Where would you move?

[LJ75 3]

Hi all - I am new to this amazing forum, and this is my first post. I tried looking for similar topics, and while there are some overlaps, I could not find anything that discusses our dilemmas.

I happen to be one of the winners of the DV lottery. We are a family of 4, kids are 13 and 11. We all speak English fairly well, wife and I have bachelor degrees and I have 15+ years of experience in leading MNCs. We are originally from SE Europe, and I currently work in Nigeria, (we are all here, kids go to the American School). I have also lived in SE Asia for 6 years. My brother (US citizen) lives in upstate NY. We can also bring in 100K USD, and perhaps some 200K-250K more once we sell some properties back home.

Our strategy is two-fold:

cost control (so moving into relatively cheaper cities, but not compromising safety and quality of education) and

revenue generation (i.e. bigger cities, i.e. more jobs available in our industries, though we wouldn't shy away from any kind of work, esp. in the early days)

We are looking at;

Rochester and

Syracuse, NY (brother & his family are there, and COL is (very) cheap). Economy is so-so, as is the weather. Kind of similar to where we come from.

Chicago area (big job market, solid balance between cost and potential earnings)

Charlotte (as above, perhaps slightly smaller, affordable real estate, + like the weather)

Atlanta area (again, big job market, OK weather)

Austin (Not too expensive, some good schools, apparently good QOL)

Plano (as above)

Seattle (it looks like it's not going to work - rent / properties are just too expensive, though would love to move there).

We are combing through city-data and other sources we find useful - rent, trulia, salary.com, monster etc.

Securing a job prior to arrival would be great, one obvious issue is that I don't have my SSN yet, so potential employer would need to be open minded and willing to risk a bit (and I'd need to reassure them that it's all legit).

Our location choices are guided by

Cost of living (rent at first, then buy a house/apt)

Safety

Quality of (public) schools (Middle and High)

Employment opportunities (I am struggling how to quantify this - I am looking at salaries, number of job openings, unemployment rates)

Relatives (only in the short run)

Climate

Commuting times

Overall QOL (can be very subjective)

Eliminatory factors are cost of living and safety.

Just curious what do you think of this plan, and if you are (considering) moving, what are your thoughts and what do you factor in. What else would you look at, both in terms of potential locations, as well as factors to consider.

[Ben&Zian 4,397]

That is definately a lot of factors to try to take in to account when looking at one place to move to. Well thought out though! So I gues you have to consider possible compromises in where you decide to go.

For instance is cheaper living and employment better than a little higher cost of living and good schools?

By your list of thoughts again you have your main priorities in thought.

Perhaps somewhere in Texas? It is relatively cheap living overall. Property is not bad either. Dallas for instance.

I myself am from Portland, Oregon originally and would recommend looking there; but property has gone up over last few years so that might be a negative for you.

[Adil & Jeanne 296]

actually upstate NY economy is poorer than so so

I am from there

Atlanta is great, so is North Carolina

think about Chattanooga as it is developing from the overflow of businesses from Atlanta

you will love the weather in the south / utllities are 1/3 the cost here over the north

education is great at the college level anywhere in the US but expensive

Tennessee and Florida are the states that have no state income taxes to pay

[Kay&Epi 53]

I would suggest Charlotte. I am biased because it's my hometown. However homes in the suburbs are large and affordable, decent schools, and also decent job market. Excellent job market if you're in healthcare or finance/banking. It's a family friendly city surrounded by lovely towns. Weather is nice too

[almost_umrican 53]

Hi all - I am new to this amazing forum, and this is my first post. I tried looking for similar topics, and while there are some overlaps, I could not find anything that discusses our dilemmas.

I happen to be one of the winners of the DV lottery. We are a family of 4, kids are 13 and 11. We all speak English fairly well, wife and I have bachelor degrees and I have 15+ years of experience in leading MNCs. We are originally from SE Europe, and I currently work in Nigeria, (we are all here, kids go to the American School). I have also lived in SE Asia for 6 years. My brother (US citizen) lives in upstate NY. We can also bring in 100K USD, and perhaps some 200K-250K more once we sell some properties back home.

Our strategy is two-fold:

cost control (so moving into relatively cheaper cities, but not compromising safety and quality of education) and

revenue generation (i.e. bigger cities, i.e. more jobs available in our industries, though we wouldn't shy away from any kind of work, esp. in the early days)

We are looking at;

Rochester and

Syracuse, NY (brother & his family are there, and COL is (very) cheap). Economy is so-so, as is the weather. Kind of similar to where we come from.

Chicago area (big job market, solid balance between cost and potential earnings)

Charlotte (as above, perhaps slightly smaller, affordable real estate, + like the weather)

Atlanta area (again, big job market, OK weather)

Austin (Not too expensive, some good schools, apparently good QOL)

Plano (as above)

Seattle (it looks like it's not going to work - rent / properties are just too expensive, though would love to move there).

We are combing through city-data and other sources we find useful - rent, trulia, salary.com, monster etc.

Securing a job prior to arrival would be great, one obvious issue is that I don't have my SSN yet, so potential employer would need to be open minded and willing to risk a bit (and I'd need to reassure them that it's all legit).

Our location choices are guided by

Cost of living (rent at first, then buy a house/apt)

Safety

Quality of (public) schools (Middle and High)

Employment opportunities (I am struggling how to quantify this - I am looking at salaries, number of job openings, unemployment rates)

Relatives (only in the short run)

Climate

Commuting times

Overall QOL (can be very subjective)

Eliminatory factors are cost of living and safety.

Just curious what do you think of this plan, and if you are (considering) moving, what are your thoughts and what do you factor in. What else would you look at, both in terms of potential locations, as well as factors to consider.

one can excel anywhere in this country. that is the beauty of America.

[Ash.1101 1,755]

I'd recommend Texas. Austin is growing and is a good hub to work at. I have family that's been in Austin for years, generally living in the suburb cities and commuting in.

Our cost of living here is fairly low, you can do well for yourself as a regular joe if you try hard enough, but with a degree and a good job you can live pretty nicely here in Texas.

A good example is that for San Antonio, recent stats show to own a 220,000$ home which is the median price for the city, you only have to make 44k a year (assuming you have good credit and get the best loan out there) for it to be affordable. When I was working full time (now part time) and with my husband working, we were on track to doing that and we have basic retail jobs at a grocery store making 11$ and 12$ an hour. While we're lucky enough to work for a company that believes in livable wages vs minimum wage (Texas Min is 7.25), having a bachelors can really boost that income.

Personally I would go with Texas. I've had friends who have tried to leave Texas for more high cost states, but then realizing that the net income you end up with is so much less because of having to pay out more for regular things, without crazy taxes or state taxes.



I had looked at Atlanta to live once. It is pretty affordable as well. Generally the south over all is, from Texas to North Carolina. Just make sure to put yourself in a city that's growing versus standing still or declining.

Edited October 31, 2016 by Ash.1101

[Allison/Robert 43]

I commute into Charlotte, NC every morning from 35 miles away (granted that's a little further than some) by car, and it takes me an hour on average to get to work, then on the way home it can take an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes. Whereas when I lived in Seattle, I was 2 miles from downtown (in the neighborhood of Capitol Hill), and it was a short 10 to 15 minute bus ride to work downtown, and sometimes as much as a 25 minute ride back home, but it was very nice to not have to worry about driving in traffic. I could read, check emails, etc. Everything I needed was within that 2-mile radius. With that said, Seattle was very expensive to live in. By the time I was leaving (to come back to NC after 7 years), I was paying $2,100 per month for a one-bedroom apartment on Capitol Hill (in 2014), and from what I understand it's only become more expensive.

Just to reiterate what Ash.1101 said... for Texas... I hear Austin is great. From what I understand, the culture there is unlike other places in Texas, similar to Portland, OR. I also hear San Antonio is a great place to live, but I have no idea what those cities' transportation systems are like. Charlotte, NC is very much car-oriented. Even though they're building a light-rail system that will go from UNC Charlotte to south Charlotte eventually, the city and metropolitan areas are so spread out that it's really vital that you own at least one car.

For each city, much like someone else said, there are pros and cons, and unless you choose a city which is declining or remaining steady, you really can't go wrong.

Edited October 31, 2016 by Allison/Robert

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

I just knew that in this thread would Texans recommending to move to Texas. Ask yourself: Do you want to move to a state where it is legal to bring a gun to school? And Texas elementary textbooks change history to be more complimentary to the US and Texas, teaching America = good always even when it's not true.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-texas-guns-idUSKCN10C2FS

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/22/opinion/how-texas-teaches-history.html?_r=0

Food for thought, since you have a choice.

I think your approach is sound, though. Good luck! (I'd move closer to family).

[Ben&Zian 4,397]

I just knew that in this thread would Texans recommending to move to Texas. Ask yourself: Do you want to move to a state where it is legal to bring a gun to school? And Texas elementary textbooks change history to be more complimentary to the US and Texas, teaching America = good always even when it's not true.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-texas-guns-idUSKCN10C2FS

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/22/opinion/how-texas-teaches-history.html?_r=0

Food for thought, since you have a choice.

I think your approach is sound, though. Good luck! (I'd move closer to family).

I did mention Oregon haha

[EmilyW 1,222]

I'm another vote for Charlotte. We are a DV family too and we have loved Charlotte from the moment we landed.

Easy to find good work and good salaries (there's talk about us earning less but we have Fortune 50s here that pay for talent).

Great schools - my kids are flying and excelling like they never have before.

Cheap housing - you can buy a large 4 bed for under $200k in a good neighbourhood.

Big enough to have all the amenities of a big city but still small amount not to feel like you're in a big city.

Lots of things to do: hiking, canoeing, arts, music.

As Allison/Robert said, this is a car city. Don't expect to rely on public transport unless you are in a certain part of town. You will need to drive and drivers here.... well, they're not as bad as other places, but they can be manic.

For us, a young family, this place works for us. Happy to talk via PM if you need.

[RodDetroit 118]

I think the south would be a bigger shock culturally speaking than New England, GA summers are very long, hot and very very humid, depending of the area you may have to deal with very backward people . You will also have to think the cost of healthcare for your family, it wouldn't surprise me if you have to pay out of your pocket $600 or $700 a month for your family .

The cost of living in major cities is really high, Chicago is not at its best at this moment, high crime, winters are brutal.

If you are send your kids to public schools then MA is your best option.

[bcking 3,157]

I'm from Portland, Oregon (born, raised, went to college) and I would also add that to your list. It isn't as expensive as Seattle, at least I have found. It has no sales tax, though one of the highest income taxes in the country so that can be a trade off (don't be put off by the higher state income tax, since that sales tax loss is quite significant if you do the math).

The schools are great. It is incredibly safe and very healthy. The "bad neighborhoods" in the East side of town have places like Whole Foods and organic stores...kind of funny.

Having recently moved to Texas I would however say don't immediately cross it off your list. I'm in Houston, though I've heard Austin is nicer. I came from NYC (and before that San Diego) and I have to say so far Houston has been very good to me. Salaries are good, rent/cost of living is low (bought my first home! Impossible in San Diego/NYC).

Now I don't have children yet so the issue of what they are taught in school isn't an issue for me. If your kids are older (You are looking at Middle/High Schools you mentioned), I wouldn't necessarily worry as much about what they are "taught" since they will be old enough to smell the bullsh**. As far as being able to take guns into school legally...not being able to take guns into schools hasn't stopped the US from having an obscene number of school/mass shootings. That fear should apply to pretty much anywhere in the US. This is coming from someone who is very very strongly pro-gun control (honestly I would prefer going the way of the UK and basically banning them). The only thing I've really done differently in Texas is not honk at people...don't want to piss anyone off

[Udella&Wiz 325]

I think you may want to look at what types of companies/ industry you've worked in before. In the greater DC area where immigrants/ Green card holders are well integrated into many corporations and industries may be more friendly/lucrative then small-town America. I think You'd find the opportunities are somewhat fewer for GC holders versus when you obtain US citizenship (if that is your goal) and it would very well depend on the industry of your potential employer who may have a multi country operation which embraces multi-nationals.

I'd recommend the DC area - many immigrants, many industries, corporations galore. standard of living is lovely in particular in the northern Virginia area just outside DC...decent transit depending on where you are.

Hi all - I am new to this amazing forum, and this is my first post. I tried looking for similar topics, and while there are some overlaps, I could not find anything that discusses our dilemmas.

I happen to be one of the winners of the DV lottery. We are a family of 4, kids are 13 and 11. We all speak English fairly well, wife and I have bachelor degrees and I have 15+ years of experience in leading MNCs. We are originally from SE Europe, and I currently work in Nigeria, (we are all here, kids go to the American School). I have also lived in SE Asia for 6 years. My brother (US citizen) lives in upstate NY. We can also bring in 100K USD, and perhaps some 200K-250K more once we sell some properties back home.

Our strategy is two-fold:

cost control (so moving into relatively cheaper cities, but not compromising safety and quality of education) and

revenue generation (i.e. bigger cities, i.e. more jobs available in our industries, though we wouldn't shy away from any kind of work, esp. in the early days)

We are looking at;

Rochester and

Syracuse, NY (brother & his family are there, and COL is (very) cheap). Economy is so-so, as is the weather. Kind of similar to where we come from.

Chicago area (big job market, solid balance between cost and potential earnings)

Charlotte (as above, perhaps slightly smaller, affordable real estate, + like the weather)

Atlanta area (again, big job market, OK weather)

Austin (Not too expensive, some good schools, apparently good QOL)

Plano (as above)

Seattle (it looks like it's not going to work - rent / properties are just too expensive, though would love to move there).


We are combing through city-data and other sources we find useful - rent, trulia, salary.com, monster etc.


Securing a job prior to arrival would be great, one obvious issue is that I don't have my SSN yet, so potential employer would need to be open minded and willing to risk a bit (and I'd need to reassure them that it's all legit).


Our location choices are guided by

Cost of living (rent at first, then buy a house/apt)

Safety

Quality of (public) schools (Middle and High)

Employment opportunities (I am struggling how to quantify this - I am looking at salaries, number of job openings, unemployment rates)

Relatives (only in the short run)

Climate

Commuting times

Overall QOL (can be very subjective)

Eliminatory factors are cost of living and safety.

Just curious what do you think of this plan, and if you are (considering) moving, what are your thoughts and what do you factor in. What else would you look at, both in terms of potential locations, as well as factors to consider.

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

If you are ok with the climate of upstate New York, a place with a better economy and diversity, but also low cost of living, might be the Minneapolis area. Minnesota is a very immigrant friendly state. We live in the far northern part of the state and it worked out well for us. That amount will buy you a house for cash and perhaps a car or two depending on how you budget it.

[Cathi 5,610]

Hi all - I am new to this amazing forum, and this is my first post. I tried looking for similar topics, and while there are some overlaps, I could not find anything that discusses our dilemmas.

I happen to be one of the winners of the DV lottery. We are a family of 4, kids are 13 and 11. We all speak English fairly well, wife and I have bachelor degrees and I have 15+ years of experience in leading MNCs. We are originally from SE Europe, and I currently work in Nigeria, (we are all here, kids go to the American School). I have also lived in SE Asia for 6 years. My brother (US citizen) lives in upstate NY. We can also bring in 100K USD, and perhaps some 200K-250K more once we sell some properties back home.

Our strategy is two-fold:

cost control (so moving into relatively cheaper cities, but not compromising safety and quality of education) and

revenue generation (i.e. bigger cities, i.e. more jobs available in our industries, though we wouldn't shy away from any kind of work, esp. in the early days)

We are looking at;

Rochester and

Syracuse, NY (brother & his family are there, and COL is (very) cheap). Economy is so-so, as is the weather. Kind of similar to where we come from.

Chicago area (big job market, solid balance between cost and potential earnings)

Charlotte (as above, perhaps slightly smaller, affordable real estate, + like the weather)

Atlanta area (again, big job market, OK weather)

Austin (Not too expensive, some good schools, apparently good QOL)

Plano (as above)

Seattle (it looks like it's not going to work - rent / properties are just too expensive, though would love to move there).

We are combing through city-data and other sources we find useful - rent, trulia, salary.com, monster etc.

Securing a job prior to arrival would be great, one obvious issue is that I don't have my SSN yet, so potential employer would need to be open minded and willing to risk a bit (and I'd need to reassure them that it's all legit).

Our location choices are guided by

Cost of living (rent at first, then buy a house/apt)

Safety

Quality of (public) schools (Middle and High)

Employment opportunities (I am struggling how to quantify this - I am looking at salaries, number of job openings, unemployment rates)

Relatives (only in the short run)

Climate

Commuting times

Overall QOL (can be very subjective)

Eliminatory factors are cost of living and safety.

Just curious what do you think of this plan, and if you are (considering) moving, what are your thoughts and what do you factor in. What else would you look at, both in terms of potential locations, as well as factors to consider.

Have you thought about the suburbs of Boston, MA? A lot of high tech companies(hubby is an engineer) and the job market is great. There are 4 seasons and in this area you have the ocean, the White Mountains, lakes and Cape Cod, to name a few. It's also only a 3 and a half hour drive to NYC. We live in Southern NH, about a 25 minute drive to downtown Boston(with no traffic). My husband works in Massachusetts in a suburb 15 minutes north of Boston and the great thing is he doesn't have to drive to the city or worry about parking (most companies are actually outside the city.) If you do happen work in the city there is public transportation-trains and buses-that go anywhere in the city. Boston also has some of the best hospitals and colleges in the country and the public school system at the elementary and high school levels are ranked among the best, there are also many very good private schools for grades pre K-12. I love it here