Got PCS orders out of Hampton Roads? How to decide whether to sell or rent your house

When PCS orders move you out of Hampton Roads, you have three choices for the house: sell before you go, rent it out, or sell after you leave. Which one fits depends on your equity, whether the rent would cover the payment, and how much landlord work you can handle from another duty station. Selling after you're gone is possible with a power of attorney and a buyer who handles the walkthrough.

With Naval Station Norfolk, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, NAS Oceana, Little Creek-Fort Story and the shipyard in Portsmouth all in the area, a lot of houses here change hands because of orders.

Should I rent the house out or sell it?

Renting can work when the rent covers the mortgage, taxes, insurance, a property manager and money set aside for repairs, with something left over. Run it with real numbers. Property managers usually take a share of each month's rent plus a fee to place a tenant, and one empty month or a new HVAC system can wipe out a year of profit.

Keeping the house also keeps part of your VA loan entitlement tied up while that loan is open, which can limit your next VA purchase. Ask your lender how much entitlement you'd have left at your next station.

Many tenants in this area are military too. Federal law lets a service member end a lease early when they get orders, so turnover can come sooner than you planned.

Selling makes more sense when the rent wouldn't cover the costs, the house needs work you don't want to manage from far away, or you want the equity for your next home.

How does the military home-sale tax rule work?

Normally you can exclude up to $250,000 of gain on a home sale, or $500,000 if you're married filing jointly, when you owned and lived in the house for two of the five years before the sale. Service members on qualified official extended duty can pause that five-year clock for up to 10 years. Qualified duty means serving at a station at least 50 miles from the home, or living in government quarters under orders, for more than 90 days.

So you can rent the house for a while after a PCS and still sell later without losing the exclusion, as long as you lived there two years before you left. The pause plus the five years can't run past 15 years, and it applies to one home at a time. Confirm the details in IRS Publication 523 or with a tax preparer before you count on it.

Can I sell the house after I've already moved?

Yes. Most of a sale happens by phone and email. The closing papers can be signed with a mobile notary near your new station, or by someone you trust using a power of attorney.

The legal assistance office on your installation can prepare a power of attorney for free. Ask for a special power of attorney that names the property address and gives the authority to sell it. Title companies accept those more readily than a general one. Send the title company a copy early so they can confirm it works, and set the expiration well past the expected closing date.

If someone is staying behind, like a spouse, a neighbor or a tenant, they can let the buyer in for the walkthrough. If the house will be empty, a lockbox works.

What should I do before I leave town?

Get a payoff statement from your lender so you know what you owe. Find the deed, the HOA contact if there is one, and any warranty papers for the roof or HVAC. Photograph every room before the movers pack so you have a record of the condition.

Keep the utilities and homeowners insurance on until closing. Many policies limit coverage once a house sits empty for a set number of days, so tell your insurer when you move out and ask what changes.

If the movers come before the house sells, decide what stays. Furniture you don't want to ship can stay with the house if your buyer agrees to it in writing.

How a sale works with us when you have orders

We buy houses across Hampton Roads on a schedule built around your report date. If the title work is done in time, we can close before you leave. If not, we can close after you're at your new station, with your signature handled by power of attorney or a mobile notary. You don't need to repair anything or empty the house. There are no fees and no closing costs on our side.

Send the address and your report date. Call or text (443) 806-8068.

Selling a house in Norfolk before a PCS move

How we buy houses in Hampton

How we buy houses in Chesapeake