Buying a house once posted.

[JordanPorter]

I have heard that the forces gives you a cheque towards a down payment on a house once you have been posted. Is this ture?

 

[Biohazardxj]

In short, No.  CF moves are done through IRP/Royal Lepage.  Once posted you have financial entitlements which will be explained to you by the staff at IRP.  Some of these entitlements include mileage, food, hotels, shipping of pets and vehicles, etc.  Also, there are also provisions if you decide to rent or buy at your new posting.  Again, IRP will explain all this to you.  Unfortunately, clerks no longer handle moves, so I cant give you specifics.

My first move with IRP, I decided to rent when I got to my new posting.  Because I rented I received a financial bonus.  I believe it was $1000.  If I'm not mistaken, if you buy a house, monies you get are for things like real estate and legal fees.  And just in case you are unaware, monies received are taxable.

 

[George Wallace]

Perhaps you have heard other rumours to that effect and we should anticipate your next questions with answers:

1.  CF Personnel do not pay Income tax?          FALSE.   CF members like all other Canadians pay Income Tax.

2.  CF Personnel do not pay Rent?                   FALSE.  All CF members will pay rent or a mortgage, like any other Canadian. 
                                                                           They pay for their Rations and Quarters if they live on Base.  If they live
                                                                           off of Base, they will pay Rent or a Mortgage.

3.  CF Personnel get FREE Medical and Dental?    TRUE.  Serving CF members have their medical and Dental needs taken care
                                                                           of by military Doctors and Dentists.

4.  CF Personnel are not well educated?           FALSE.  A great number of CF members, Regular and Reserve, hold a university
                                                                           degree; in some cases more than one.  The CF provides incentives for its
                                                                           members to further their education.

5.  CF Personnel are not well respected by foreigners?  FALSE.  Members of the CF are very well respected by foreigners; even
                                                                           more so than they are here at home.

 

[kratz]

In my opinion, those True/False answers are so common they could almost be added to the Military Urban Myths FAQ

 

[JordanPorter]

Those true and false questions were unnecessary and not even close to the specific question that I had asked. I would also say they are common knowledge, easily found on the forces website and to some extent dumb. But thanks for trying to anticipate my next questions.

 

[George Wallace]

Those true and false questions were unnecessary and not even close to the specific question that I had asked. I would also say they are common knowledge, easily found on the forces website and to some extent dumb. But thanks for trying to anticipate my next questions.

;D

I suppose they were a little dumb, for anyone who knows better.   However, judging from your initial question, they are just following in suit.  Next?  Perhaps some good tips from "Entering the CF and your Money" or "  Moving in the CF" would be a good read.

 

[Biohazardxj]

I've spent a lot of years working in a lot of Orderly Rooms, and believe me I have hear a lot of dumb questions/statements from people who should know better.  Senior NCOs and Officers alike.  :

 

[stealthylizard]

One thing I would suggest.  As soon as you get posted to a unit after your training, start all your personal admin, and IRP.  You won't have a lot of time once they start getting you on unit courses.  It's been almost 6 months in battalion for me, and I haven't even started to get around to IRP.  Had about 2 months but was expecting to be told when to do things or the best time to start doing it, or wasn't sure if there was upcoming courses that I didn't want to miss because of moving.  At least that's the way it has worked for me so far on the infantry battalion side.  You have to be proactive about everything.  Once you finish trades training, you are a grown up, and it's up to you to do things for yourself.  Same thing with leave, don't leave it until the last minute expecting they will tell you when to take it.  I still have 2 weeks to use up before April with field training coming up. 

 

[BinRat55]

Those true and false questions were unnecessary and not even close to the specific question that I had asked. I would also say they are common knowledge, easily found on the forces website and to some extent dumb. But thanks for trying to anticipate my next questions.

They may have been unnecessary , but definitely not common knowledge. You'd be surprised just how many people think we don't pay income tax, rent / mortgage and more. I had one guy almost irate with me because he thought I never had to pay taxi / bus / ferry costs - he thought everything it cost me to live, he paid for in taxes!!

 

[TN2IC]

If I didn't have to pay taxes.. phew. I would be a Freedom 35 deal for me!  ;D

 

[ltmaverick25]

I've spent a lot of years working in a lot of Orderly Rooms, and believe me I have hear a lot of dumb questions/statements from people who should know better.  Senior NCOs and Officers alike.   :

While I am sure that is true, I have also asked alot of orderly room staff the same question and always get different answers.  The problem is, military administration is a clusterfuck.  Im not saying thats the fault of the clerks, rather it is evidence of a systemic incompetency of our system.

Ive always said with reference to administration, nothing anyone tells you is worth the air that was used to produce it.  You always get a load of BS.  So how are the new members, NCOs and even officers supposed to know what is what?

I have been trying for 15 years and getting nowhere!

 

[George Wallace]

While I am sure that is true, I have also asked alot of orderly room staff the same question and always get different answers.  The problem is, military administration is a clusterfuck.  Im not saying thats the fault of the clerks, rather it is evidence of a systemic incompetency of our system.

Ive always said with reference to administration, nothing anyone tells you is worth the air that was used to produce it.  You always get a load of BS.  So how are the new members, NCOs and even officers supposed to know what is what?

I have been trying for 15 years and getting nowhere!

Thanks for the ungrounded tirade.  I have no idea as to what you, as a Reservist, may have been doing inquiring into entitlements in buying a house.  As a Reservist, I highly doubt any of your clerks had any experience nor the necessity to know anything about such matters.   

 

[Biohazardxj]

Thanks for the ungrounded tirade.  I have no idea as to what you, as a Reservist, may have been doing inquiring into entitlements in buying a house.  As a Reservist, I highly doubt any of your clerks had any experience nor the necessity to know anything about such matters.   

Thanks George.  I was about to light into him but you got there first.  I'm sure his dissatisfaction is solely due to customer attitude. 

 

[ltmaverick25]

Thanks for the ungrounded tirade.  I have no idea as to what you, as a Reservist, may have been doing inquiring into entitlements in buying a house.  As a Reservist, I highly doubt any of your clerks had any experience nor the necessity to know anything about such matters.   

George my comments were not limited to the one issue of buying a house.  Though it is something I have looked into, more specifically moving assistance and cost of living allowance.  I did tell you I was CTing reg force in a few months remember.  And you, as a reservist yourself and former reg force person know all too well that military administration is rediculously frustrating, I remember many of your rants about the same in the summer of 07, I remember agreeing with them as well.

 

[ltmaverick25]

Thanks George.  I was about to light into him but you got there first.  I'm sure his dissatisfaction is solely due to customer attitude. 

As I said, I do not beleive the problem is the fault of the clerks.  It is the system, you may be motivated to light into me all you wish, if it makes you feel better go for it.  I have big shoulders and I will surely survive.  As for customer attitude, I will admit that after 15 years, I can become a tad cynical about such things, but it is not completely ungrounded, or unfounded as George says.  The fact is, there are too many in the CF that do not fully understand the system, I am sure you see this, surely it must make your own job more difficult then it has to be.  The system is not user friendly, support staff are too few, the burdens too high, and the efficiency somewhat non existant.  If my opinion offends you then I appologize, but I stand by what I said.

 

[George Wallace]

I must remind everyone here that the original Poster is not a Reservist, but a brand new Regular Force member.

Experiences with Reserve (LAND) clerks has no relevance in his case.

 

[421_434_226]

With regards to money toward your mortgage, you may be able to use a portion or all of your posting allowance (if entitled) toward a "mortgage buy down" basically it would reduce your interest for a set period of time. Your best source of information of course would be through IRP everyone's situation/entitlements/amounts on a move are different.
Then again it is also possible that certain things pertaining to a move have changed recently as we all know all entitlements seem to change along with the direction of the wind.

 

[Biohazardxj]

As I said, I do not beleive the problem is the fault of the clerks.  It is the system, you may be motivated to light into me all you wish, if it makes you feel better go for it.  I have big shoulders and I will surely survive.  As for customer attitude, I will admit that after 15 years, I can become a tad cynical about such things, but it is not completely ungrounded, or unfounded as George says.  The fact is, there are too many in the CF that do not fully understand the system, I am sure you see this, surely it must make your own job more difficult then it has to be.  The system is not user friendly, support staff are too few, the burdens too high, and the efficiency somewhat non existant.  If my opinion offends you then I appologize, but I stand by what I said.

No, it doesn't make me feel better.  Maybe I have become bitter after 25 years of customer attitude.  For that I apologize.  Yes it is difficult for us as policies and regulations keep changing and, as you probably are aware,  the dissemination of information is not as fast as it should be.  When I became a clerk (admin side) there where only 3 publications I used.  Now, 25 years later, there are at least 8,  Sometimes they even contradict each other.  It is frustrating for clerks to say the least.   

 

[ltmaverick25]

No, it doesn't make me feel better.  Maybe I have become bitter after 25 years of customer attitude.  For that I apologize.  Yes it is difficult for us as policies and regulations keep changing and, as you probably are aware,  the dissemination of information is not as fast as it should be.  When I became a clerk (admin side) there where only 3 publications I used.  Now, 25 years later, there are at least 8,  Sometimes they even contradict each other.  It is frustrating for clerks to say the least.   

I dont doubt it, it is frustrating for us all.  That is why I want to reiterate, the clerks are not to blame, its the system.  I always found it odd, for such a relatively small military, we impose a rather large and cumbersome bureaucracy.

 

[FyroniK]

Old post here I know but its the closest I could find to my topic in search and isn't locked .

If a CF Member isn't married, but buys a house and pays a mortgage, do they no longer pay rations/board? I've been trying to find this answer with no luck at all, obviously if you are married the answer is clear, but if you are not?

If anyone knows it is very much appreciated.