Military Housing, rentals, home buying, real estate, VA home loans - Navy Times

Relocation

Defense Department policy gives service members up to 10 days for house hunting at a new assignment location, but policies vary among the services.

An administrative absence (permissive temporary duty) may be authorized in conjunction with a permanent change-of-station move, when government quarters are not immediately available or, if available, are not required to be occupied at the new installation.

Delay en route: Service members can get delay-en-route leave in conjunction with a PCS move. Whenever feasible, they will be authorized annual leave, provided no excess leave is involved. For example, a commander can approve leave so a member can take vacation days on the way to the new duty station.

Proceed time: A service member on PCS orders to or from a dependent-restricted or unaccompanied tour overseas may be authorized up to four days of administrative leave (not charged as leave or travel time) to attend to the details of helping family members move. Commanders of ships changing homeports can authorize proceed time in conjunction with the movement of household goods or a privately owned vehicle.

Proceed time is not authorized for a service member’s move to the first permanent duty station, separation, release from active duty or retirement. It also is not available for moves between nearby stations or ships with the same homeport or when orders require reporting within four days.

LODGING

Service members and families can find temporary lodging at most bases. Reservations may be necessary, and most military facilities do not accept pets. Policies and prices vary from base to base. In some cases, you may be able to make online reservations.

Military families with pets can consult travel guides and Web sites, such as http://www.petswelcome.com, which list pet-friendly accommodations.

Contact: http://dodlodging.net/

SELF-PROCURED MOVES

Full. Service members have the option to move their own possessions. The transportation office at the current duty station must authorize a self-procured move. The government will pay all or most of the cost of a self-procured move, but the total cannot exceed what the government itself would have paid for the move.

The program is open to all service members with permanent change-of-station orders, including retiring and separating members.

It also offers a financial incentive. A transportation counselor determines how much the government would pay to move your household goods, and then computes 95 percent of that amount. If you can move for less than that amount, you get to keep the difference.

You will be reimbursed for the move. The government will advance most of the cost of the move to those who want to rent a moving van. Family members who ride in the van are eligible for travel and per diem allowances.

Partial. A partial self-procured move can be used in tandem with a commercial mover. A service member may want to move fragile belongings while shipping the rest of the household goods with the commercial provider.

Check with your transportation office for details.