Selling Your House on PCS Orders Near Fort Lee and Richmond, VA

If you’ve got PCS orders and own a house near Fort Lee or in the Richmond area, you have three real options: list it with an agent, keep it and rent it out, or sell it for cash. The right one comes down to how many weeks you have before your report date, and whether you want your full VA loan benefit when you buy at your next base. I’m Joe, and I buy houses around Richmond and the Tri-Cities, including near Fort Lee (formerly Fort Gregg-Adams) in Prince George County. Here’s how I’d think it through.

Start with your report date and work backward

Your report date doesn’t move, so build your plan from it. National guidance from VA Loan Expert says a typical listing takes about 2–4 weeks to go under contract and another 30–45 days to close. That’s why they suggest listing about 10–12 weeks before you report. Keep in mind that’s national guidance, not Richmond data.

Weeks before report date	What to do
12+ weeks	Decide: list, rent or sell for cash. Ask your lender how much VA entitlement you have left. Get a rough idea of what the house is worth and what you’d net.
10–12 weeks	If listing, pick an agent, handle repairs and list. If renting, run the rent numbers and line up a property manager.
8–10 weeks	Listing: showings and offers. Renting: screen tenants and sign a lease. Set up a power of attorney if one spouse may leave first.
4–8 weeks	Listing: under contract, buyer’s inspection, appraisal and lender work. If you’re not under contract yet, think hard about a backup plan.
0–4 weeks	Closing, packing and moving out. A cash sale can still close in this window, in about 7 days or on the date you choose.

If you have less than 8 weeks

I’ll be straight with you: a normal listing gets tight here. Any delay in showings, inspection repairs or the buyer’s financing can push closing past your report date, and then you’re carrying the house from another state. At that point, the realistic choices are a cash sale or a listing that someone with power of attorney handles after you leave.

Peak PCS season

VA Loan Expert puts peak PCS season at roughly May 15 to August 31. More military homes hit the market then, so you may compete for the same buyers. If your orders land in spring, start early.

Option 1: List with an agent

Listing makes the most sense when you have time to spare, the house is in good shape, and getting top dollar matters more than speed. The tradeoffs are repairs and updates before you list, keeping the house ready for showings while you’re also packing, agent commissions, and a closing date that depends on the buyer’s lender coming through.

Option 2: Keep it and rent it out

A lot of military families keep the house as a rental, especially if they might come back to the area.

Does the rent actually cover the house?

Add up the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, repairs, vacancy and property management. Then compare it to what the house will really rent for. As Navy Federal points out, you’re still responsible for the mortgage every month, whether the tenant pays on time or not. If you’re not sure what rent to ask, here’s how to figure out what to charge your tenants in Richmond.

Renting keeps your VA entitlement tied up

This one surprises people. According to the VA’s restoration of entitlement form (VA Form 26-8978), your entitlement generally can’t be reused until the house is sold and the loan is paid in full. So if you rent the house out, part of your VA benefit stays tied to it. That can limit how much you can borrow with no down payment at your next duty station. Ask your lender exactly how much entitlement you have left before you decide.

Managing from another duty station

Being a landlord from a few states away, or overseas, takes a good property manager and some patience. If you’ve already moved and are dealing with the house from afar, this guide for absentee owners who need to sell in Richmond may help. And if you’ve already rented it and want out later, here’s what to know about selling a house with tenants in Virginia.

Option 3: Sell for cash and close before you leave

This is what I do. I buy houses as-is, so there are no repairs, no showings and no commissions or fees. I pay the closing costs, and I can close in about 7 days or on whatever date works around your orders. You’ll get an offer within 24 hours of us talking about the house.

Your VA loan is paid off from the sale at closing, just like any other mortgage. If one spouse is staying behind, or you’ve already left, remote closings and power of attorney signings are common. Rules vary, so check the details early with the title company. You can read more about how we buy houses.

A cash sale usually brings in less than a full retail listing could. It’s the right choice when time, certainty or the condition of the house matter more than squeezing out every dollar.

	List with an agent	Rent it out	Sell for cash
Timeline	Longest. Depends on buyer and lender	Time to find and screen a tenant	About 7 days, or your chosen date
Repairs	Usually needed to sell well	Needed to rent, plus ongoing upkeep	None. Sold as-is
Showings	Yes, often many	Yes, to tenants	No
Fees	Commissions and closing costs	Management, upkeep, vacancy	No commissions. I pay closing costs
VA entitlement	Can be restored once loan is paid off	Stays tied up while loan is open	Can be restored once loan is paid off
Works if you’ve already left	Yes, with POA or a remote closing, but harder	Yes, with a property manager	Yes, with POA or a remote closing

What happens to your VA loan when you PCS

Here are the basics. For your own loan, talk to your servicer or a VA loan specialist.

• You sell and pay off the loan. Once the loan is paid in full, you can apply to have your entitlement restored for a future VA loan (VA Form 26-8978).
• A buyer assumes your loan. VA loans can be assumed by a creditworthy buyer with approval from your servicer or the VA, which releases you from liability. But your entitlement is only restored if that buyer is an eligible Veteran who substitutes their own entitlement (VA Form 26-10291). If not, your entitlement stays tied to that loan.
• Assumptions take time. Under VA Circular 26-23-10, servicers with automatic authority have up to 45 days after a complete application to decide. That’s hard to fit into short orders.

Taxes: the military home-sale rule

Normally, you can exclude up to $250,000 of gain from a home sale ($500,000 if married filing jointly) if you owned and lived in the house for at least 2 of the last 5 years. IRS Publication 523 has a special rule for service members. If you’re on qualified official extended duty, you can choose to suspend that 5-year window for up to 10 years. Qualified official extended duty means orders for more than 90 days (or an indefinite period) at a duty station at least 50 miles from your home, or living in government quarters under orders.

In plain terms, renting the house out for a few years after you PCS doesn’t automatically cost you the exclusion. This is not tax advice, so check with a tax professional about your situation.

Help in Prince George and the Richmond area

Fort Lee’s Relocation Readiness program, part of the Military and Family Support Center, helps with PCS planning. You can find their current details on Military OneSource. If your move is for a civilian job instead, read my general guide for when you’re relocating and need to sell your house in Richmond.

Talk through your report date with a local, family-owned buyer

If you’ve got orders and aren’t sure which path fits, I’m glad to talk it through. I buy in Richmond, Chesterfield, Henrico, Chester and Midlothian. Call (804) 293-0208. We reply within 3 hours. Or request your free cash offer and you’ll have a number within 24 hours.

Not affiliated with the U.S. Army or VA. Not legal or tax advice.

Frequently asked questions

Should I sell or rent my house when I get PCS orders?

Sell if you need the cash or your full VA loan benefit for your next home, if rent wouldn’t cover the mortgage, taxes, insurance and repairs, or if you don’t want to manage tenants from another duty station. Rent if the numbers work and you may come back. Renting keeps your VA entitlement tied to the loan until it’s paid off, and you’re still responsible for the mortgage every month.

How fast can I sell my house before my PCS report date?

Nationally, a traditional listing often takes 2–4 weeks to go under contract and another 30–45 days to close, so guides suggest listing about 10–12 weeks before your report date. With less time than that, an as-is cash sale can close in about 7 days or on the date you pick, without repairs or showings.

What happens to my VA loan if I sell my house on PCS orders?

The VA loan is paid off from the sale at closing, and paying it off lets you apply to restore your entitlement for a future VA loan. If a buyer assumes your loan instead, your entitlement stays tied up unless that buyer is an eligible Veteran who substitutes their own.

Is Fort Gregg-Adams now called Fort Lee?

Yes. The Prince George County base carried that name from April 2023 until June 11, 2025, when the Army renamed it Fort Lee in honor of Pvt. Fitz Lee, a Medal of Honor recipient. Older orders and listings may still use either name.

Will I owe capital gains tax if I rent my house out and sell later?

Maybe not. Service members on qualified official extended duty can suspend the IRS 5-year test for up to 10 years and still qualify for the home-sale exclusion. Ask a tax professional about your situation.

How fast can Richmond Property Buyers close?

In about 7 days, or on your timeline around your report date. Call (804) 293-0208. We reply within 3 hours.