PCS-Move.com

PCS Tool · Housing Decision

Rent, buy, or rent it out — the PCS housing call.

Two sides of the same decision: at your new base, rent or buy (straight break-even, 5-year net, VA-loan math, and the honest exit-risk panel); and your current home, sell now or rent it out — with the VA-occupancy and capital-gains factors most calculators miss.

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