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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.

Sell now, or rent it out and sell later?
$

A realistic sale price, not Zillow's high estimate

$
$

Principal + interest only — taxes/insurance are landlord costs below

$

Comparable rentals in your neighborhood, not aspirational

Assumptions — sensible defaults, change any you have better numbers for

yr
%
%

Agent + closing + concessions

%

Of rent — you'll PCS away

%

Of rent, reserved

What your comparison will look like
Example

Sample: $420k home, $310k owed, $2,100 P&I, $2,400 rent, 5-yr horizon. Yours calculates from your inputs above.

Sell now nets

~$76,400

cash, free and clear

Rent path (5 yr)

~$94,000

cash flow + equity at sale

Verdict

Close call

Non-financial factors decide