PCS-Move.com

PCS Tool · Rent vs Buy

At your new base, should you rent or buy?

Single most consequential financial call of a PCS. Enter your numbers and get a straight break-even — at what tour length does buying beat renting — plus the honest catch panel: if you can't sell at your next PCS, here's what your exit options look like. VA-loan-specific math baked in.

Your numbers
yr

Navy/AF tours typically 2–4 yrs; Army 3–4. Use your honest expectation.

$

From defensetravel.dod.mil — current rate for your rank + zip

$

Comparable rentals in the neighborhood you're targeting

$

A realistic listing price for the house you'd actually buy

VA-loan zero-down dramatically lowers the upfront cash and shifts the math toward buying earlier in the break-even curve.

Assumptions — defaults are sensible; adjust if you have better numbers

%

Current 30-yr fixed; check a lender for your specific rate

%

3% is the long-run national average; Hampton Roads varies