The Ollie Green MOVE Method is the four step approach I use with every client: Motivation (why you are moving), Options (which communities and homes fit), Value (which property is actually worth it), and Execution (financing, negotiation, inspections, and closing). Whether you are buying your first home, selling, or relocating with the military, these four steps keep an emotional decision grounded in a clear plan.
Most people think real estate starts with looking at houses. I think it starts with listening. After 22 years in the Army and years of working with first time buyers and service members moving on short notice, I built this method around the way good decisions actually get made. I call it MOVE. It is the same path I walk every client down, and I am sharing it here so you can use it as a reference long before we ever talk.
What is the Ollie Green MOVE Method?
MOVE stands for Motivation, Options, Value, and Execution. It is a way to slow down a high pressure decision just enough to make a smart one. Each letter answers a question you should be able to answer out loud before you make an offer or list your home.
| Step | The question it answers | What I do with you |
|---|---|---|
| M — Motivation | Why are you really moving? | We name the actual goal underneath the move, so every choice after this serves it. |
| O — Options | Which communities and homes fit? | We match neighborhoods, price bands, and home types to your life, not just your wish list. |
| V — Value | Which property is worth it? | We read the data so you pay for what holds value, not just what looks good on a Saturday tour. |
| E — Execution | How do we get to a clean close? | Financing, negotiation, inspections, and closing, managed so nothing slips. |
Why are you really moving?
Get this right and everything else gets easier.
Almost no one moves because of square footage. They move because a job changed, a family grew, a parent passed, orders came in, or a chapter closed. When I sit with a client, the first thing I want to understand is the story behind the move. A retiring veteran on a fixed income has a very different motivation than an active duty family with a report date in six weeks, even if they are looking at the same street.
This matters more for military families than most people realize, and I know it because I lived it. In the 2025 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, nearly one in five buyers had military ties. Active duty buyers were younger, often moving for a job relocation, and willing to buy farther from where they started. Veterans skewed older, were usually repeat buyers, and moved to be closer to family. Same benefit, very different reasons. I have stood on both sides of that timeline myself, which is why I will not let a client skip this step. Your reason sets your whole strategy, so we start there.
Which communities and homes fit?
Fit beats hype every time.
Once I know your motivation, we narrow the map. Riverview and the SouthShore communities each have a personality, and the right fit depends on your budget, your commute, your stage of life, and whether you want new construction or established trees. Below is an honest snapshot of where prices actually landed this summer, pulled directly from Stellar MLS closed sales, so you can see the bands before we tour a single home.
| Community | Median sale price | Median days to contract | Homes sold | Good fit for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverview | ~$384,900 | ~36 days | 437 | First time and move up buyers, new construction |
| Apollo Beach | ~$546,500 | ~70 days | 216 | Waterfront and lifestyle buyers |
| Sun City Center | ~$305,000 | ~41 days | 118 | Active adult, 55 and over |
| Ruskin & Wimauma | low to mid $300,000s | ~50 to 55 days | 356 | Value seekers and first time buyers |
Source: Stellar MLS closed single family home sales, Hillsborough County, May 1 through July 31, 2026. Data pulled directly by Ollie Green. Medians are approximate and rounded. I pull live Stellar MLS data for your exact ZIP code and price band before we make any decision.
Which property is actually worth it?
A pretty home and a smart buy are not always the same thing.
Value is where I earn my keep. We look at how a home is priced against recent comparable sales, how long similar homes are sitting, insurance and flood considerations that are very real in our area, and how the property is likely to hold up if your life changes. In Riverview right now, sellers are closing near asking and homes move in about a month, so overpaying is easy if you are not watching the comps. In parts of Apollo Beach, longer days on market and storm history mean there is more room to negotiate for the right buyer with the right plan.
For sellers, value runs the other direction. We treat the gap between your asking price and the likely closing price as the thing we manage. Price it to the data and you create competition. Price it to a feeling and you chase the market down. I would rather tell you the honest number than the flattering one.
How do we get to a clean close?
This is where deals are won or lost.
Execution is financing, negotiation, inspections, and closing. For a lot of my clients, and for many of us who served, financing means the VA loan. It is one of the most powerful tools in the country when it is used well. It allows zero down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance, which is why a custom NAR and Realtor.com analysis found a no down payment VA loan can put a buyer in a home more than four years sooner than waiting to save for a conventional loan. The catch is awareness. A 2025 Veterans United survey found only about a third of veterans know they can buy with no money down. That number lines up with what I saw across two decades in uniform. Service members are busy serving. Nobody hands you a homeownership briefing on the way out the door.
The one cost most buyers miss is the VA funding fee. It replaces mortgage insurance and can usually be financed into the loan, so you are not bringing it to the table in cash. Here is how it works in 2026.
| Situation | Funding fee |
|---|---|
| First use, no down payment | 2.15% of the loan |
| First use, 5% to 9.99% down | 1.50% |
| First use, 10% or more down | 1.25% |
| Subsequent use, no down payment | 3.30% |
| Veteran receiving disability compensation, qualifying surviving spouses, certain Purple Heart recipients | Fully exempt |
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs funding fee schedule, 2026. Your lender confirms your exact fee and any exemption on your Certificate of Eligibility.
One more thing worth knowing. As of a 2024 VA policy change, and reinforced by federal law signed in 2025, VA buyers can now negotiate and pay for their own professional representation. That means you no longer have to go without an advocate at the table, which is a real win for service members.
Run your own move through MOVE
Before you call any agent, including me, sit down and answer these four prompts. If you can, you are already ahead.
- Motivation. Finish this sentence in one line: I am moving because ______. Be honest, not polite.
- Options. List your top three must haves and your top three deal breakers. Match them to a community and a realistic price band.
- Value. Ask what comparable homes have actually closed for in the last ninety days, and how long they sat. Numbers, not vibes.
- Execution. Confirm your financing path early. If you have served, ask whether a VA loan fits and whether the funding fee applies to you.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Ollie Green MOVE Method work for sellers too?
Yes. Motivation tells us your timeline and your bottom line, Options become how we position and stage the home, Value becomes pricing strategy, and Execution becomes managing offers, inspections, and the close. The four steps simply point the other direction.
Can active duty buyers really purchase with no money down?
For most eligible buyers using a VA loan, yes. VA loans allow zero down payment and carry no monthly mortgage insurance. You will still have a one time funding fee unless you are exempt, and that fee can usually be rolled into the loan rather than paid in cash at closing.
Is now a good time to buy in Riverview?
Riverview has stayed steady, with prices up modestly year over year and homes selling in roughly a month near asking. That makes it a fair, balanced market rather than a frenzy, which is honestly a healthier place to buy. The right answer still depends on your motivation and your financing, which is exactly why we start with M.
I am relocating on military orders with a short timeline. Can you help?
That is a large part of my work, and it is a place where I speak the language. I have moved on orders. I know what a tight report date does to a family. A compressed timeline changes the strategy, not the method. We move quickly through Motivation and Options, lean hard on live data for Value, and I manage Execution closely so a short window does not turn into a rushed mistake.
- National Association of REALTORS, 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers (military buyer share, motivation, and VA loan usage).
- National Association of REALTORS and Realtor.com, Mission Zero analysis, 2025 (0% down VA loan timeline to homeownership).
- Veterans United Home Loans, 2025 awareness survey (share of veterans aware of the no down payment benefit).
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VA funding fee schedule and exemptions, 2026.
- Stellar MLS closed single family home sales, Hillsborough County (Riverview, Apollo Beach, Ruskin, Sun City Center, Wimauma), May 1 through July 31, 2026. Data pulled directly by Ollie Green.