The summer is when most Permanent Change of Stations, or moves, occur in the military. Therefore, when orders are issued in the spring - so right now - is when finding new housing and dealing with your current housing becomes a priority.

While there are hundreds of options when it comes to dealing with rentals and real estate, one of the best tools for niche military market is the MilitaryByOwner website. The site, which was founded in 2000 and is headquartered just outside of Washington, D.C., is aimed at connecting relocating military families with one and other in order to simplify the search for housing, potential buyers or tenants.

Over the past 12 years, the small, family-run marketing site has garnered positive endorsements, an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and emerged as a reliable source for transitioning Servicemembers and dependents. Website traffic has increased every year and during 2011 alone, the site got five million visits, which expanded to 48 million separate page views of the hundreds of thousands of homes being showcased.

While the site does not offer any sort of certifications or guarantees to users regarding any transactions, purchases or leases negotiated through the portal, there is a sense of commonality and trust among users since they are all part of the same unique demographic..

Paging through the available homes by base or city is simple, but so is listing a home that you need to sell or rent out. There are three listing packages for sale, including the Basic for $14.95, which stays up for 45 days and limits the listing to text only, and the Home Tour for $49.95, which allows for five photos and stays up for 90 days.

The top of the line listing is the Home Tour Plus for $79.95, which can contain up to 10 pictures, display a thumbnail on the listing page and feature the listing above others for 180 days. Those looking to sell or rent a property can also request signage for lawns and windows; signage is mailed within two days of payment.

In addition to concise directions on the site and a toll-free customer service number (866-604-9126), MilitaryByOwner also has a live, online chat service available between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. (EST), Monday through Friday.

To list your home or scope out off-base housing at your next duty station, visit www.militarybyowner.com.