Has anyone used moscow star, or moscow Rick ? I just paid a deposit on an apartment for my girls interview next week. What should we expect?
Thanks

never used them myself, but on another forum Moscow Rick got pretty good reviews

Never heard anything bad. I've at least heard of 'Moscow Rick' for years, so you should be fine.

It's a pretty standard thing to put down the downpayment, then pay the rest upon arrival. There are even some now that do it via PayPal!

You should have no worries.

I used Mocow Ricks and it was quite nice. Apartment was room and comfortable.

Paul and Anna

We used Moscow Rick when she came over on her K1. His accomodations were comfortable, although my wife was dissatisfied with the linens. I couldn't understand why, though: seriously. His people did everything they said they would, including finding a way to get us to the airport when the first taxi they retained broke down.

Next time, we'll probably stay at the Novotel at Sheremetyevo 2. She liked the linens, and I'll like the convenience.

Well, Ilyana is back in stavropol now, visa approved. She didn't have anything negative to say about Rick's services. She had a good time in moscow. She had time to show her daughter some of the great sights in the beautiful city. The apartment had a computer and internet so we could talk on ICQ. That was a great big plus. I don't want to think of the confusion that would have come from telephone only. Her English is good ,but we hit brick walls in it all the time. And , my russian is about as good as my ..... Well, I don't do it. So, I give Rick a thumbs up.

Congrats again ronnielee. So, another thumbs up for Moscow Rick.

Congratulations, Ronnielee I don't know who this "Moscow Rick" is But I am glad everything worked out...Good Luck!

Moscow Rick is an American living in Moscow, with his Russian family. He manages a number of apartments there, the selling points being English speaking management and reasonalbe prices.

I'll post a review for everyone next week (compared to a Moscow apartment managed by local Russians).

I am a firm believe that the two cannot co-exist. Walk around the Kremlin, ask the price of souvenir in English, then have your wife ask the price in perfect Russian. You'll notice the markup instantly. Same thing with apartments.

I agree.

Moscow Rick ended up being the same price I got 2 years ago dealing totally in Russian with locals, so at this point I have no problem calling that reasonable. Based on pictures, it looks to be about the same apartment as last time.

Time is money. I called Rick and had this sorted out in 5 minutes. After 2 years of reading about prices here, I don't think that his were unreasonable. I could have spent 4 or 5 hours finding something $40 cheaper (even reading or speaking Russian to do it), but 5 hours is worth a lot to me. 5 hours is a lot of work for $40. Even making minimum wage, it is a lot of time after working.

And Sat - you are about to be a lawyer. Billable hours are what I live by. I'm willing to spend a few bucks if it means I am still billable for a client.

That plus comfort / convenience are the extra elements people add after they hear how things can be done for less in Russia. I only compared price and language in isolation.
Ironically I currently intern at a Law Firm that works on flat fees and no billables. But we still log our time because it is a good habit. You can reach this level as an attorney when you are pretty comfortable with how much work each case involves. With some clients this is the only way they'll hire you, because they know what to expect. But I understand your point, just right now in my life, every penny counts as I try to limit how much money I borrow for education / living as a student. For example, for me, $5 coffee repaid in 10 years plus interest is closer to $15. Time is still pretty cheap, but I know this will change soon.

My point was that full-time employees on salary do not comprehend how much their time is worth. If you bill your clients $300/hour, a day off is at least $2,600 in your mind. I'm a consultant, not a lawyer. I bill my customers on what a lawyer would call a 40 hour weekly retainer. (They pay me for 40 hours for my services, whether they use them or not). I am well aware of what that times costs. They generally are as well. Time = money is the reason I have no debt.

Sat - you are also the smartest person that I have never met.

There's something on the end of your nose Russ... might wanna wipe that off, looks like....

Just kidding! I'll sing Sat's praises too! Helluva VJer, and as bro Dean would say, "a right-thinking kind of fellow."

Actually, I greatly appreciate the knowledge and advice of most of the regulars here.

Me too!

Although, I could do without the "well, your wife/girlfriend is just so helpless because you treat her so badly. You guys are all losers in this forum and have no respect for women."