Should you rent or buy on a Fairchild assignment?

How long will you be here?

Buying has costs at the start and selling has costs at the end. The longer you stay, the more time the house has to cover them. If you expect a short assignment, that weighs toward renting or on-base housing.

What happens when you leave?

You have two exits: sell, or keep it and rent it out. If you would rent it out, look at what similar homes rent for and who would manage it while you are stationed elsewhere. Homes near the base tend to draw steady interest from incoming service members.

Compare the real monthly numbers

Put your BAH next to a full payment: principal and interest, taxes, insurance and any HOA dues. The payment calculator on this site does that with your own figures. Then compare it with rent for a similar home, and with on-base housing, which is privatized and run by Balfour Beatty Communities.

When renting first makes sense

• You have never been to Spokane and want to try an area before committing.
• Your report date is sooner than you can reasonably house-hunt.
• You may get short-notice orders again.

When buying makes sense

• You expect to be here long enough to cover the costs of buying and selling.
• The payment fits comfortably inside your allowance.
• You have a plan for the house after this assignment.

This is a real conversation, not a sales pitch. Ask me and I will tell you which camp you are in.