Military Transfer to Maryland?

This dreaded word has haunted military families since the frontier days: “Orders.” (Army Wives on the American Frontier by Anne Bruner Eales)

That little bitty paper called “orders” can have a big impact on many lives (that’s a polite way of saying your life and that of your family is about to turn upside down). Goodbye, friends. Goodbye, familiar schools. Goodbye, familiar doctors. Goodbye, scout troop. Goodbye, favorite restaurant with the world’s best Rueben sandwich. Goodbye, soccer team. Goodbye, routine. Daddy or Mommy is going to ______ and you’ll be “fine” in the new location. It will be an adventure. You’ll make new friends.

Ahhhhhh… I remember those days. I’ll always remember the year that my husband drove to Maryland from Rhode Island to pick me up on Thursday night (about 8 hours), and we drove to Charleston, South Carolina to look for a home (about 10 hours). Our two children stayed behind with grandparents – thank goodness! We arrived on Good Friday afternoon, when many of the real estate offices were closed for the Easter weekend, and we had to look at houses and neighborhoods, select a place to buy, write an offer, and get a loan by dinner time on Saturday so we could drive back to Maryland on Sunday in time for my husband to continue back to Rhode Island and try to get a little rest before the next morning. I wouldn’t wish that experience on anyone, yet I know it is not unusual for military families, even today.

If you’re expecting orders to any of the many military facilities in the D.C. – Baltimore area, you will face enough upheaval that you cannot control – so take charge of at least one factor that is within your control: work with a real estate agent and lender who “get” what you’re facing… who understand the whole military pay thing, and the fact that some portion of it will be different in this area than it is in your current duty station and some of your income is not taxable.

Yes, the Internet is great, and you can sit at a computer in Germany and look for homes in Maryland. The truth is that your relocation will be much easier if you put this job in the hands of an experienced real estate agent who is familiar with the area AND has specific experience in working with the military. Even with all those fancy websites you can visit to learn about an area, there’s still nothing like a relocation package prepared especially for you that is filled with home listings and brochures about area sites and businesses. There is something about holding this information in your hand that makes you feel more in control.

And wouldn't it be nice to have someone waiting and ready to show you homes when you arrive - someone with whom you've been communicating for several weeks or months, so they know your expectations and concerns?

If you have orders, contact me today for a FREE Maryland Relocation Package or for help in finding a military-friendly real estate agent in one of the 63 countries around the world that is served by RE/MAX offices and agents.

Related links:

• Military Assistance Program
• GSA Lodging
• 10 Core Relocation Programs
• Housing at Ft. Meade
• BRAC
• Mortgage Lender
• Military Avenue

Feedback or questions:

• www.MargaretWoda.com
• mwoda@remax.net
• Crofton Real Estate

Military Transfer to Maryland?

Copyright 2007. All rights reserved. Margaret Woda