Having never owned our own home during my husband’s 17-year military career, we have first-hand knowledge of which types of landlords are out there in the rental market. Although we’ve had very normal and affable homeowners, we’ve also encountered each and every one of the following negatively described homeowners. If you recognize any of these foreboding qualities in landlords, use our experience and move on to the next “For Rent” sign!
Military families have major financial decisions to make every two or three years: With every PCS, they need to decide whether they will rent or buy a home. While the U.S. Census shows that the average American homebuyer lives in a home they purchase for roughly 13 years, a military family has likely moved at least four or five times during that same period. With such a high rate of moving, why would any military family ever consider buying a home?
The warm summer sunshine often brings leisurely days filled with fun activities. No matter if you’re splashing in the pool or at the beach, planning a picnic in the park, or taking a bicycle ride under a canopy of shade trees, a laid-back schedule offers the perfect opportunity for you and your family to enjoy yourselves.
“I’ve been renting for more than twenty-five years,” Megan (not her real name), a new acquaintance from a holiday party, confided as we discussed the perks of living in various neighborhoods throughout the Northern Virginia area. “I’ve just always rented,” Megan explained, “because I don’t know how to buy a home.”
With their many moves, most military families develop a course of action, one that likely engenders more scrutiny for improvement than any other element of military family life. We have our own, and though our movers think we’re strange, my little military family sees the bright side of a PCS.
Aside from a couple of incredibly organized friends who don’t have to account for children, pets, and other such accoutrements that make house hunting more challenging, most military families who received orders for a summer move have not yet found a home. For the most part, fortunately, they’ve moved beyond the denial stage to accept the reality of the situation—moving will happen this summer, so the two processes of packing and house hunting must begin!
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