PCS orders and a house you cannot keep

The two usual paths are renting it out and selling it, and both are legitimate. Renting keeps the asset but adds a property manager, a tenant, and a repair list you cannot inspect in person. Selling ends the exposure but usually means accepting less than you might get with six months and a local market on your side.

A cash sale is built for the second path. There is no buyer’s loan to fall through, no appraisal contingency, and no repair negotiation after an inspection — the three things that most often push a closing past a report date. The title company handles the paperwork and remote signing, and the closing date can be set before you leave.

One practical note on a VA loan: selling does not automatically restore your entitlement until the loan is paid off, and the payoff happens at closing. If you are buying at the other end with a VA loan, the timing of both closings matters, and your lender should be told about it early rather than late.

What we look at before quoting a number

• Your report date and how much time is actually available
• Whether the loan is VA, and how much entitlement is tied up
• Condition, and whether the house will be empty before closing
• Any existing lease or tenant in place
• Whether a spouse or co-borrower is also on title

How a cash sale solves this

There is no listing period, no showings, no repair requests and no buyer whose mortgage can collapse three weeks in. You get one written number, a title company that handles the paperwork, and a closing date you choose — typically fourteen to thirty days from acceptance.

If getting a real number for the property would help you decide — even if you are months away from doing anything — ask for one. It costs nothing and there is no obligation.