Relocating to Camp Williams, Utah: A Veteran-Owned Real Estate Team Ready to Serve

This week's blog is a little more personal for me. I'm a real estate broker, but I'm also still serving as a Captain in the U.S. Army Reserve. Service has shaped a tremendous amount of who I am, how I lead and how we've built Lemonade Real Estate. We are a veteran-owned Utah real estate company, and helping members, Veterans and their families find affordable housing and understand their VA benefits they've earned is one of the most meaningful parts of what we do. That's why I'm incredibly excited about what is happening at Camp Williams.

A Major New Chapter for Camp Williams

In August 2026, the U.S. Army Reserve officially opened the 96th Infantry Division "Deadeye" Memorial U.S. Army Reserve Center at Camp Williams in Bluffdale. This isn't a small armory or another satellite facility. It is a 227,000-square-foot, $127 million Army Reserve center designed to serve thousands of Soldiers. The new facility replaces Army Reserve facilities previously spread across nearly 50 acres at Fort Douglas that supported approximately 2,000 Army Reserve Soldiers and 500 full-time staff. The new center is also now home to the 76th Operational Response Command and the 807th Theater Medical Command, both two-star Army Reserve commands.

As a Soldier, it's exciting to see that level of investment in Utah's military community. As a real estate broker, it also means something else: more service members and military families will have a connection to Camp Williams, and some of them are going to need help figuring out where and how to live in Utah. That's where we want to serve.

Relocating or Permanent Change of Station (PCS) to Camp Williams?

If you're receiving orders, changing assignments or otherwise relocating to Camp Williams, you don't have to figure out the Utah housing market by yourself. Camp Williams is located in Bluffdale at the southern end of the Salt Lake Valley, near the Salt Lake and Utah County line. That gives service members a surprisingly large housing area to consider, including communities such as Bluffdale, Herriman, Riverton, Lehi, Saratoga Springs, Eagle Mountain, South Jordan and Draper.

Those communities can offer very different housing options, commutes, price points and lifestyles. There are established neighborhoods, newer developments and new-construction opportunities throughout the surrounding area. For a military family relocating to Utah, our job isn't simply to send you a list of houses. We want to help you understand the area first.

Where will you report? Where does your spouse work? How much of a commute are you comfortable with? Do you want newer construction or an established neighborhood? How long do you expect to be in Utah? Is buying actually the right decision for this assignment? Sometimes the answer will be yes. Sometimes renting may make more sense. The goal is to help you understand the options so you can make the decision that works best for your family.

Don't Overlook Your VA Home Loan Benefit

If you are eligible for a VA-backed home loan, it can be an incredibly powerful tool for purchasing a home. For current service members, the VA generally requires at least 90 continuous days of active-duty service. Reserve members may qualify after at least 90 days of non-training active-duty service or after six creditable years in the Selected Reserve, provided the applicable service requirements are met. National Guard eligibility has additional qualifying paths depending on the type and duration of service. Your Certificate of Eligibility and lender can ultimately confirm whether your service qualifies.

For those who qualify, some of the major advantages of a VA-backed purchase loan can include:

• No down payment required in many circumstances
  
  
• No private mortgage insurance
  
  
• Competitive loan terms and interest rates
  
  
• Seller-paid closing costs may be negotiated
  
  
• Seller concessions of up to 4% of the home's reasonable value, separate from certain allowable closing-cost credits
  
  
• The ability to use the VA benefit more than once when eligibility and entitlement requirements are satisfied
  
  

There is generally a VA funding fee associated with the loan, and the amount varies based on factors such as whether you've used the benefit before and the size of your down payment. However, Veterans receiving or eligible to receive VA compensation for a service-connected disability are among those who may be exempt from the funding fee. Other exemptions also exist.

We've written a separate guide that goes much deeper into this benefit:

[The Hidden Power of the VA Home Loan: What Every Service Member Needs to Know]

If you're considering buying near Camp Williams, that's a great place to start.

Utah Veterans May Have Another Housing Benefit

There is another benefit I especially want Utah Veterans to know about.

Utah offers a Disabled Veterans Property Tax Abatement for qualifying Veterans with a service-connected disability rating of at least 10%. The amount of the abatement depends on the Veteran's disability percentage and the state-established maximum abatement amount. The benefit applies to a qualifying primary residence, and eligible Veterans generally apply through the appropriate county office using documentation of their VA disability rating.

This is something our team is passionate about helping Veterans understand. If you purchase a home with us and qualify, we'll help point you in the right direction for the application process. And frankly, even if you didn't purchase your home with us, reach out. If you're a Utah Veteran who owns a home and doesn't know whether you're receiving a benefit you're entitled to, we're happy to help you find the right resources.

Veteran-Owned. Service Focused.

I understand that military moves aren't always simple because I've lived military life myself. Orders change, Training is scheduled, Deployments happen. Families have careers and schools and routines that have to move around the needs of military service. Sometimes you're trying to learn an entirely new area while still handling everything expected of you as a Soldier. You shouldn't have to become an expert on the Utah housing market at the same time. Lemonade Real Estate is a veteran-owned Utah real estate company, and we want to be a resource for the service members, Veterans and military families connected to Camp Williams.

If you're PCSing or relocating to Camp Williams, considering buying a home with your VA benefit, exploring new construction near Camp Williams or simply trying to understand where you should live, give us a call. We'll walk you through the surrounding communities, the housing options, the numbers and the benefits that may be available to you. There is no obligation to buy a home, and a consultation may ultimately show that renting or waiting is the better decision. Our goal is to educate, empower and protect you so that you can make the decision that best serves you and your family.

You served. Let us serve you.

Sweetly Guiding You Home.