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Real Estate Investment

The city of Killeen is the 21st fastest growing city of its size in America and the 5th most undervalued for real estate. The areas surrounding Fort Hood are predicted to continue to increase in value over the next few years, even as the overall real estate market in America begins to slow. Major real estate areas such as San Diego, Los Angeles, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Austin, Seattle all slow down (and in some instances even begin to lose value), the areas surrounding Fort Hood continue to climb slowly, but surely.

Multi-Family units are "HOT" in the Fort Hood area right now, with many investors from other states (California being a major player) are swooping in and snatching these properties up as quick as they can hit the market. The prices on some typical 4-Plex units (2 x 3/2, 2 x 2/2) built only 2 years ago have risen from the high 170K range to an astonishing 220K+ price!

With all of this being said, with the ongoing reorganization of the U.S. military and the BRAC (Base Realignment and Closures) list showing the consolidation of many bases nationwide sending the troops to Fort Hood, where are these folks supposed to live? In YOUR investment properties! Most military families prefer to rent (usually subsidized by the government through a housing allowance) vice purchase a home since they usually rotate to a new base every couple of years. This constant migration of troops in and out of the Fort Hood area provides a steady stream of renters to occupy your housing units, whether they be single or multi family.

Just recently, the news was released that soldiers living onbase in housing would soon be responsible for paying their own utility bills, something that the government usually wrote off as a base-wide cost. This move will more than likely send even more troops to search for offbase housing. Also, military renters are much safer renters to have because if there are damages/unpaid rents, the military will intervene on your behalf and assist with the compensation from the military member, to include garnishment of their wages. This being said, the incidence of "deadbeat renters" in the military is very low.

All of the information provided in this article is freely available on the internet. Opinions regarding military renters are formed from discussions with military housing office personnel and from personnel experience renting to soldiers.

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