PCS Orders & Your Ozark Land
Orders came down and you own ground near Fort Leonard Wood. Now what? You don't have to sell to move on. Sell it remotely, hold it as a long-term asset, or lease it for income while you serve elsewhere — this guide walks you through all three, on a PCS timeline.
Just Got Orders?
The moment PCS orders land in your inbox, the clock starts. Most families have 30–90 days to report — but here's the good news for a landowner: your ground isn't going anywhere, and you have more options than a quick sale.
You can sell now and close from your new station. You can hold the tract as a long-term, appreciating asset and revisit it at your next set of orders. Or you can keep it and lease it — hunting, grazing, or recreation — so it earns while you're gone.
The first call you make should be to us. We'll value the land, walk you through all three paths honestly, and build a plan around your actual report date — not a generic timeline.
And if you're headed somewhere with country worth owning, we can connect you with a trusted land agent near your next post, too — usually within 24 hours.
Sell, Hold, or Lease the Land
A PCS doesn't force a fire sale. Land is a different animal than a house — it doesn't have to be occupied, it doesn't fall apart empty, and it tends to hold value over the long haul. That gives you three real paths. Here's how each one plays for a service member on orders.
Sell Now, Close From Anywhere
If the timing and the number are right, sell it. Land buyers are often out-of-area, so we work the way you have to: drone tours, agent-led walkthroughs, digital mapping, e-sign, and remote closing. You never have to fly back to Missouri to get it done.
Hold It — Ground Banks Well
Ozark land is a long-term, appreciating asset. Plenty of owners land-bank a good tract, hold it through an assignment, and revisit the decision at the next set of orders. There's rarely a penalty for waiting on the right piece of dirt.
Keep It and Lease It
Not ready to sell, not able to visit? Put the ground to work. Hunting leases, grazing and hay leases, and recreational leases can generate income and keep a caretaker presence on the property while you serve elsewhere.
Get a Land Valuation First
Before you decide anything, know what the tract is worth in today's market. Our valuation is free and fast, and it gives you real numbers to weigh selling against holding or leasing.
Your PCS Land Timeline
Every PCS is different, but this timeline gives most landowners a clear path from orders to close — or from orders to a signed lease and a managed tract, if you're holding.
Get a Land Valuation & Pick Your Path
The moment you have orders, call us. We will value the tract, walk through selling versus holding versus leasing, and build a plan around your report date — not a generic timeline. Time is your most valuable asset.
Request free land valuationList the Land — or Line Up a Lease
If you're selling, this is the window to go live: drone footage, digital boundary and topo mapping, and marketing built for land buyers. If you're holding, this is when we line up a hunting, grazing, or recreational lease so the ground earns while you're gone.
Field Offers or Finalize the Lease
Land buyers are frequently out of the area, so most never set foot on the property before making an offer — we handle showings and questions on the ground. Selling or leasing, we negotiate hard on your behalf on price and terms.
Coordinate a Remote Closing
We work with the title company, the buyer's lender, and a mail-away or remote-online notary to align closing with your pack-out. Most PCS sellers close from their new station — we handle the details so you don't have to travel.
Close — or Hand Off Management
Selling? Proceeds wired, deed recorded, done. Holding? Your absentee management is in place — someone checking gates and access, the lease in force, and taxes and ag status handled. Either way, you focus on your family and your next chapter.
Holding & Leasing Your Land While You're Away
Deciding to hold the ground is only half the plan — the other half is keeping it looked after and, ideally, earning while you're stationed elsewhere. Here's what that looks like on Ozark land, and how we help you manage it from anywhere.
Absentee Land Management
If you're holding the tract, someone needs eyes on it. We can arrange a local presence to check gates and access roads, walk boundaries and fence lines, and flag trespass, erosion, or storm damage before small problems become expensive ones.
Hunting Leases
Whitetail timber and turkey ground lease well across the Ozarks. An annual hunting lease brings in income and puts responsible eyes on the property — a caretaker presence while you serve elsewhere.
Grazing & Hay Leases
Open pasture and hayfields can go to work with a local cattleman or hay producer. A grazing or hay lease generates income, keeps the ground managed, and often helps maintain your agricultural standing.
Recreational Leases
Camping, riding, fishing, and general weekend-use leases are another way to put recreational ground to work — for a neighboring family or an outfitter — without giving up ownership.
Ag / Current-Use Tax Status
Missouri assesses qualifying farm and timber ground on its agricultural use, not full market value — which keeps your tax bill low. Leaving the state doesn't have to change that, but the land generally needs to stay in a qualifying use. We help you keep that status intact.
Property Taxes From a Distance
Nothing derails a hold like a missed tax bill. Set up escrow or scheduled payments before you leave, keep your mailing address current with the county, and keep clean records across state lines so nothing lapses while you're away.
SCRA — Know Your Rights
The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) provides significant legal and financial protections for active-duty service members. Several apply directly to owning property — including a mortgage or land note on your Ozark tract — when you PCS.
SCRA protections are powerful but have specific requirements — written notice, documentation of orders, and proper timing. Always consult a JAG attorney or legal assistance office before invoking SCRA rights. It's free, it's available to you, and it's worth the appointment.
The Fort Leonard Wood Legal Assistance Office can advise you on how SCRA applies to your property and specific situation at no cost.
Land at Your Next Post — or Roots Back Here
A PCS is a fork in the road for a landowner. Maybe you buy country near the next station, maybe you hold Missouri ground as a basecamp, and maybe — when the uniform comes off — you come back to the Ozarks for good. We can help with all of it.
Land at Your Next Station, Too
Headed somewhere with country worth owning? Tell us where you're going and we'll connect you with a trusted land or farm agent near your next post — someone who knows that market and understands a service member's timeline.
Know How VA Financing Treats Land
A VA loan is for a primary residence — a home on the ground. A homestead with a dwelling can qualify; bare acreage and raw hunting ground cannot, because there's nothing to occupy. If a build is part of the plan, sort out financing before you count on the VA benefit.
Retiring or ETSing Near Fort Leonard Wood?
When the uniform comes off, plenty of folks want to stay in the Ozarks. We help veterans put down permanent roots on land here — a working farm, a homestead, or legacy acreage to pass down to the next generation.
Keep Your Missouri Ground as a Basecamp
Selling isn't the only move. Many service members hold their tract as a place to return to on leave and after service — hunt it, camp on it, and build on it down the road. Hold now, decide later, when the orders slow down.
Connect With a Trusted Land Agent at Your Destination
We personally vet every agent we refer to military families. Our network spans all 50 states, and every referral agent understands military timelines, how land and farm deals differ from a subdivision home, and the needs of service members and their families.
Our referral is free to you. Oakhaus receives a referral fee from the destination agent when your transaction closes. This does not affect the service you receive or any costs to you — it simply lets us provide this service at no charge.
PCS Resource Directory
Moving & Entitlements
VA Loan & Housing
Orders in Hand? Let's Talk About Your Ground.
We're Ozark land specialists with deep roots in the Fort Leonard Wood community — MRP-certified, and used to working on a soldier's timeline. Sell, hold, or lease, we'll help you make the call.