Hmm. We retired from the military in 1996, so maybe things are different now, but during our 20 years, the only people I knew in the military who actually purchased a home in an area were people purchasing homes that they intended to retire to when they got out of the military. Usually, these were in towns with military bases and when they got orders, they'd rent the house out to other military families. In the military, you know you're going to get orders every three years (or whatever it is based on your job and circumstances), so the only way buying a house makes sense is if you don't plan on selling it because you never know what the market will be like -- you could buy in a buyer's market (like the situation now) and then if you need to move, it could still be a buyer's market and you could spend months trying to sell it. I guess things changed, but for those who did buy and can't sell, do try renting it out. If you give a good deal to military families, you likely will be able to rent it out quickly.
-Dorothy (LadyZolt)