What are your thoughts on on-post and off-post housing?

My experience was living off base all the time with the exception of Adak (duh!). Out there people tended to be more of a slob, not getting everything into the dumpster. They didn't care if they dinged up the homes. I didn't like living in a fish bowl, but that's what you have anywhere in the middle of nowhere regardless.

You can come out better off base if you invest your BAH into a mortgage in a home value growth environment. I know a number of military who would rent out the home, get another at the next duty station and by the end of their career had a number of properties to flip, retain, rent, or whatever. That does require a lot of work and discipline.

Off post housing is 98% of the time better. Been there, done that. Not only the lack of privacy on post, but no chance to truly "get away from work" and relax!

Both lists can be applied to both living situations. Example, if you are not acting mature and cops have to be called, your chain of command/support will be notified, even if you are living off base. Whatever bills you have while living in base housing, see how fast you get noticed when you don't pay any bills you may have. You have to be financially responsible no matter where you live. If you live off base, and happen to miss your alarm and miss PT and not answer your phone, I would be up in your business and knocking in your door.

Basically, both have good points and bad.

There is something to say about growing up and being a responsible adult living in a community that is safe and somewhat close together. We ALL make sacrifices and we ALL expect to be respected and that everyone will have a certain level of respect for each other - especially if living on post. For those families that live off post, you are often closer to many attractions (mall/restaurants/stores/CRIME and etc. There are differences living on post as compared to off post - you have to be a responsible and good neighbor in either location.

Both have their pros and cons!

I've lived both on and off in various locations and what I can tell you is that the best thing you can do is make the best of every situation because none will be "perfect". If you have major issues you cannot resolve, move. In ALL cases, you need to expect both good and bad and make the most of the good and mitigate the bad.

I lived in on base housing ONCE. They don't care how big or how small your family is, they take your entire BAH regardless.

Example: My next door neighbor in base housing in Pearl City, HI was an E5 with a wife and 2 kids. I was an E6 with a wife and no kids. Based on my higher rank, I received more BAH. But my neighbor had a bigger house (justifiably so since he had kids) yet his rent was less than mine. WTF???

My experience with living on post was not a positive one. I had to threaten the housing manager with sending pictures of the black mold covering the bathroom to the local Congressman before they would fix the water leak in the wall. On this particular base, these houses were pretty old and most were being condemned as soon as people were moving out of them.
Another issue I had with living on post was an off-handed remark from the chief of police for the installation. On post you have to register your guns, I don't like it, but whatever. He made the comment that if you moved off post, he would share what guns you had with the local police department because "Who knows if you're crazy or not." He said that in a gym with about 2000 servicemembers in it!
Now, I live off post, own my own home, and save about 200 after ALL my housing costs are paid. Obviously if something breaks, its on me to fix it, but at least I don't have to threaten the landlord with contacting my Congressman :).

I've done both, spanning 18 years..... I had better housing off post, but felt more secure on post. It was a toss-up, depending on deployment cycle, and what the school district was like...

Military housing is privatizing on some bases, it would be like renting on the outside. You deal firectly with the private landlord not the government.