{"id":23651,"date":"2026-04-02T04:00:44","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T11:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=23651"},"modified":"2026-04-02T06:25:59","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T13:25:59","slug":"military-selling-house-programs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/military-selling-house-programs\/","title":{"rendered":"In the Military and Selling a House: Programs and Resources for Service Members"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Military life comes with many challenges, and a big one is having to relocate frequently. Particularly after receiving a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/military-relocation-professional\/\">Permanent Change of Station (PCS) order<\/a>, you may feel pressure to sell your house as quickly as possible so that your relocation can go smoothly.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some military selling house programs and services for pulling a successful sale, regardless of where you stand on your mortgage.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"geo-cta widget-cta widget-cta--content     widget-cta--dark widget-cta--dark-blue-gradient\">\n    <div class=\"widget-element--content\">\n        <div class=\"widget-element--content-header\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"homelight logo\" class=\"widget-element--logo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/ccprototypev5\/images\/logo-small-cta.png\" width=\"106\" height=\"25\" \/>\n        <\/div>\n        \n                <h3 class=\"cta-headline widget--bold\">Connect with a Top Agent<\/h3>\n                        <p>Relocating for the military? Work with a MRP-certified top real estate agent to help sell your home.<\/p>\n        \n                <div class=\"widget-element--buttons\">\n            <a data-type=\"In Content CTA\" href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/find-agent\/quiz\/seller?#\/qaas=0\/\" class=\"cta-click-track widget-element--button\">Find Agent<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n <div id=\"section--1\" data-toc-header=\"Check your equity to get started\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div><\/p>\n<h2>Check your equity to get started<\/h2>\n<p>As a military member selling a house, the options available to you depend on your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/what-is-home-equity\/\">equity<\/a>, which is the percentage of your home that you own outright. Essentially, equity is the market value of your property minus the amount of money you still owe on your mortgage loan. Real estate professionals recommend that you own at least <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/what-is-home-equity\/\">10% of your home outright<\/a> before selling. This minimum equity ensures that you\u2019ll have the funds for necessary home sale expenses (such as<a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/staging-a-house-on-a-budget\/\"> staging<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/what-to-fix-before-selling-a-house\/\">repairs<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/what-are-closing-costs\/\">closing costs<\/a>), plus some leftover profit to put towards your next <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-what-is-a-down-payment\/\">down payment or security deposit<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>To determine your home\u2019s equity, you first need to assess your property\u2019s<a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/fair-market-value\/\"> fair market value<\/a>. For a quick estimate, check out HomeLight\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/home-value-estimator\">Home Value Estimator<\/a>. The tool uses an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/automated-valuation-model\/\">automated valuation model<\/a> to give you a ballpark figure for what your home is worth in the current market<\/p>\n<div id=\"section--2\" data-toc-header=\"Explore military house selling programs and resources\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>Explore military house-selling programs and resources<\/h2>\n<p>There are several helpful programs and resources available to service members dealing with a PCS order. Here are a few.<\/p>\n<h3>Financial counseling options<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.militaryonesource.mil\/\">Military OneSource<\/a> has numerous options for helping you navigate your current finances, manage any debt you may have, plan and budget for your future finances, and access tax breaks available to service members. All of this information is integral in order to know how a PCS order may financially impact you.<\/p>\n<p>Military OneSource offers a<a href=\"https:\/\/www.militaryonesource.mil\/financial-legal\/personal-finance\/borrowing\/11-calculators-to-help-you-scope-out-your-personal-finances\/\"> financial calculator<\/a> as well as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militaryonesource.mil\/benefits\/financial-counseling\/\">free personal financial counselor<\/a> to help you ascertain where you are financially and aid you in working toward your financial and homeownership goals.<\/p>\n<h3>Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA)<\/h3>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militaryonesource.mil\/family-relationships\/relationships\/relationship-challenges-and-divorce\/servicemembers-civil-relief-act\/\">Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) is complicated<\/a>, so it\u2019s advisable to reach out to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militaryonesource.mil\/benefits\/free-legal-help\/\">legal counsel<\/a> or a financial consultant who frequently works with service members in order to best understand how to exercise the SCRA\u2019s rights.<\/p>\n<p>Some of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/servicemembers\/financial-and-housing-rights-0\">the most important aspects of the SCRA as it relates to housing<\/a> are that it provides:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">protections against home foreclosure,<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">protections against property repossession,<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">the option for service members to opt out of a residential housing lease without penalty, and<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">a reduction in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militaryonesource.mil\/financial-legal\/legal\/servicemembers-civil-relief-act\/\">\u201cthe interest rate on any pre-service loans to a maximum\u201d of 6%.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Home Loan program<\/h3>\n<p>The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers a<a href=\"https:\/\/www.benefits.gov\/benefit\/292\"> Home Loan program<\/a> that \u201cguarantees a percentage of the loan.\u201d Further, it enables service members, National Guard members, reservists, veterans, and some surviving spouses to obtain a mortgage with no down payment, no prepayment penalties, and at significantly lower interest rates.<\/p>\n<p>To best understand this program and see if it is right for you, you can explore the<a href=\"https:\/\/benefits.va.gov\/HOMELOANS\/documents\/docs\/VA_Buyers_Guide.pdf\"> \u201cVA Home Loan Guaranty Buyer\u2019s Guide\u201d<\/a> and\/or consult a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/real-estate-agent-types\/\">real estate professional<\/a> who has frequently worked with service members.<\/p>\n<h3>VA-backed mortgage as marketing<\/h3>\n<p>If you purchased your home with a VA loan, then VA loans are \u201cassumable,\u201d which means you might be able to transfer your loan terms to another prospective buyer so long as they meet your current lender\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/housing-assistance\/home-loans\/eligibility\/\">eligibility requirements<\/a>. With a<a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/military-relocation-professional\/\"> VA home loan assumption<\/a>, the buyer takes over your mortgage, including your loan balance, your interest rate, and your monthly mortgage payment.<\/p>\n<p>A VA loan assumption may be an attractive option for buyers if interest rates are significantly higher at the time of sale than they were when you secured your VA loan. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/agents\/kelly-hollowell-va-0225034156-va-0225032627-va-149683-nc\">Kelly Hollowell<\/a>, a leading real estate agent in Chesapeake, VA, who sells 99% of her listings, emphasizes, \u201cIf a buyer can assume a VA loan because they meet the criteria, [then] that\u2019s fabulous because they\u2019ll have a much lower monthly mortgage payment than with a new loan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another benefit of VA loan assumption is lower closing fees. In a traditional home sale, the seller pays<a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/what-fees-are-associated-with-selling-a-house\/\"> 9% to 10% in fees upon closing<\/a>, while the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-closing-costs-for-buyer\/\">buyer pays 2% to 5%<\/a>. With a VA loan assumption, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/housing-assistance\/home-loans\/funding-fee-and-closing-costs\/\">buyer pays a VA funding fee that is between 0.5% and 3.3%<\/a> and any closing or title fees depending on the property\u2019s location.<\/p>\n<p>When you transfer your VA loan, request a release of liability from your lender or servicer to transfer liability for payments to the buyer. If you don\u2019t complete this form, then <a href=\"https:\/\/www.veteransunited.com\/valoans\/va-loan-assumption\/\">your buyer could damage your credit<\/a> if they make late payments or default on the mortgage.<\/p>\n<h3>Relocation resources<\/h3>\n<p>Managing the move itself can be stressful and feel overwhelming. However, there are resources to help you make the move as efficiently, quickly, and stress-free as possible.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Military OneSource has<a href=\"https:\/\/planmymove.militaryonesource.mil\/\"> \u201cPlan My Move,\u201d<\/a> which helps you make a custom checklist of what needs to be done based on your current location, PCS order, and timeline.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcsmypov.com\/\">PCSmyPOV<\/a> offers resources to help you with the logistics of moving and\/or storing your personal vehicles.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Military OneSource offers<a href=\"https:\/\/www.militaryonesource.mil\/military-life-cycle\/new-to-the-military\/explore-your-base-with-militaryinstallations\/\"> MilitaryINSTALLATIONS<\/a>, which provides you with information about the programs, resources, and communities available to you in your new location.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homes.mil\/homes\/DispatchServlet\/Back?Mod=HomesWelcome&amp;SSRedir=true\">Homes.mil<\/a> helps military members find rental housing if you are not yet ready to purchase a home in your new location.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Selling a house when you&#8217;re in the military can be challenging, but there are federal programs and specially trained professionals to help.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":331,"featured_media":45484,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[323,319],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-quick-tips","category-selling-advice"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.0 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - 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