Can you close on a home near Fort Hood with a power of attorney?
Yes. Military buyers close on homes in Killeen, Harker Heights, Copperas Cove, and the rest of the Fort Hood area with a power of attorney (POA) regularly. For a VA loan, plan on a specific POA that names the property, the price, and the loan terms, approved in advance by both the lender and the title company. In Texas, a POA used to sign a deed of trust must also be recorded with the county clerk where the home sits, so the original document has to reach the title company before closing.
By Stephen Harris, Good Life Team | November 5, 2026
The house is under contract in Harker Heights. Your spouse is still at the old duty station waiting on movers, or already deployed. The closing date is three weeks out.
We see this every PCS season. Around Fort Hood, VA financing is the norm: 65% of Killeen home sales closed with a VA loan over the 12 months ending October 6, 2026, based on our CTX MLS numbers. With that many military buyers, closing with one signer in Texas and one somewhere else is routine for the title companies here. It still needs a plan. A POA that shows up late, or with the wrong wording, is one of the most common reasons a PCS closing slides.
Why the POA from your unit’s legal office may not be enough
Most soldiers get a general POA before a deployment or a move. That makes sense. It covers bank accounts, the car, the household goods shipment. A home loan is different, and three separate parties get a say.
- The lender. VA lending guidance leans hard on a specific POA for a purchase: one that names the property address, the purchase price, the loan amount or a not-to-exceed figure, and the veteran’s intent to use their VA entitlement and to live in the home. Many lenders reject a general POA outright, or accept it only if the veteran signed the loan application and contract personally. Each lender adds its own rules on top.
- The title company. The title company has to insure the deal, so it reviews the POA before closing. Most Bell County title offices want to see a draft early and want the original, wet-signed document in hand before closing day.
- Texas law. Under Texas Estates Code Section 751.151, a durable POA used to sign a recorded real estate document, like a deed of trust, must be recorded with the county clerk where the property is located. In practice the title company records it along with your closing documents, which is why a scanned copy usually won’t work.
There’s one more Texas detail married buyers should know. Because Texas protects homesteads, lenders here commonly ask both spouses to sign certain loan documents, even when only one spouse is on the loan. So the spouse at the old duty station may need to sign something even if they aren’t the borrower. Ask your lender early which documents each of you will sign.
The order we walk our PCS buyers through
Timing matters most. Here’s the sequence our team uses when one spouse can’t be at the closing table.
1. Before you write the offer
Tell your lender and your agent that someone will sign by POA. Ask the lender for its POA requirements in writing, and ask whether it has its own POA form. We call the title company too, so nobody finds out about the POA in closing week.
2. Once you’re under contract
Draft the specific POA using the exact property address and legal description from the contract, the price, and the loan terms. Send the draft to both the lender and the title company for approval before anyone signs it. If the price or loan amount might change after repair negotiations, ask how the POA should be written to cover that.
3. Two to three weeks before closing
The absent spouse signs in front of a notary. On an installation, the legal assistance office can usually notarize. Overseas, a U.S. embassy or consulate can. Then ship the original to the title company with tracking. Build in extra days from overseas or a deployed location.
4. Closing week
The title company confirms it has the original and records it with the closing package. On a VA loan, the lender also has to confirm on closing day that the veteran is alive and, if on active duty, not missing in action. That’s often a phone call, and sometimes a written statement from the command. If the lender can’t reach the veteran, funding can slip a day or more.
Texas also allows remote online notarization, and some title companies and lenders now close part or all of a file that way. Acceptance varies by lender, so ask about it early.
Where POA closings go sideways
When a POA closing stalls, it’s almost always paperwork timing. Nobody did anything wrong. The pieces just weren’t lined up early enough. The usual causes:
- Name mismatches. The name on the POA has to match the loan documents and the contract, middle initial included.
- A general POA the lender won’t take. Finding this out a week before closing means redrafting, re-notarizing, and re-shipping.
- The original is still in the mail. A scan lets the title company review it. The original is what gets recorded.
- Terms changed after the POA was signed. A new price or loan amount after repair negotiations can require an amended POA or a new consent letter from the veteran.
- Occupancy questions. The VA loan still requires the veteran to intend to live in the home. A spouse can often occupy it while the service member is deployed, but the lender will want the details. We cover this in buying before you report to Fort Hood and the VA occupancy rules.
This is where who represents you matters. The listing agent works for the seller. A seller wants to close on time and isn’t going to chase your POA for you. On our side of the table, we set a closing date with room for shipping, keep your option period and earnest money protected while the paperwork moves, and stay in contact with the lender and title company until the POA is approved. If you’re new to how those deposits work in Texas, read what you risk with the option fee and earnest money.
If both of you can make one trip before closing, signing the contract and loan application together while you’re here takes pressure off the POA later. Our three-day Fort Hood house-hunting trip plan shows how we fit that in. For the full picture of buying ahead of a report date, start with our Fort Hood PCS buyer guide.
Our team does not provide legal advice or draft POAs. Your installation legal assistance office or a Texas attorney can draft the document, and your lender and title company set the final requirements. We don’t receive compensation from any lender or title company mentioned here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my spouse sign for me on a VA loan while I’m deployed?
Usually yes, with a POA your lender and title company approve in advance. Most VA lenders want a specific POA naming the property, price, and loan terms, plus your stated intent to use your entitlement and occupy the home. On closing day the lender must also confirm you’re alive and not missing in action.
Will a Texas title company accept a military power of attorney?
Federal law gives military POAs legal effect in every state, but the lender and title company still decide whether a given document fits the transaction. Many ask for a specific POA for the purchase even when you already have a military general POA. Send the draft for approval before signing.
Does a power of attorney have to be recorded in Texas?
Yes, when it’s used to sign a recorded real estate document like a deed of trust. Texas Estates Code Section 751.151 requires recording with the county clerk where the property is located, such as Bell or Coryell County. The title company handles this, which is why it needs the original.
How early should the power of attorney be ready before a Fort Hood closing?
We aim for an approved draft right after you go under contract and the signed original at the title company at least a week before closing. From overseas or a deployed location, plan for more shipping time. Ask your lender and title company for their deadlines.
A POA closing near Fort Hood works when the lender and title company approve the wording early and the original arrives on time. Lining that up before you write an offer is part of every Smart Buyer Plan we run for a split-location PCS move.
If you’re buying in the Fort Hood area while one of you is somewhere else, book a free Smart Buyer Plan call with our team. In 30 minutes we’ll walk through your budget, your timeline, and the areas that fit, and show you how we protect you from the first showing to the closing table. No pressure, no pitch. Book your call here, text or call 256-226-2757, or email stephen@mygoodlifeteam.com.
About Stephen Harris & The Good Life Team
Stephen Harris is a Texas Real Estate Broker (TX license 677386, All City Real Estate) and leads the Good Life Team, a Central Texas team that represents home buyers in Killeen, Harker Heights, Copperas Cove, Belton, Temple, Nolanville, Hutto, Pflugerville, and Round Rock. The team specializes in relocation buyers, Fort Hood PCS moves, VA loans, and new-construction representation, with roughly 500 closings and about $100M in volume. Their Smart Buyer Plan is built around one idea: who represents you matters, and our job is to protect you.
This article is general information, not legal advice. POA requirements vary by lender, title company, and situation; confirm yours with them, with your installation legal assistance office, and with VA.gov. Market figures are from CTX MLS data for the 12 months ending October 6, 2026. Not affiliated with or endorsed by VA or DoD. Texas law requires all license holders to provide the Information About Brokerage Services form and the TREC Consumer Protection Notice.