Hi everyone, we will be heading to 29palms in the beginning of October. Before I ask for any questions about the area, I'd like to ask kindly to please not be rude. I've spent last night reading many responses that were just plain childish, rude, & malicious. Despite that, I've got the nerve to throw myself in a fire pot! Lol okay so here it goes...
The housing issue just seems crazy to me! We come from Pendleton & SD so the housing is completely different it seems, as to the process. My understanding is that UNTIL my husband physically checks in we can actively be put on the waiting list? Which housing said it was 0-2 months in our case based on dependents & rank. My husband detaches from his previous unit 30days before he has to check in. Does this mean we can't physically do anything during that time as far as moving?! If anyone can kind of brake it down for me or assure me this is the process 29palms housing does please? I know every duty station is different but this is so new to me.
Another question I have is, how do you all like the area? Is there any POSITIVE advice y'all can give me, or tips, just anything really that will make this moving process a bit less stressful. What stores are located on base/off base that are close by? I come from a small town, I know sometimes you must make the 30-45 minute drive just to go get the necessities!
Hope some of you can help! & please excuse if anything is repetitive to this board! I did search but a lot was from at least a year ago & some of the posts said 'things were changing' in 29 palms so please enlighten me with new information! :) 

I am also in the process of trying to move to 29 Palms. (I have also read all the previous housing threads I could find and found more arguments than helpful information, so I know what you mean!)

Yes, it is true that you are not put on the list for housing until your husband physically checks in, and you do not get a choice of which housing area you will be in. Your "control date" which determines your position on the wait list, is backdated to the day your husband checks out of his current unit. You can't get on the list until he checks in, but it will be backdated a month to when he checked out, which works out pretty good for you if they said you only have a 0-2 month wait.

My husband just checked into 29 Palms last week and housing told him that it would be a 5-7 month wait for us, which is different than the 3-6 months that their website listed. My husband is staying in the barracks there while our kids and I are staying with my mom who lives 4 hours away, and all of our stuff is sitting in storage. Not fun.

They will probably offer you "801" area housing right away, which is the housing off base. I am sure you have read about that area. It's great for some people and not so great for others. Housing almost offered it to us, but said we couldn't have it because my husband picks up rank next month. I would have taken it over possibly waiting 7 months for a house.

I have only been to the base there a few times, and there's not much in the town, but I think the base is pretty nice. They have a brand new Commissary and PX, which is really nice. I know the new PX at Pendleton is supposed to be the biggest one ever, but I think the one in 29 Palms is almost as big. They are both really nice. I don't really remember what other places are on base and off. I Googled it once and found a list of all the restaurants and stores in and around that area. I can't remember the website that actually had a nice list. Between the PX and the Commissary, you have your necessities right on base. If you need a Target or Walmart, or another chain or department store, that's when you have to drive 30-45 minutes, or an hour to Palm Springs.

I know a lot of people only have negative things to say about 29 Palms, but if you are stuck there, you might as well find ways to enjoy yourself. 

Shanna, thanks for replying! Hope you guys get in there sooner than expected! I like the comfort of living on base & 0-2 months sound decent for us specially having two babies!! This is just so new like I said, for Pendleton & MCRD the first thing housing asks is 'when do you want to move here?' & then 'which housing are you looking in getting in?'. We can't always get lucky in the military living so we'll just have to suck it up! ;) 

A little perspective on the "0-2 month wait" we checked in January and were backdated a month. Our 0-2 month wait ended at the end of May. Obviously we had since rented a place out in town and ended up turning down Lincoln but don't rely on the housing office to be much help. Hell the Sgt and below counselor had to be reminded twice to submit my application after my initial walk in and I was told he submitted it that day....best of luck hopefully you all are a SSgt and up family 

We got offered a house a week after we put in our application, and moved in about 30 days later. I actually do not mind it here for the most part. I have some good friends that moved here a few months after we did so it all worked out well for us. 

I'd like to ask kindly to please not be rude. I've spent last night reading many responses that were just plain childish, rude, & malicious.

You'll survive out here...NOT!!!!! 

If you are given "801" housing can you turn it down and continue to wait for housing on base? Whats the highest rank they allow in 801? 

If you are given "801" housing can you turn it down and continue to wait for housing on base? Whats the highest rank they allow in 801?

I believe that Sgt is the highest rank they will offer 801 housing to. My husband is a Sgt right now and housing said they would have offered 801 to us, but then saw that my husband is due to get promoted next month and said they couldn't give it to us.

I know that you can turn down any type of housing 1 time, for whatever reason, and you get put back on the wait list. If you turn down the second house they offer, which may also be in 801, you get taken off the wait list completely and will have to wait 6 months and then reapply for housing. (I think it's 6 months) 

They have a brand new Commissary and PX


The Commissary is not brand new, the PX is though. 

The Commissary is not brand new


pffftt...I wish. 

We waited 3 weeks for housing (I bugged them :) but it worked)

I dont mind it here all the time. I love JTNP and the drive in movie theater. The ride to Palm Desert for shopping isnt too bad. Its kinda nice because you can make the day out of it.

For kids there is lots of parks, splash park onbase, movie theater on base also. Make the best of it so time goes by. Good luck on your move! 

The Commissary is not brand new

Oh really? People keep telling me that it is newer. Maybe they think it is new because it looks a lot nicer on the outside than the little we had in Yuma, lol. 

If I remember correctly, I used to have a friend who lived on base when they first completed the "new" commissary, I want to say sometime between 2001 and 2003 maybe??? 

little we had in Yuma
My sister is in Yuma and I am in 29. When she was here a few weeks ago, she commented on our commissary because she said their's was very tiny.