Random Ramblings

Military would be an exception, since you don't necessarily have a lot of control over whether you go or stay. The three-to-five year thing is pretty generally accepted in the real estate business, though, because otherwise you're typically going to lose money on the house if you have a mortgage because of your original closing costs and then having to pay the real estate agents. There would obviously be all sorts of exceptions to this depending on how you pay, but for the typical homeowner who has a mortgage and who paid less than 20% for their down payment, if you move sooner, you lose money, which is stupid if you have a choice in the matter.