Should you sell your home or rent it out when you get PCS orders from Fort Cavazos? The smart move depends on three numbers: your net proceeds if you sell today, your monthly cash flow if you rent, and whether you have a VA loan someone else could assume. Run all three before you commit.

Orders come in, the clock starts, and suddenly you have 60 to 120 days to figure out what happens to the house. Most military families default to the easier emotional answer — “we’ll just rent it out” — without running the numbers on what that actually costs them over the next two, five, or ten years.

I’ve walked a lot of Fort Cavazos families through this decision. The right answer isn’t the same for everyone. But the way you get to the right answer is always the same: pull the data, run the math at three price points, and compare that to what the house would actually cash-flow as a rental after every line item eats into it.

Here’s how to do that in the current Central Texas market.

What the Central Texas market looks like right now

Before you decide anything, you need an honest read on what your house is worth today — not what Zillow guessed, not what your neighbor sold for in 2022, and not what you owe.

As of late 2025, the Killeen housing market is sitting at a median sale price of around $225,000, with homes taking roughly 75 days on market — up from 59 days the year before. Inventory has climbed, sellers are offering concessions, and the market has shifted meaningfully toward buyers.

That matters for PCS sellers in two specific ways:

• Your timeline is tighter than the market’s timeline. If the average home in Killeen takes 75 days to go under contract and another 30 to 45 to close, that’s a four-month window. Your orders may not give you that.
• Pricing gets less forgiving. When inventory rises, overpriced homes sit. Sitting homes bleed equity through price reductions, concessions, and carrying costs. Pricing it right the first time matters more than ever.

In Copperas Cove, the median has hovered around $202,500. In Harker Heights, closer to $315,000. Every submarket behaves differently. The number that matters is the one tied to your specific street, square footage, and condition — not the citywide average.

The real question isn’t “sell or rent” — it’s “what does each path actually net you?”

Most PCS families compare two things: their mortgage payment and the rent they think they can get. That’s the wrong comparison.

The real comparison is:

• Option A — Sell: What you walk away with at closing, after agent fees, buyer concessions, title policy, and any repairs the inspection surfaces.
• Option B — Rent: Your monthly cash flow after mortgage, insurance, taxes, property management (8–10% of rent), vacancy reserves, repairs, and long-distance management headaches — plus your eventual net when you do sell later.
• Option C — VA loan assumption: Letting a qualified buyer assume your VA loan if you have one at a low rate, which can be a real asset in a high-rate market.

Let me break down where each one actually makes sense.

When selling is the smart move

Selling tends to be the right call when:

• You need the equity to buy at your next duty station. If you’re headed somewhere expensive, locking up $40K–$80K in a rental back in Central Texas isn’t free — it’s an opportunity cost.
• Your home would only barely cash-flow as a rental. If rents in your neighborhood cover your PITI by $150 a month, you’re one broken HVAC away from negative cash flow. That’s not passive income. That’s a part-time job across the country.
• You’re ready to be done with the house. Long-distance landlording is harder than it looks. Tenant turnover, midnight calls, repairs you can’t verify. Some families want that. Most don’t.
• The market is softening in your area. In a rising market, waiting costs you nothing. In a softening one, waiting can cost you real money. Right now in Central Texas, waiting isn’t free.

If you sell, the question becomes pricing. I’m a conservative pricer, because higher prices sit longer, and the longer a home sits, the more you give away in reductions and concessions. My job is to show you three price points — the aggressive net, the realistic net, and the “get it moving now” net — so you can pick based on your timeline, not a guess.

When renting it out is the smart move

Renting tends to be the right call when:

• You plan to come back. Fort Cavazos is a common return assignment. If your next orders might loop you back in three or four years, selling and rebuying can cost more than holding.
• You have a VA loan at a low rate and strong cash flow. If you locked in a 3% VA loan and your house rents for $400–$600 above PITI, that’s a real asset. Don’t give that up casually.
• You have an experienced property manager lined up. Not a cousin. Not a buddy. A licensed local manager with a track record in your zip code. This is the line between passive income and a slow-motion financial problem.
• The market is expected to recover and you can afford to wait. If your timeline is flexible and your cash flow is positive, riding out a soft market is a valid strategy. Just run the math honestly — including vacancy.

The VA loan assumption angle most PCS sellers overlook

If you have a VA loan — and many Fort Cavazos families do — your loan is assumable by a qualified buyer. That means a buyer can take over your mortgage at your original interest rate.

In a high-rate environment, a 3% assumable VA loan is a marketing advantage most sellers don’t use. It can:

• Expand your buyer pool significantly
• Justify a stronger list price
• Reduce days on market without cutting into your equity

There are rules. The buyer has to qualify. Your VA entitlement may stay tied up until it’s released or substituted. Not every agent knows how to market an assumable loan correctly. This is the kind of detail that can add thousands to your net at closing if it’s handled right — and cost you if it isn’t.

The hidden costs most PCS sellers don’t calculate

When I run a net sheet for a PCS family, these are the line items that catch people off guard:

• Seller-paid buyer concessions. In the current Central Texas market, sellers are contributing meaningfully toward closing costs and rate buydowns. Factor this into your net, not just the sale price.
• Repair credits from the inspection. Buyers are negotiating harder. A 2026 inspection response list is longer than a 2022 one.
• Title policy, tax prorations, HOA transfer fees. Small individually, real in aggregate.
• Carrying costs if it sits. Every extra month of mortgage, utilities, and insurance while the house is empty is money off the top.

Net, not just price. That’s the number that matters.

How to sell a Central Texas home while you’re PCS’ing across the country

Selling remotely is normal at Fort Cavazos. I’ve closed listings where the sellers were already in Germany, Korea, or Hawaii. The system for doing it well:

• Video market analysis before you commit. You see the comps, the adjustments, and the pricing logic on video before you sign anything. If it doesn’t make sense, no hard feelings.
• Pre-listing preparation list. What to fix, what to skip, and what the local handyman needs to knock out before photos.
• Full marketing package. Professional photography, drone, video — the whole listing in front of as many qualified buyers as possible, not just the MLS.
• Weekly updates. Activity, feedback, showings, offers. You hear from me every week, not just when something goes wrong.
• Digital everything. Electronic signatures, remote notary, wire instructions verified by phone. You don’t fly back for anything.

FAQ

Can I break even if I sell my Fort Cavazos home in 2026?

In most cases, yes — especially if you’ve owned for three-plus years. The Central Texas market has softened, but most sellers who bought before 2023 still have meaningful equity. The variables are your specific purchase price, current loan balance, and how your neighborhood is performing. A free video market analysis will give you a real answer with real comps.

How long does it typically take to sell a home near Fort Cavazos right now?

Median days on market in Killeen is around 75 days, with another 30 to 45 to close. That means a realistic list-to-close timeline is three to four months. Well-priced, well-marketed homes beat that. Overpriced homes double it. Pricing strategy is the single biggest lever on your timeline.

Should I rent my home to another military family when I PCS?

Sometimes. Military tenants are often strong renters with steady income and clear backgrounds. But “military tenant” doesn’t replace a property manager, a lease drafted to Texas law, and a written process for repairs, inspections, and rent collection. If you’re going to rent, do it like a business — not like a favor.

Run the numbers before you commit to either path

The worst outcome isn’t selling when you should have rented, or renting when you should have sold. The worst outcome is making the decision emotionally and finding out two years later that the math was against you the whole time.

Book a free strategy call with Stephen Harris so we can map out your best move — whether that’s selling, renting, or letting someone assume your VA loan. I’ll pull your comps, run your net proceeds at three price points, and show you what each path actually looks like in the current Central Texas market. No pressure, no pitch — just the data, so you can decide with full information.

Stephen Harris | Real Estate Broker & Loan Originator | Good Life Team at All City Real Estate | Central Texas — Killeen, Fort Cavazos, Copperas Cove, Harker Heights, Temple, Belton