All Forum Posts by: Julia W.

@Anthony Hidalgo I'm not any kind of expert but we are also an active duty family that uses the VA loan and what you are saying to keep would be the same thought process I would have, particularly since you think you may return.

Sure as an "investment" the house is a "loser" but buying homes with a VA loan while on active duty is a weird hybrid of business and personal due to the way BAH and personal needs intersect, so I don't hold it to the same stringent standard. You know for sure you would lose 30-40k if you sold now, versus the possibility of losing the same or less based on razor thin margins due to renting. Anyway, nothing to add but I get where you're coming from.

Yes, I would consider going the "retro on purpose route", particularly if you intend to keep the knotty pine. Since you don't have to redo flooring or paint walls or cabinets (and won't have to for future turnovers), I would maybe consider investing in a bold terrazzo or terrazzo-look tile in the kitchen and repeat it as the backsplash. It's decade appropriate, durable, and would also make it look fresh as it happens to be trending. Providing a bit of pattern on the floor would also draw some attention away from the walls. 

I also second the idea of putting a small island in the kitchen area (not an attached L peninsula) and refinishing the floors.

The other easy swap is retro style light fixtures. Remove anything too industrial, "farmhouse" or 90s looking. Replace with simple white globe style lights. Something like this flush mount in white would give a nod to the decade of the house while elevate all the bedrooms without having to change much else.

Not sure if it would make sense, but what about a targeted Facebook ad focusing on finding people who are looking for a new start/career change in life? Billing it as home ownership in addition to owner-operator of your own hospitality business?

Hampton Roads is very unique in that the feel of the neighborhoods can change quickly depending on the street or clusters of homes despite being in the same zip code. It's a place I highly recommend driving around in-person in order to determine if the homes match up to your desired tenant base. We bought our first home (owner occupied) in a neighborhood in Hampton when initially I had been looking in Norfolk and parts of Portsmouth. If you are looking to attract LTR/families I can suggest where I live in addition to Hilton Village in Newport News. Both areas are in proximity to desirable elementary schools and close (20 minutes or less) to child-friendly beaches and downtown areas.

We went under contract for vacant land and were advised by multiple sources in the business that 30 days MINIMUM is the norm because of all the issues with surveying/permitting/getting in touch with city offices, etc. Especially right now things are very backed up.

Hey Kole you may also want to look into maxing out your TSP and using that as a way to fund things like down payments, etc. That way you are saving for "traditional retirement" with the option to deploy the cash (not all of it, there are are max caps) at very low penalty if the opportunity arises.

@Darius Ogloza We are seeing the same thing in our neighborhood in Virginia! Top rehabbed homes getting asking price or above within a week.

Hey @Carrie K. and @Pavel Shemyakin, how did this work out for you? Been considering the same. Thanks!

Hey Brian, we just PCSed from there in Dec. I also had a newborn while there, and a pre-schooler. I would say talk it over with your spouse to see what her quality of life expectations are; depending on the program, you may not be around as often as you think. My spouse was gone 7 AM to 7PM, with weekends devoted to homework. For us buying would only make sense if we could have forced appreciation, and with his schedule and me being the stay-at-home for very young kids, it was too much on the plate for the short time period and a lot of money on the line. Not to discourage you, but just some things to consider. We have talked about him possibly getting stationed there again down the line, but think in that case we would live in Felton and he would commute into Monterey. Felton is kind of an unusual choice; it's farther north than even Salinas, almost an hour, and I don't know of anyone who did what we're considering, but we digged the quirky/chill/old-timey-mining vibe compared to traffic jam Monterey and pro-dog/anti-children attitude of Monterey/Carmel.

Okay, thanks everyone. I will dig deeper at the local level.