What Happens If My Hawaii Home Doesn’t Sell Before My PCS Date?

Quick Answer: Your PCS date can arrive before your Hawaii home sells. You do not necessarily have to delay your move or fly back to Hawaii to keep the sale moving. The bigger question is why the home has not sold and what needs to change before you leave.

This is where a PCS home sale becomes stressful. Your household goods may already be packed. Flights are booked. You have a report date at the next duty station. Your family is leaving Hawaii, but the house is still sitting on the market.

Do not let the PCS deadline push you into making a panicked decision. Instead, look at what the market has already told you. Have buyers been seeing the home but not making offers? Are there very few showings? Have competing homes sold while yours remains available? Is the condition turning buyers away, or is the price simply higher than buyers believe the home is worth?

The answer matters because the solution is different. A home that is getting little attention may need a pricing or marketing adjustment. A home getting showings but no offers may be receiving a different message from the market. If there is a condition issue, decide whether it makes sense to repair it, adjust the price or address it another way.

If you have to leave before the home sells, the transaction can continue after you move off island. Your Realtor can coordinate showings, access, inspections, appraisals and local issues while you make the important decisions from your next duty station.

The most important thing is to have a plan before you get on the airplane. Know who will have access to the property, how the home will be maintained, how quickly you can respond to an offer, and what changes you are willing to make if the home remains unsold.

Your PCS date is fixed. Your selling strategy isn't. If the original plan is not working, the answer is to understand why and adjust intelligently rather than simply hoping another week on the market will change things.

If your PCS date is approaching and your Oahu home has not sold, MaryJo McGillicuddy, Realtor Associate and Military Relocation Professional (MRP), can help you evaluate what the market is telling you and build a plan for selling even if you have to leave Hawaii first. Call or text MaryJo at (808) 724-4629.