Relocating

[lilsubangel]

I just got back from visiting family out West, for the first time and I loved it out there. Now I want to relocate there. Anyone have any suggestions on how to begin this process? I would need to find a new job and a place to live.

Thanks for your help.

 

[SweetErika]

What do you want suggestions on? Finding employment and a place to live are the big ones, as you said, but I'm not sure what else you're looking for.

What area are you hoping to move to? Not specifically, but maybe the nearest major city and state?

Some things to consider off the top of my head...
Can you afford to move? Have you looked at the costs involved?

Are you moving from a house or apartment? Will you be looking for an apartment, to rent a room, or buy a house, once you move? Are you planning on being close to your family? Could you stay with them while you look for a job?

Will you find a job, or move, first?

Do you have school-aged kids who will be going with you? If so, you'll obviously want to check out schools in your target area(s).

 

[jeepman6]

I just got back from visiting family out West, for the first time and I loved it out there. Now I want to relocate there. Anyone have any suggestions on how to begin this process? I would need to find a new job and a place to live.

Thanks for your help.

I think you answered your own questions.

Now I have to ask if you have savings? What are your qualifications? What part of the west? Truthfully we can't answer those questions without more info. I've lived on the west coast for most of my life and frankly it's difficult sometimes. More info please.

 

[lilsubangel]

Thank you for your input SweetErika and jeepman6

To answer the questions you have...I am wondering how does one find the right town to settle down in? How does one find out what the crime rates are?

When it comes to finding a job, how can one interview for a position at such a great distance? I would need 3 days off from my present job for an interview and right now...I'm fresh out of days off for this year.

I have been looking for jobs and places to reside and have found some nice places to look into. I am looking into renting a house for the time being.

I really can't stay with the "family" as it consists of my adult children who live with their father and his new wife. I don't think my ex and his wife would relish the idea of me living with them while I find a job, lol (Wonder if the hotels have weekly discount rates, lol)

I think I would have to find a job first as all the rental ads want verification of employment.

The children are grown so school isn't a concern at this time.

Savings aren't a problem, but I do need to save a bit more...plus the lease on the current place I am renting doesn't expire until next February, so I have some time.

I hope this answers some of the questions you have in order to better advise me.

Thanks for all your help.

 

[culloden]

My wife and I plan a move west in a few years when our youngest finishes school. I've spent a lot of time checking out www.bestplaces.net. The site provides demographic data for any town in the US. Sometimes, there are also user comments. You might find it helpful.

 

[lilsubangel]

My wife and I plan a move west in a few years when our youngest finishes school. I've spend a lot of time checking out www.bestplaces.net. The site provides demographic data for any town in the US. Sometimes, there are also user comments. You might find it helpful.

Thank you very much. I will do that.

 

[SweetErika]

Finding crime rates and such is as simple as googling 'crime rates' and 'crime rates CITY' (fill in prospective cities). I'd say be careful of going on statistics alone, however. In some really bad or more ethnic neighborhoods, crimes are underreported because people fear being labelled snitches or don't like to deal with the police. Also, in my city, for instance, there are definitely good areas and bad areas; the east side is residential and has a lot of new homes, and the west side has more apartments and businesses. So, when you go on your "scouting" trip, make sure you drive around and look at prospective areas. It should be relatively easy to tell what's up crime-wise in any given area.

Yes, some hotels DO have weekly rates, or are willing to negotiate those rates to fill the rooms. Some of them are real dives in bad areas, but any of the "Extended Stay" types should be fine, and there are a lot of reviews of all sorts of places online, so you should be able to find something. Your best bet for negotiating weekly rates will be in the low season (Oct-April).

Depending on where you're moving from and to, you may need to consider a cost of living increase. So, what the things you use cost (gas, food, utilities, housing, services) there vs. where you are now is due some research so you can negotiate a sufficient salary and make sure you have enough to get you started.

The problem I see with renting a house is there are a LOT of houses for rent right now because the owners are waiting until the economy improves to sell them. You might find yourself all moved in, and your landlord says he's selling, and there you'll be, homeless again. So, that'd be a good question to ask and something to guard against with a 12-month lease or whatever.

A lot of companies will do telephone interviews from the start. If it's a necessary position, the better ones will actually fly you out if they want an in-person interview and may even pay your relocation expenses!

You didn't mention what area you'd like to move to. I think that'll help us give you more specific advice.

 

[lilsubangel]

Thank you SweetErika

I am looking to move from Albany, New York to the Phoenix area of Arizona. By spending a week there, I have an idea of expenses and find that expenses are far less than what I am spending now. Gas is about $.50 cheaper, milk is half the cost of what it is where I live and of the few groceries I purchased in AZ, I saved about $6-8.

The houses that I have looked at are owned by rental companies and are looking for 12 month leases along with some that offer a monthly rental discount if you rent for 24 months.

As far as flying out for an interview or two is that it would mean at least 2 days off from work, flying in and interviewing on day 1 and flying home on day 2. This will be a whole new problem should an in-person interview be required.

As far as staying in a hotel, hopefully any discounted weekly rates will be comparable to a monthly apartment/housing rental.

Hope this helps.

 

[alaskabibear]

One thing I have always noticed is that when I am on "vacation" someplace and decide to move there it becomes a lot different when you actually live there. The reality of; "this is just like any other place sinks in pretty quick". That said, if you can really answer some basic questions as to why you think you would be happier in a new place (e.g. family, recreation/lifestyle, employment security, etc.) - and it still makes sense - then perhaps this is the best thing for you. Just remember that you will be giving up a lifetime of friends and community and you will find yourself in a big new city with the prospect of starting all over again.

As to jobs, I have noticed of late that Craig's List seems to be very active among employers - also, a web search of the AZ. State Labor Dept. should link you up to the official state job posting board. But, unless you are employed in a highly skilled and competitive field, you may find that your best bet is to just set a date to move and go for it - finding a job when you are "on the ground" is usually much easier than long distance (unless like I said - your skills are in hot demand). Good Luck!

Added thought; be sure to check out the lower wages in AZ. - the cost savings you saw when you visited may be offset by lower earnings!

 

[Maxell46]

Read the first few lines of alaskabibears response a few times.
Then read it again.
Vacation and "real life" are not the same.

With that said...I would think that Albany sucks compared to Arizona.Out west is beautifull and Albany is depressing as hell !Cold damp and a dank place compared to warm sunny and freshly new.

The only thing "cheaper" will be housing ,auto ins. Everything else is the same across America for the most part.
Move for the right reasons.Troubles will follow you wherever you go.
If your an outdoorsy type the west is a great place to live and enjoy the earth..If your an indoor/couch potato shopping type it really doesn't matter where you live.

Again...move for the right reasons and you'll be fine.

One thing I have always noticed is that when I am on "vacation" someplace and decide to move there it becomes a lot different when you actually live there. The reality of; "this is just like any other place sinks in pretty quick". That said, if you can really answer some basic questions as to why you think you would be happier in a new place (e.g. family, recreation/lifestyle, employment security, etc.) - and it still makes sense - then perhaps this is the best thing for you. Just remember that you will be giving up a lifetime of friends and community and you will find yourself in a big new city with the prospect of starting all over again.

As to jobs, I have noticed of late that Craig's List seems to be very active among employers - also, a web search of the AZ. State Labor Dept. should link you up to the official state job posting board. But, unless you are employed in a highly skilled and competitive field, you may find that your best bet is to just set a date to move and go for it - finding a job when you are "on the ground" is usually much easier than long distance (unless like I said - your skills are in hot demand). Good Luck!

Added thought; be sure to check out the lower wages in AZ. - the cost savings you saw when you visited may be offset by lower earnings!

 

[sutherngent985]

The only thing "cheaper" will be housing ,auto ins. Everything else is the same across America for the most part.

I used to live in Phoenix and from what I remember, car insurance was one of the highest in the nation. Plus, registration is sky high on a yearly basis. Registration for the car I bought in 1989 finally went below $100 in 1998 (it goes down each year), the year I traded it in and the new one cost over $500 to register.

Housing is fairly cheap, especially when compared to Albany. See if you can get a place that has SRP power rather than APS. When I lived there, SRP was quite a bit cheaper than APS. SRP is mainly in the East valley (Mesa, etc) but there are some areas in Phoenix that are SRP as well.

Phoenix is really a great place to live. Make sure you go tubing on the Salt River...great way to spend a hot summer afternoon. Check out Sedona and Prescott. They are kind of touristy but fun and beautiful.

Just remember to be cautious about living in the desert. There are all kinds of creepy crawlies that mainly live where you can't see. Look before you reach into places and shake your shoes out before you put them on if they were outside. Make sure you drink even if you aren't thirsty. The heat can get to you very quickly.

 

[PowerLifter84]

Good luck with the move.

I did the same thing last year and moved 100s of miles away. I'll be honest, though, in that I fucking hate the new town I am in. The only reason I moved was because of the job and promising money that I could be making; that was until our economy began getting worse. Now I am struggling to get by until a few more months before moving back to where I am from and going back to school.

Either way, give it a shot. I'm still young and do not regret this move at all. It has taught me a lot more on how to be independent and in some sense I have matured.

The only thing I would recommend is to research the area and visit a few times. Talk to the people, ask them questions and see how open they are. People in the town that I moved to are VERY conservative and if they do not know you, they will not give you the time of day. It sucks because this town has so much potential but the people are what is screwing up any possible future.

 

[culloden]

One of the cool things about the site I recommended, www.bestplaces.net, is that it provides a lot of the data that folks are talking about. Want to compare real estate costs? Crime rates? Economy?

 

[simpleman911]

Moving

Ilive in a large city in California. Its all I can do to keep my house and live. The jobs are great if you are a hard worker and dont mind what you might have to do. Its fast. Im not kidding. Hurry Hurry hurry. If you like staying busy this is your town. If you want to kick back stay where you are. I dont make excuses for California. It aint all glamour. I will tell the truth just ask me. Rent a house $ 2,100 month med part of town. Crime of course everywhere. Not near beach. Gas 4.14 gallon. Milk expensive. Women are very pretty here. Lots of traffic on freeways. Mountains, Snow, Beaches, Desert. Its all here. Good luck

 

[SweetErika]

Ilive in a large city in California. Its all I can do to keep my house and live. The jobs are great if you are a hard worker and dont mind what you might have to do. Its fast. Im not kidding. Hurry Hurry hurry. If you like staying busy this is your town. If you want to kick back stay where you are. I dont make excuses for California. It aint all glamour. I will tell the truth just ask me. Rent a house $ 2,100 month med part of town. Crime of course everywhere. Not near beach. Gas 4.14 gallon. Milk expensive. Women are very pretty here. Lots of traffic on freeways. Mountains, Snow, Beaches, Desert. Its all here. Good luck

$4.14 a gallon? What part of CA? That's a good 10-15 cents cheaper than the cheaper parts of the Seattle 'burbs and most of W. WA.

I'm not sure how our gas got to the same price as CA gas (until recently, it was around 50 cents less), but it did in a period of just a few days. Price fixing and gouging, I think.

 

[ltnsfr007]

I just got back from visiting family out West, for the first time and I loved it out there. Now I want to relocate there. Anyone have any suggestions on how to begin this process? I would need to find a new job and a place to live.

Thanks for your help.

Don't forget your suntan lotion

PM me if I can help w/ some CA. advice

 

[simpleman911]

so cal.

So Cal. I dont complain. I reap the benifits here ...so I drive arount a bit less is all....

 

[lilsubangel]

Thank you everyone for all your suggestions. Everyone was very helpful.

My wife and I plan a move west in a few years when our youngest finishes school. I've spent a lot of time checking out www.bestplaces.net. The site provides demographic data for any town in the US. Sometimes, there are also user comments. You might find it helpful.

I have been spending this past week doing a great deal of researching and this site was wonderful. Thank you. It has narrowed my choices to Chandler, Gilbert and Queen Creek Arizona.

 

[lilsubangel]

$4.14 a gallon? What part of CA? That's a good 10-15 cents cheaper than the cheaper parts of the Seattle 'burbs and most of W. WA.

I'm not sure how our gas got to the same price as CA gas (until recently, it was around 50 cents less), but it did in a period of just a few days. Price fixing and gouging, I think.

Gas is $4.17 where I live...it went up $.14 in one day too

What we need to do to eliminate this growing problem is to stop depending on the Middle East for our oil and start drilling in our own backyard.

 

[lilsubangel]

Don't forget your suntan lotion

Without a doubt!

 

[subwannabe]

Are those cities you mentioned right around Phoenix? I have moved around the country a few times, the first time moving from New York State to another state, not having a job or relatives or friends where I moved. It wound up being easy for me at the time but I have learned a lot over the years. First, I would head the advice of a couple of others that it might be a great place to visit, but.............make sure it is a place you would really like to live.

Now on to the other advice. Unless you are a very marketable professional, your best bet is to save money, quit your job, move, get established in your new location, then look for a job. Most business will not want to fool with an out of state person when they have plenty of local people to choose from. Also, you could waste a bunch of money on travel, only to loose out on the jobs. Be prepared to give a good answer during the interview as to why you just quit your job and moved. It's probably not a bad answer to say you have kids in the area, you visited and like the area, and now you want to live in a better area, closer to your family. As far as crime rates go you may be over analizing things. All cities of course have different crime rates but most all cities have areas with low crime rates and areas with higher crime rates. Detroit and other large cities like NY and LA actually have high crime rates but also have decent areas to live and work and you may never experience crime. Just because you move to a low crime area doesn't mean you won't someday be a victim. How many times have you heard on the news, " I never thought anything like that would ever happen here!"?

To reiterate, I would move first and find a job once you get there.

 

[lilsubangel]

Are those cities you mentioned right around Phoenix? I have moved around the country a few times, the first time moving from New York State to another state, not having a job or relatives or friends where I moved. It wound up being easy for me at the time but I have learned a lot over the years. First, I would head the advice of a couple of others that it might be a great place to visit, but.............make sure it is a place you would really like to live.

I definitely want to live there...my kids live there.

Now on to the other advice. Unless you are a very marketable professional, your best bet is to save money, quit your job, move, get established in your new location, then look for a job.

This would be difficult because without a job first...how would I support myself especially if it were to take me several weeks to find one? Where would I live? How would I eat? How would I pay my bills?

It's probably not a bad answer to say you have kids in the area, you visited and like the area, and now you want to live in a better area, closer to your family.

This would be the exact reason I would explain to a prospective employer.

 

[Tyr51]

Just FYI....

In LA today:

1 gallon of gas = $4.60
1 gallon of milk = $650
1 dz eggs = $4.50
1 loaf of decent bread = $4.00
1 month rent in a slightly dubious part of town for a one bedroom = $1200
Minimum wage = a little over $8/hr
Unemployment in LA (not counting those who work part time, are students, or are illegals) is 6.5% last I heard.



Speaking as one here? I'm getting the heck out of dodge and moving East.
The West Coast is a marvalous place. Get up North and it is some of the prettiest land in the USA.


Now is not a good time to relocate to SoCal. :\


Though, if you're financially flush and you wait a month or two? Property values all dropped about 30%, so if you can afford to buy and wait out the market, 10 - 20 years down the line it might have been a decent investment.

 

[lilsubangel]

Just FYI....

In LA today:

1 gallon of gas = $4.60
1 gallon of milk = $650
1 dz eggs = $4.50
1 loaf of decent bread = $4.00
1 month rent in a slightly dubious part of town for a one bedroom = $1200
Minimum wage = a little over $8/hr
Unemployment in LA (not counting those who work part time, are students, or are illegals) is 6.5% last I heard.


Speaking as one here? I'm getting the heck out of dodge and moving East.
The West Coast is a marvalous place. Get up North and it is some of the prettiest land in the USA.


Now is not a good time to relocate to SoCal. :\

Though, if you're financially flush and you wait a month or two? Property values all dropped about 30%, so if you can afford to buy and wait out the market, 10 - 20 years down the line it might have been a decent investment.

Thanks for the information, however I am looking to relocate to Arizona, not California.....although I would love to visit there someday.

I currently live in the Northeast and although it is a very pretty area, unemployment is high, more and more people are on welfare and the taxes in my state are one of the highest in the nation. Everything goes up, up and up except one's income.

I am looking to move to Arizona to be closer to my children and future grandchildren.

 

[SweetErika]

Just FYI....

In LA today:

1 gallon of gas = $4.60
1 gallon of milk = $650
1 dz eggs = $4.50
1 loaf of decent bread = $4.00
1 month rent in a slightly dubious part of town for a one bedroom = $1200
Minimum wage = a little over $8/hr
Unemployment in LA (not counting those who work part time, are students, or are illegals) is 6.5% last I heard.



Speaking as one here? I'm getting the heck out of dodge and moving East.
The West Coast is a marvalous place. Get up North and it is some of the prettiest land in the USA.


Now is not a good time to relocate to SoCal. :\

Which is just many of the reasons why we've had a large, steady stream of Californians moving up here for the past few decades.

Maybe housing prices down there will plummet enough for them to go back, so we can go back to having more affordable housing, less traffic, crime (a lot of the CA gangs have invaded) and people, fewer rude drivers and people complaining about how shitty the weather is compared to "Cali."