Military Homeowner Leaves Everything Behind—and Makes Money on Home from Overseas

The PCSing Homeowner Dilemma: To Sell or To Rent?

When Captain Amy Belaus received orders to Germany from Clarksville, Tennessee, she was faced with a problem many military homeowners are all-too-familiar with: What in the world am I going to do with my house?

Selling was not a good option, as she had recently purchased the home and would be lucky to break even after paying her realtor and other seller fees. So Amy turned to her friend and fellow West Point-alum, Kate Homme, our Director of Acquisitions, for help.

“Kate helped me weigh the cost-benefit of each option,” Amy said. “I knew she would give me the facts, resources, and honest truth about all of my options. She is very experienced and competent, so I felt confident in my decision based on her advice.”

Kate suggested Amy rent her home, and offered Patriot Family Homes’ property management services for her consideration. Amy ran the numbers, and decided renting her home with Patriot Family Homes was the right choice.

“PFH has a good reputation for taking care of homeowners and guests,” Amy said. Plus, she knew entrusting her home to a company run by fellow Army vets provided invaluable peace of mind while on the other side of the Atlantic.

Leave it all behind!

Now Amy had another dilemma: What to do with the furniture?

“I knew I was going to move into an apartment in Germany, which would be smaller, so I would’ve had to put it in storage and incur additional costs,” Amy said.

Kate had an answer to that too: Leave it all behind with the house.

“I told Amy, ‘Leave your stuff!’,” Kate said. “Patriot Family Home rentals are all furnished, so rather than buy all new furniture, she could leave it with the house and be ready to welcome guests right away.”

Amy liked the idea, additionally because leaving the furniture reduced the likelihood of it getting damaged during the move overseas.

In all, Amy spent just $2,000 on linens, towels, and other guest amenities to fully set up her home for short-term renters. And in its first month taking bookings, Amy’s home brought in $5,000.

“I tell military owners all the time, don’t mess with a DITY move or finding a storage unit--leave the furniture with the house,” Kate said. “You’ll save yourself all the headaches of moving, and make a ton of money at the same time. It’s a win-win.”

Total Property Management, Total Peace of Mind

Today, Amy is stationed in Germany and relies on Patriot Family Homes to completely manage her home in Clarksville. With a staff of many military veterans and spouses, PFH handles all bookings, pricing, cleaning, maintenance, and guest interaction for Amy’s home.

“I would 150% recommend PFH to other military homeowners,” Amy said. “PFH has made what initially seemed like a complicated and time-consuming process so incredibly simple and rewarding. I have had nothing less than a great experience working with the PFH team.”

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If you are a military homeowner interested in renting your home, we’d love to talk to you! Email Property Management at management@patriotfamilyhomes.com.

Check out Amy’s gorgeous Clarksville home just 5 minutes from Fort Campbell here. Fun fact: the home was featured in 2005 on Extreme Makeover Home Edition!