PCS Home Buying and Selling with MRPs

A PCS can bring a lot of decisions with it, and if you own a home or are thinking about buying one at your new duty station, real estate can quickly become one of the biggest pieces of the puzzle.

Maybe you’re selling the house you bought at your last duty station, deciding whether to rent or buy at your next one, or looking at homes in a market you know absolutely nothing about. Add in a VA loan, BAH, a military timeline and the possibility of another PCS, and there are plenty of things to consider.

This is where a Military Relocation Professional, or MRP, can be a valuable resource. MRPs have specific training focused on military buyers and sellers, including PCS timelines, VA financing and the unique challenges that come with military relocation.

At Military No Stress PCS, we help military families navigate the many moving pieces of a PCS, including connecting them with trusted real estate professionals through our trusted MRP Network. Whether you’re buying, selling, or still deciding what’s right for your family, here are a few things to consider.

Buying a Home After a PCS
For some military families, buying at a new duty station makes sense. For others, renting for a while may be the better fit; it depends on your finances, your plans, and the local housing market.

If you’re considering buying a home after a PCS, ask yourself a few questions: How long do you expect to be at this duty station? What does the local housing market look like? How does a potential mortgage compare with the cost of renting? Are you comfortable with the possibility of selling sooner than expected if new orders come along?

Your VA loan can be an important part of the conversation, but financing is only one piece of buying a home. Location, resale potential, taxes, insurance, maintenance and your long-term plans all matter, too.

This is where an MRP can be especially helpful. You want a real estate professional who understands that your timeline may not look like a typical buyer’s timeline and that military orders can change plans quickly.

Selling a Home When PCS Orders Arrive
Then there’s the other side of the equation: selling.

Getting PCS orders when you own a home can bring a whole new list of questions. Do you sell before you leave? Do you rent it out? How much work should you put into the house before listing it? What happens if you move before the house sells? Can you manage the transaction from your new duty station?

An MRP can help you navigate those decisions while understanding the realities of military relocation. They can help you understand the local market, set realistic expectations and work around a military timeline.

And if you’re buying at your new duty station while selling at your old one, having a real estate professional who understands military moves can make both sides of the process easier.

Finding the Right Real Estate Professional
Finding a real estate agent when you’re moving across the country can feel a little like throwing a dart at a map and hoping for the best. You can search online or ask for a referral, but how do you know whether that agent really understands military families?

That’s one of the reasons we created our MRP Network.

When a military family reaches out to us for help with buying or selling a home, we can connect them with an MRP in our network who understands the unique circumstances that can come with military relocation. Our goal is to make that connection easier, so families don’t have to start from scratch every time orders send them somewhere new.

Are You a Real Estate Professional Who Works With Military Families?
We’re also continuing to grow our MRP Network and connect with real estate professionals who understand and enjoy working with military families.
If you’re an MRP and you’re interested in connecting with service members, military spouses, and veterans who may need help buying or selling a home, we’d love to hear from you.

Being part of the network gives you an opportunity to become a resource for military families who are already reaching out to MNSPCS for help with their PCS, while putting your military relocation knowledge to work.

Whether you’re a military family trying to figure out your next move or an MRP interested in joining our network, we’re here to help make the connection.

Military family? Let us connect you with an MRP in our network.
Real estate professional? Learn more about becoming part of the MRP Network.