There are over 1.3 million servicemen and women on active duty in the United States military. While serving in the military is critical to protecting national interests and comes with many benefits, there are certainly a number of challenges experienced by military personnel and their families.
While moving is a stressful process for nearly everyone, it can be even more stressful for military families who often find themselves moving from one country to another, sometimes with relatively short notice. This can make it difficult to find suitable places to live. After all, when people seek new residences, they tend to need to evaluate a number of factors including affordability, safety, nearby services, and education opportunities.
Military families also tend to have to make these decisions more frequently. In fact, the average military family moves on average every two to three years, ten times more frequently than the average non-service member. While there has traditionally been some assistance with helping members of the military find housing in their new location, there has not been a comprehensive source to allow military families to truly research their new area through an insider’s perspective.
This changed with the launch of Virtual Ombudsman. For those who do not know, an ombudsman is essentially a person that helps investigate and advocate on behalf of a person experiencing a problem. In many ways, Virtual Ombudsman serves as an easily accessible resource to help military families plan their next move with the confidence that they are getting the inside information about what to expect.
Created by a former military couple who experienced dozens of moves during their time in service, Virtual Ombudsman is designed to be a unique resource created by military families for military families. The website itself is somewhat of a cross between a Yelp and a social media site in that actual military families are able to submit ratings and reviews of different places located at or near military installations.
How It Works
The website is designed to function quite simply, providing a convenient user interface that supports the user experience. After navigating to WWW.VIRTUALOMBUDSMAN.COM, there are many options for service members. They can click on a featured location to go directly to that page or easily search for the installation that they want information on.
Once on the page for the base, the user will find many options available to help in their search. However, the major choice for many people are the real estate listings. Members will be pleased to find many options. For example, the page for Bahrain includes information for the Bahrain Housing Service which provides temporary housing and detailed information on the housing search process. Meanwhile, the page on Naval Air Station Oceana lists housing as diverse as lodges at an RV park and cottages near the ocean.
However, this is not the only way for military families to find places to live. One of the most popular and useful features of Virtual Ombudsman is their real estate page. Virtual Ombudsman partners with many landlords and leasing companies to advertise their properties, which provides military members considering new orders a lot of options to evaluate regarding housing.
Military families can use the search feature to find a place they will love to live. Or they can casually browse homes for sale and available rentals at the base of their choice. The multiple methods of searching provide servicemen and women with a convenient way to begin their housing search.
Benefits of Using Virtual Ombudsman for Housing
Military members will find a number of important benefits from utilizing Virtual Ombudsman. First, they will take advantage of a comprehensive resource designed specifically for members of the military by members of the military. This ensures that the content focuses on what is important for military members seeking housing.
Additionally, Virtual Ombudsman allows people to get connected with their greater military community. The ability to provide ratings and feedback will help those searching know that they are viewing information from people in similar situations who truly understand the needs of military members.
The aforementioned ease of use is another optimal feature of the site. It has a seamless design that can be easily navigated, allowing for quick identification and research of potential properties. Whether looking to rent or own, finding a number of options is an easy process.
Finally, perhaps one of the most unique features of Virtual Ombudsman is the extensive information provided about each community. While investigating housing options, families can easily locate information about the general area including dining options, nightlife, childcare, veterinary services, local schools, and virtually any other item of interest. This feature is instrumental in helping families make excellent decisions.
Other Major Features
While Virtual Ombudsman is an excellent resource for locating housing and learning about military communities around the globe, it offers much more than just these services. Becoming more involved in the website will help military families access a unique community of their own.
Members can connect with the site’s social media directory, which helps people connect with other military families throughout the world. Have a question about living in Bahrain? Turn to the social media directory to find a service member who has been there before. Another useful feature is the Forum where servicemen and women can post queries and respond to one another, serving as a quick way to get information. These are useful services that truly help Virtual Ombudsman stand out.
Families planning to relocate will also be pleased to find extensive travel and sightseeing information which will help them make their own bucket lists for when they eventually reach their new home. After all, one of the benefits of military service is being able to travel. Virtual Ombudsman contains a wealth of information about popular tourist attractions. Whether looking to plan a family vacation or romantic couples’ weekend, the website highlights favorite spots of other members of the military.
Overview
Whether you are investigating whether to accept an offer to transfer to Pensacola or are planning to travel across the Pacific to Yokosuka, Virtual Ombudsman is an ideal website for helping military families meet their real estate needs. Easily find out information about base housing services including detailed instructions for securing temporary housing or browse a myriad of listings from local landlords to find your ideal new home. Whatever your real estate needs, Virtual Ombudsman provides a modern solution for busy military families.
Add in the fact that the site serves as a pseudo-social networking community allowing military families to leave reviews, and you can rest assured that you will find the accurate information about what to expect. While many people will initially be drawn to Virtual Ombudsman for the major task of researching housing, they will likely keep coming back to find useful services in their new communities and plan their experience in their new home. Virtual Ombudsman will surely become a popular resources for military members.
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