Without a true relocation benefit, military families tend to be very independent and creative when it comes to buying, selling and renting homes. Whether you intend to sell or rent your home "by owner" or employ the services of a Realtor, Military Families need to be fully engaged in the effort to market their home. And if you are searching for a new home (rent or purchase) in your new duty station, this article will offer excellent websites for you market your home or initiate your search.
VR SAM contends that the best market for military home owners seeking to sell or rent their home is other military families. Military families are constantly on the move, generally have excellent credit, have a very definite, urgent need, and are decisive. They are typically looking for the same qualities in a home that you, the owner, looked for when you purchased. They are looking for a comfortable roof over their head that is a decent investment, good schools, and a reasonable commute. And if you intend to offer your home for rent, the military family market makes sense as they generally tend to take pride in the care and maintenance of property and in meeting their financial commitments. However, prudence dictates that you always run a credit check on prospective renters and always seek legal advice when writing contracts for sale or rent. Speaking of sales and rental contracts, they tend to be very area specific. You may be able to find contracts that conform to state and local laws and traditions at a local settlement company and / or your local Realtors Association. Being frugal makes sense, but we strongly encourage you to hire a Real Estate attorney to represent you during the writing of the contract and throughout the transaction.
Ok, back to marketing your home. Home owners and/or their Realtors should consider the following options when planning to market their homes:
- Internet -- 75 percent (and growing) of all home searchers begin their search on the internet. The cost to market your home on the internet is very reasonable or even free. See three excellent websites below that reach military families world wide.
- Your Professional Network -- Military families have a tremendous network that should be developed and used for jobs, information?and marketing your home. Do not underestimate the power of "Word of mouth" marketing. It should be used to maximum potential.
- Print Ad -- In general, print ads are expensive and temporary. They may make sense in some circumstances, but more often than not, cost a lot of money and end up in the recycle bin.
Three sites to help you market or sell your home:
These sites can be used "by owner" and are also available to your Realtor for reaching Military Families PCSing into your area. The same websites are where purchasers / renters should start their search for a new home.
MORE SAM is a free, Real Estate specific service that is focused on the Military family market. It is offered by VR SAM and it reaches more than 400 military installations world wide. It is easy to use and allows the homeowner / Realtor to upload up to six JPEG photos. It is menu driven and has a search engine by base for easy home sales and rental searches.
MORE SAM
MORE SAM links directly to VR SAM which offers information on schools, pay, and a host of other resources.
Military by Owner
Military By Owner is an excellent site that is well known throughout the Military community. For a nominal fee, they reach a large population of Military Families and offer by base searches for sales and rentals.
Craigslist
While neither Real Estate nor Military specific, Craigslist is a free, well known site for selling just about any thing imaginable, to include Real Estate. Use Craigslist with your city to get the site specific to your area.
VR SAM recommends that you take advantage of all the "freebees" but carefully consider all cost effective means of marketing your home. When it comes to shelling out the bucks for advertising, be certain you understand the exposure your dollars will buy. Being informed and engaged is the best way to ensure you sell or rent your home in a timely manner and find your next home at your new duty station. We believe these links will help.
As a final caution, anytime you engage in a financial transaction with another military members, be certain you understand and comply with all "Standards of Conduct" and "Code of Ethics" requirements.
As always, we welcome your questions and comments.
Visit us at: WWW.VRSAM.COM; WWW.MORESAM.NET
Email us at: HOMESFORMILITARY@VRSAM.COM
Call us at: 877 878-7726
