DISA's six-figure incentive encourages workers to make the move

It’s about 33 miles from their current office in Arlington, VA to Fort Meade in Maryland. Employees of the Defense Information System Agency (DISA) are going to be offered up to $120,000 in moving costs to make the change beginning in 2009, a year before the moving actually starts.  

Groundbreaking for DISA’s new office is scheduled for April 2008, but the effort to retain experienced employees and help them choose to move has already begun. For DISA, it makes sense to keep as many as possible of their experienced staff. It takes eight to ten years for a DISA employee to become completely proficient. That represents a significant investment of time and training cost, so DISA does not want to lose these employees and then have to replace them in Maryland. 

The incentive money can be used for anything related to moving, from packing boxes to real estate commissions for buying and selling a home. Each employee who accepts the incentive will have up to $120,000 for expenses, but won’t get to keep any extra that isn’t spent on moving.  

DISA has already begun encouraging employees by taking field trips to Fort Meade so they can see where they will work. By September 2011, more than 4,000 DISA employees will be working at Fort Meade thanks to the federal Base Realignment and Closure process (BRAC).  

Drawing a highly skilled and highly paid workforce to the area is good news for Anne Arundel County. The DISA jobs are just part of the picture that county planners are looking at now. Those workers will bring families, and those families will need services like doctors, teachers, and many others.  

It’s too soon to say what the full impact of DISA’s move and the BRAC will be for the county, but it’s already clear that there will be need for housing in a variety of price ranges. We believe that over the long term, the housing market in Anne Arundel and  Prince Georges Counties will be strong. Remember that the "Special" Ed Haraway team, has more than 20 years of experience in the local market. As always, "The Realtors Who Treat You Special!" are here to serve you whether you are buying or selling your home or an investment property. Give us a call at 301-262-5255 or go to our web site at www.MarylandHomeHunter.com.

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