Buying near Joint Base Charleston, Shaw, Fort Jackson or Beaufort: a guide for military families

A state with deep military roots

South Carolina is home to several major installations, among them Joint Base Charleston, Shaw Air Force Base near Sumter, Fort Jackson in Columbia, and Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort with the Parris Island recruit depot nearby. Each sits in a different county, and the county decides much of what follows.

Limits are SC Housing's 2026/2027 figures, effective for reservations on or after June 1, 2026. Families stationed near Shaw or in the Beaufort area benefit from the targeted-county rule, which lets someone who owned a home elsewhere in the past three years still qualify, as long as they own no home at closing.

The veteran exception to the first-time buyer rule

In the twelve non-targeted counties, which include Charleston and Richland, SC Housing normally requires that you have had no ownership interest in a home for three years. Its Homebuyer Program guide carves out an exception for veterans who served on active duty, not merely for training, and received a discharge other than dishonorable. The guide calls this a one-time exemption, and it is not available to someone who has already used a bond-funded waiver. Ask your lender to confirm your eligibility using your DD-214.

Pairing a VA loan with SC Housing assistance

SC Housing offers its 30-year fixed loans as VA loans, alongside FHA, USDA and conventional options. The VA loan's own features remain intact. According to va.gov:

• No down payment is required, and there is no monthly mortgage insurance.
• The funding fee on a first-use purchase is 2.15% with less than 5% down, 1.5% with 5% or more, and 1.25% with 10% or more. After first use, the under-5% fee is 3.3%.
• Veterans receiving service-connected disability compensation, eligible surviving spouses receiving DIC, service members with a pre-discharge rating and active-duty Purple Heart recipients are exempt.
• The funding fee can be financed, and seller concessions are capped at 4% of reasonable value.

Because a VA loan needs no down payment, the $10,000 in SC Housing assistance can go toward closing costs and prepaids instead. SC Housing still requires a 640 credit score and homebuyer education.

Palmetto Heroes for service members

SC Housing's 2026 Palmetto Heroes list included active-duty members and veterans of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard, and South Carolina National Guard and Air National Guard reservists. The 2026 round ran from March 16 to April 13 and has closed. No 2027 dates have been announced. Our guide to preparing for the next Palmetto Heroes round explains how to be ready.

Property taxes for service members

The 4% ratio when your home of record is elsewhere

Section 12-43-220(c) of the South Carolina Code treats an active-duty service member whose permanent duty station is in South Carolina as a legal resident and domiciled here for purposes of the 4% assessment ratio, even if their legal home is another state. Richland County's assessor adds that service members who keep South Carolina as their legal residence while stationed elsewhere may also qualify, and that military applicants reapply each year. Bring your orders and leave and earnings statement when you apply. Our legal residence guide covers the general process.

Disabled veterans

The South Carolina Department of Revenue exempts the home and up to five acres of a veteran with a total, permanent, service-connected disability, along with up to two private passenger vehicles. A 2024 change lets the exemption begin in the year the disability occurs, and surviving spouses may claim it in the same way even if the veteran never did. The Department suggests applying online through MyDORWAY.

Orders, moves and your assistance: please read this carefully

Military families move, and that matters more here than almost anywhere else in this guide. SC Housing's Homebuyer Program guide states that the $10,000 forgivable second mortgage must be repaid in full upon sale, upon refinance, or if the home is no longer your primary residence before the 15-year term ends. It also does not allow subordination.

In plain terms, if you receive orders in year four and decide to rent the house out, the full $10,000 would come due. Renting the home usually ends the 4% legal residence ratio as well. The statute does contain a special provision for owners with permanent change of station orders, so speak with your county assessor before you decide.

That does not mean you should avoid SC Housing assistance. It means you should weigh it against how long you expect to stay. Some families conclude that a VA loan alone, without the second mortgage, gives them more freedom to keep the house as a rental later. Others are confident in a long assignment or plan to retire nearby, and the assistance serves them well. Your lender can price the loan both ways.

Local and employer help near bases

• Sumter: the City of Sumter's Affordable Homebuyer Program offers up to $3,000 in closing-cost help plus a forgivable gap loan of up to $35,000 on City-built homes for lower-income buyers.
• Beaufort County: Beaufort is also a County First Initiative county, with forgivable assistance and special fixed-rate FHA, USDA or VA financing for first-time and move-up buyers.
• Statewide: FHLBank Atlanta's Community Partners Product, offered through member lenders, lists veterans, active-duty members and surviving spouses at or below 80% of area median income, with up to $20,000 in 2026 while funds last.

To compare your options near your installation, please check your eligibility.

Further questions