Relocating as a military person is complicated. You could rent, but you might be locked into a lease you cannot undo. You could buy a home, but if you are relocated after only a few months to a year, then you have to sell the home quickly before relocating. It is a decision that most military personnel struggle with all the time. Thankfully, a lot of real estate agencies do have a few solutions.
Rental Properties with Month-to-Month or Short-Term Leases
Real estate agencies track down proprietors that are willing to lease to military personnel on a month-to-month rental basis or a short-term lease. Usually, the month-to-month works out rather well because then you do not have to worry about who is going to finish paying for any remaining months on the rental agreement. A short-term lease is often six months at a time, and if you find that you are being relocated again in those six months, you can find someone to sublet the remaining time on your unit. (There is probably at least one or two people on the base that would like to get out of base housing at some point, so that helps.)
Military Timeshares
Why buy a house when you can buy the time you need to live in the house? This is a fairly new marketing concept, and one that offers a unique solution for military families. The real estate agency does not find homes that are for sale or rent but rather offers housing based on shared occupancy during expected times of occupancy. If you know absolutely for certain that you are only going to be relocated to a base for precisely one month before being shipped elsewhere, you can buy a timeshare in a property for that month, and then sell the timeshare back to the real estate agency. It is sort of a revolving door to homeownership without the homeownership strings attached.
Buy the Least Amount of House
Rather than go all out to buy a house at your relocated station, buy the least amount of house you can. For example, instead of buying a home with 2,000 square feet, buy one with 900 square feet and rent a storage unit for your belongings. You will save money on the purchase in the long run, and the tiny home will sell faster when you need to leave again.
For more information, contact a real estate business that helps with military relocation.
