to ship the original. Your installation's legal assistance office can prepare and notarize a power of attorney for free.

Where you sign can matter

This one surprises people. The state you're physically in when you sign can have its own rules.

I had VA clients selling a home in Florida and buying a home in Colorado Springs, with both closings on the same day. The Florida title company told us that if they signed the new Colorado loan while in Florida, they would owe a Florida tax on it. Florida charges a documentary stamp tax on a promissory note that's signed in Florida, even when the home is in another state. Our loan officer, one of the lenders we recommend, suggested they sign across the state line instead. They drove to Alabama, signed there, and saved a couple thousand dollars.

That's not a Colorado rule, and it won't apply to most people. The lesson is broader: if you'll be signing from another state or country, ask your lender and title company whether anything about that location changes the cost or the process.

VA and PCS details to plan around

  • Occupancy. VA loans are for homes you'll live in. VA generally treats moving in within 60 days of closing as reasonable, and a later date can work when it's tied to a specific event, such as your report date, usually within 12 months. When you're on active duty and can't live in the home yet, your spouse living there can satisfy the requirement. Your lender makes the call on your file.
  • Entitlement. If you still own a home at your current duty station, your lender can quickly confirm how much VA entitlement you have left. See keeping a home as a rental and using your VA benefit again and how to choose a VA lender.
  • Contract deadlines don't wait for travel. Colorado purchase contracts run on fixed deadlines for inspection, the appraisal, the loan, and insurance. Line up your inspector before you're under contract so the inspection happens on time whether you're here or not. See how long it takes to close.
  • Wire fraud. Remote buyers do more by email, which is what scammers count on. Before you wire any money, call the title company at a phone number you already know is theirs, never one from an email, and confirm the instructions.

What's specific to Colorado Springs

  • Colorado's rules help remote buyers. Remote online notarization is legal here, and Colorado purchase contracts are commonly signed electronically. The limits come from your lender and the title underwriter, not from state law.
  • Recording happens here. The power of attorney, deed, and deed of trust are recorded with the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder in Colorado Springs. Your title company handles that.
  • Local legal offices. If one of you is already here while the other is still at the old duty station, the legal office serving Peterson and Schriever Space Force Bases offers powers of attorney and notary services on a walk-in basis; call ahead to confirm hours. Fort Carson and the Air Force Academy have their own legal assistance offices.
  • The costs that don't show up on video. Two Colorado Springs homes at the same price can have very different property taxes, HOA dues, metro district taxes, and insurance costs. None of that is visible on a video tour, so it has to be part of the conversation. See why property taxes differ between similar homes, what a metro district is, what to review before buying in an HOA, and why homeowners insurance varies.

When a fully remote purchase makes sense, and when to slow down

It depends on your goals. What gives me confidence in a remote purchase:

  • We've talked through the known trade-offs. Taxes, insurance, and the HOA come first, because those are the costs you can't see on camera.
  • Both of you are in unison. When two people are making the decision, it matters that both feel the same way about the home, not just one. It's not my place to make that call, but I will ask the question: does everybody feel good about moving forward?
  • You've seen the neighborhood, not just the house. The video walkthroughs of the neighborhood matter most. The house itself has an added layer of protection because you'll have an inspection. The neighborhood doesn't come with one.

What the inspection does, and doesn't do. Your inspector documents the home thoroughly, with photos and often videos, and walks you through what they found. I don't interpret the inspection for you; your inspector does. Nothing is guaranteed, and no inspection catches everything, but a good report goes a long way toward replacing the in-person look you're missing.

There's always some risk the home won't be exactly as you pictured it. We all see things differently, and different things matter to each of us. If that risk feels too big, you have options: wait until you can make a house-hunting trip, have someone you trust walk through, or rent first. Renting first is always a viable option, even though for many military families it turns into a short stop before they settle in. See whether to rent or buy and living on base or off base.

A simple way to decide

  • If you know the area, or have people you trust here, a fully remote purchase is often very workable.
  • If both of you have seen the neighborhood on video and feel good about the full monthly cost, buying remotely can save you a second move.
  • If one of you has doubts, or the neighborhood still feels unknown, slow down: a house-hunting trip, a trusted local walkthrough, or renting first.
  • If you'll sign by power of attorney, get the draft approved by your lender and title company before anyone signs it.
  • If you'll be signing from another state or overseas, ask your lender and title company early whether that location changes anything.

What could change the answer

  • Your lender and title underwriter. Whether remote online notarization or a particular power of attorney is accepted is their decision, and it varies.
  • Your orders. A changed report date or a deployment changes your occupancy timing and who can sign.
  • Where you are when you sign. Another state or country may have its own requirements or costs.
  • Your loan type. VA, conventional, and FHA loans have different rules on powers of attorney, occupancy, and signing. See how to compare FHA, conventional, and VA financing.
  • Military policy. Permissive TDY rules differ by service and change from time to time.

When to talk with a professional

Your lender is the right person for VA power of attorney requirements, occupancy, and entitlement. The title company decides how and where you can sign. Your installation's legal assistance office, or a Colorado attorney, can prepare a power of attorney and answer legal questions about it. A home inspector is the right person to explain what they found in the home.

If you're PCSing to Colorado Springs and want to buy before you get here, I can help you plan the tours, the inspection, and the closing around your orders.

About the author

Weldon Hobbs is a Colorado Springs REALTOR® and co-founder of Team Hobbs Realty. He is a member of The Platinum Group, REALTORS®, Colorado Springs' #1 independent brokerage, which pairs deep local expertise with premium marketing exposure. A U.S. Air Force Academy graduate and retired Air Force veteran, he and his family made more than 10 military moves. Since 2006, he and his wife, Kristen, have bought and sold their own homes, managed a portfolio of rental properties, and guided others through their own real estate decisions. He has also helped both family members and clients downsize, where the decisions are often complex and the process can feel overwhelming. Drawing on his background as a PMP® (Project Management Professional), he helps people break those decisions into clear, manageable steps.

Since beginning his real estate career, he has ranked in the top 7% by sales volume among the more than 4,000 members of the Pikes Peak Association of REALTORS®. He works with military families, seniors and downsizing clients, luxury and premium home sellers, and people relocating to Colorado Springs. He developed the Life → Wealth → Real Estate™ method, hosts the national YouTube channel Life & Real Estate Without Regret, and holds an MBA along with the SRES® (Seniors Real Estate Specialist®), MRP (Military Relocation Professional), and Certified Financial Coach credentials. More about Weldon

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