MILITARY & VA

Should I rent or buy as a military family in Las Vegas?

By Steve Lockhart

The short answer

Rent or buy is the oldest question in military housing, and the right answer changes with every set of orders. Let me give you the framework I use instead of a slogan.

Full answer

Rent or buy is the oldest question in military housing, and the right answer changes with every set of orders. Let me give you the framework I use instead of a slogan.

The first variable is time. Buying has real upfront costs and closing math, so it pays off over years of occupancy, not months. If your orders suggest several years at Nellis or in the valley, the purchase math usually has room to work. If the assignment is short, uncertain, or likely to extend many miles away, renting keeps your options open and your equity un-trapped.

The second variable is money, and this is where I earn my keep: we compare a real rental payment against your all-in purchase cost, including the mortgage, tax, insurance, HOA dues, maintenance, and the market's likely direction. BAH changes the comparison too, because your housing allowance is fixed while rents and mortgage payments move. A rising rent in a 5-year stay can flip the math toward buying hard.

The third variable is the market itself. Buying in any market carries the risk that values dip after you close, and zero down financing means no equity cushion if they do. That is not a reason to avoid buying, it is a reason to buy with a payment you can carry through a dip.

Renting is not the coward's option, and buying is not the only grownup one. The honest answer is the one your orders, your savings, and the spreadsheet support together.

Go a little deeper

Frequently asked

Questions service members often follow up on

How long do we need to stay for buying to make sense?

There is no single number, because rents, prices, and rates all move, but a common planning starting point is several years. We run your specific rent, price, and expected stay through the math and give you the crossover point, not a rule of thumb you have to trust.

Can I buy now and rent it out when I PCS?

Yes, once you have genuinely occupied the home as your primary residence, renting later on orders is normal and allowed, for VA and conventional loans alike. That flexibility often tips the decision for families who expect one assignment but want options after it.

What about buying as an investment even if we rent ourselves?

That is two separate decisions. A VA loan cannot fund a home you will not occupy, so an investment purchase would be a conventional one. Some families do both, and we can model that path, but the rent-versus-buy question for your own housing comes first.

The Lockhart Method

Your Home | My Strategy | Proven Results

My strategy: let the spreadsheet, not the stereotype, answer this one. We model your real rent, your real purchase cost, and your expected stay, then test it against BAH and market conditions, so you choose with a crossover date in hand instead of a gut feeling.

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