Moving across the country - much advice needed

[perhaps11]

I was wondering if anyone who has moved a far distance away from home for grad school or anyone who is planning to move had any advice for someone who will be doing this very thing in July/August. I know there are others out there like me who are a little stessed and unsure how to make this gigantic step. So here are my personal questions (although I encourage others to chime in with their questions as well):

-What is the best way to find cheap/good housing? (e.g., using a realtor)
-What if someone (like me) has animals? (cats and dogs)
-It is expensive to fly back and forth to view houses/townhouses/apts, so what is the best way to find the best home without having to spend a million bucks on travel fair to inspect homes?
-Is it better to buy a house if you have a partner or just rent since it will only be ~6 years?

I hope there is someone out there who has some good suggestion! Thanks guys!

P.S. I apologize if there is already a thread out there like this!

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[CLinden]

I'm moving across the country this Fall, too. Coming with me are my husband and my cat. We are planning to:

1. Schedule apartment viewings for the week that we will be in PA. www.airbnb.com has cheap places to stay.
2. We plan on finding a short term lease apartment(ideally 6 months long or month to month)
3. While we are living there, look at homes to purchase. I think it's better to buy a house because prices are super low right now and the market might improve after 5-7 years(ripe for selling for profit)
4. Our cat is coming with us. He'll be in the cabin with us. A good number of airlines are pet friendly. Petfinder has this link: http://www.petfinder.com/your-pet-and-you/most-pet-friendly-airlines.html
5. Check MLS listings or go to http://www.city-data.com and post questions for advice concerning the area. People tend to be helpful and detailed.

Congrats on getting accepted! I hope this has been helpful for you, Perhaps11.

 

[wigflip]

I was wondering if anyone who has moved a far distance away from home for grad school or anyone who is planning to move had any advice for someone who will be doing this very thing in July/August. I know there are others out there like me who are a little stessed and unsure how to make this gigantic step. So here are my personal questions (although I encourage others to chime in with their questions as well):

-What is the best way to find cheap/good housing? (e.g., using a realtor)
-What if someone (like me) has animals? (cats and dogs)
-It is expensive to fly back and forth to view houses/townhouses/apts, so what is the best way to find the best home without having to spend a million bucks on travel fair to inspect homes?
-Is it better to buy a house if you have a partner or just rent since it will only be ~6 years?

I hope there is someone out there who has some good suggestion! Thanks guys!

P.S. I apologize if there is already a thread out there like this!

Have you looked at grad student family housing? There may be reduced rate apartments near campus for grad students who live with family members. They may not allow pets, however.

The benefit is that it's cheap. The downside is that you're mashed up against a buncha grad students, and you have your peers in your biz all the time. Also, grad student housing can be kind of grim (but so can apartments in Campustown).

 

[busybusybusy]

-Is it better to buy a house if you have a partner or just rent since it will only be ~6 years?
!

I think this depends on where you're moving to. Although I agree with the above poster that right now is such a good time to buy, make sure that the area you're moving to has selling potential because when you hit internship you might have to move and only a few months to sell a house.

My husband and I were debating buying a home while we're here for my school, but because of our location he doesn't work in the area and some of my school's prac opportunities need to be traveled to. If neither of us would definitely be in area it didn't make sense to buy, so think about if that is a factor for your program.

Also, think of if you really want to deal with some of the hassles of homeownership while in school. This is probably just more personality based, but I like that if something goes wrong (water heater, electrical issue) I just have to pick up my phone and call my property manager. I don't have to wait around for plumbers or electricians and I don't have to pay anything, makes dealing with school less stressful for me.

 

[HungryHippo2]

I would consider buying a place. Right now interest rates are at all time lows and depending on where you are moving to (California or Florida for example) the prices have probably gotten as low as they are ever going to go. If you plan on being in school for about 6 years think about what that would mean in terms of rent. $1000 a month in rent translates to $12000 a year and for 4 to 5 hears that is 48-60 thousand dollars you are just throwing away. At the very least, at the end of the five years you should be able to break even (sell it for what you paid for it) and you walk away with what you paid into the mortgage. The downside of the current housing crisis, banks are much more stingy with their money and most (but not all) will require you to put 20 percent down and will have very stringent lending criteria. For townhouses and condos they will require 25%. But if you have access to down payment funds, purchasing a place could prove to be a wise investment and give you a nest egg to build on after you complete your program and internship.

 

[Psychadelic2012]

If you plan on being in school for about 6 years think about what that would mean in terms of rent. $1000 a month in rent translates to $12000 a year and for 4 to 5 hears that is 48-60 thousand dollars you are just throwing away. At the very least, at the end of the five years you should be able to break even (sell it for what you paid for it) and you walk away with what you paid into the mortgage.

How grossly unrealistic! Buying a home for 4-5 years means paying loan origination fees (not including PMI), a relatively larger percentage of your mortgage payment just to interest, a significant portion of your monthly payment to property taxes and insurance (and/or assessment/HOA fees), paying up to 6% of the property value to a realtor just to sell the property after 4-5 years, paying for your own repairs and/or improvements, AND dishing out money to improve the place again once you're ready to sell. One does not throw money away when they rent, and you are not likely to walk away with what you paid into the mortgage!! Buying could more likely be throwing extra money away, in fact. Unless you are banking on a consistent 5+% increase in the property value each of those five years--good luck with that.

 

[perhaps11]

Thanks for all of the great answers, everyone! I had another question - How far in advance do your recommend I make the move prior to the start of graduate school in late August?

 

[zensouth]

-What is the best way to find cheap/good housing? (e.g., using a realtor)

Ditto plus more questions-
Any advice on using different moving companies? (i.e. Uhaul, Penske, etc)
Any advice on how to save money while moving?
If I am NOT going to buy, the best way to find rental properties (i.e apts, town homes, etc.)?
Anything I might not expect but that anyone could give advice/hints/warnings about?

I am moving from Georgia to Albany, NY. In every previous move I have known someone from the area so it was easy to find good places to live. However, this time we have no one we know from there (aside from some of the current students). We already took one trip but it was not very successful even though we had a list of places to look at.

Any help appreciated.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Ditto plus more questions-
Any advice on using different moving companies? (i.e. Uhaul, Penske, etc)
Any advice on how to save money while moving?
If I am NOT going to buy, the best way to find rental properties (i.e apts, town homes, etc.)?
Anything I might not expect but that anyone could give advice/hints/warnings about?

I am moving from Georgia to Albany, NY. In every previous move I have known someone from the area so it was easy to find good places to live. However, this time we have no one we know from there (aside from some of the current students). We already took one trip but it was not very successful even though we had a list of places to look at.

Any help appreciated.

Definitely look into apartment hunters; they're usually free, and I've thus far had good experiences with them finding me just about what I wanted.

The moving companies generally all have similar rates, so just plug the numbers in online and see what gives you the best deal and/or if they have any special going on.

 

[KillerDiller]

Depending on how much furniture you currently have--and how attached to it you are-- you can save a lot of money by renting only a regular sized van instead of a full moving van. As an added bonus, rental car companies like Hertz, Budget, etc. are usually cheaper than U-Haul if you are renting these types of vehicles.

 

[heshmonster]

I am also moving across the country this July/August, except I'm moving across Canada from Edmonton to Montreal.... ~ 4250 KM (or, for you American folk, 2640 miles). It is indeed quite an expensive prospect, so here's what I've figured out to do.

(1) As soon as finals end in about three weeks, I have a seat sale flight to Montreal. I'm staying with a friend for a few days, and in a hostel the remaining days. I'll be there for a week. My goal: hunt down a good apartment (all leases in Montreal start on July 1st), and sign a lease! Then, fly back and work the rest of the summer.
(2) Then, I'm going to fill my parent's old SUV with only the essentials (musical equipment, computer stuff, clothes, some books, etc.), and make the 5 day drive across the country. Then I will furnish my apartment there with stuff from IKEA and Goodwill/Value Village. This will be a WHOLE LOT cheaper than flying and shipping things, or then renting a U-Haul/moving van (which ranges in price for a drive this size from $2,000-3,000, not including gas).

So, that's what I'm doing. Something similar might work for you. Remember, only bring what is essential for you: most everything else can be be bought there for much cheaper than dragging it across the country.

- J

 

[emily621]

Ditto plus more questions-
Any advice on using different moving companies? (i.e. Uhaul, Penske, etc)
Any advice on how to save money while moving?
If I am NOT going to buy, the best way to find rental properties (i.e apts, town homes, etc.)?
Anything I might not expect but that anyone could give advice/hints/warnings about?

I am moving from Georgia to Albany, NY. In every previous move I have known someone from the area so it was easy to find good places to live. However, this time we have no one we know from there (aside from some of the current students). We already took one trip but it was not very successful even though we had a list of places to look at.

Any help appreciated.

Albany! I think you mean Smallbany. I'm from the area and went to high school in Albany. Never lived IN the city, but if you have any questions about the area, feel free to ask me!

 

[zensouth]

Albany! I think you mean Smallbany. I'm from the area and went to high school in Albany. Never lived IN the city, but if you have any questions about the area, feel free to ask me!

Smallbany, lol. It's not so small for me . . . I'm moving from a county of about 100,000 people, I believe Albany county has over 300,000. I'm looking forward to it!! I'm sure I'll have more questions as time goes by, thanks for the offer!

 

[kinzie]

For everyone asking these questions: can you talk to current students or other people in your program? I know the admissions counselor at my program gave great advice, directed us to a university message board that advertises good, cheap rentals for the area, and we were put in contact with current students when we asked. It was really helpful to know the best places to live. Our admissions counselor also matched incoming students together who wanted to share an apartment, which led to good roommate situations. If your program won't do that, you can ask if they will share the list of student emails for your program so you can find roommates from that on your own.

Each location is unique, so it's hard to answer your specific questions. On the renting v. buying debate, I know very few people who buy their house. Those that do are close to campus and plan on renting it to college students once they leave. Most people rent apartments. Those with children rent homes.

When you move depends on your situation. If you have a family, earlier is better because you have time to settle everyone in. If you're by yourself, only a few weeks before starting is probably better. I know some people who moved two months early and felt really lonely during the summer.

I've done a cross country move twice, and www.apartmentratings.com/ is a good place just to check out the extremes--extremely bad and extremely good apartments tend to get reliable reviews here. If you're moving to a small town, the local paper's classifieds can be a good starting point. If you're moving to a larger town, online apartment sites can be helpful. Craigslist is good if you can be smart about it. Personally, I don't know anyone who needed a realtor, but if that reduces stress for you, it might be worth it.

Edit: To find online sites, simply try googling "apartments" and "your town". You can find general apartment sites (e.g. rent.com) as well as sites for large management companies with multiple apartments in the area that way. If you find somewhere on a general site like rent.com, try googling the apartment's name and location, and you'll often find a site specifically for that apartment with a lot more information.

 

[paramour]

For everyone asking these questions: can you talk to current students or other people in your program? I know the admissions counselor at my program gave great advice, directed us to a university message board that advertises good, cheap rentals for the area, and we were put in contact with current students when we asked. It was really helpful to know the best places to live. Our admissions counselor also matched incoming students together who wanted to share an apartment, which led to good roommate situations. If your program won't do that, you can ask if they will share the list of student emails for your program so you can find roommates from that on your own.

This. Our program usually sends out information from current students seeking roommates or renting rooms. They also provide students with general information regarding rentals (apts/housing) in the area. At least some of the incoming students in each cohort usually end up renting some place together. Otherwise, they often obtain a wealth of information from current students as where to stay (or where to stay away from).

 

[jmf888]

Like the original poster, I will also be moving across the country from CA to MA. I am wondering if anyone could give some input about renting in Boston (good, safe, cheap, neighborhoods ). I am also wondering how far in advance I should sign a lease (before September when classes start). It seems to me that it may get a little competitive to find studios or 1 bedroom apts near school right before classes start.

 

[Marissa4usa]

Like the original poster, I will also be moving across the country from CA to MA. I am wondering if anyone could give some input about renting in Boston (good, safe, cheap, neighborhoods ).

Good luck with that

 

[paramour]

Good luck with that

Yeah, the few folks I know who lived in Boston rented places with their partners and two or three other couples to make it doable (and these were tiiiny living quarters).

And they still weren't "safe" places.

We had a student who was fond of regaling us with her tale of witnessing someone hijack a stopped car near their residence (the guy just walked right up, pulled the driver out of the seat and threw them in the road, then drove off with the car). No one apparently blinked an eye or moved a muscle to help. Just moved about their business as if this was normal. I think she was ready to leave her internship after that experience.

 

[4410]

My oldest son moved from Missouri to San Diego, California. Instead of moving everything, he sold most of his furniture and other items to friends or through adds in Craigs list. He kept his bed, big screen TV, and other items. He hired a company that ships things and they put a crate or container in his drive way. He spend several weeks loading the container. They picked it up and it went on train to California. He sold the rest of the items in his house before he moved. He drove to California over two days with his pets in the car. He stayed at a discount Hotel for the first month and then moved in with roomates he met at his new job. He was downsizing from a three bedroom house to a one room with roomates. He now lives in an apartment and he has replaced his furniture that he sold.

Moving is very expensive if you have a household of furniture and you hire a moving company. It was going to cost him $8000 to $12,000 to have everything moved so he decided to sell everything and start over once he arrived in California.

 

[deleted176373]

I am wondering if anyone could give some input about renting in Boston (good, safe, cheap, neighborhoods ).

Pick any two... Kinda like going fast reliably and cheaply.

Fast Reliable Cheap

Pick any two...

 

[LMK]

Boston and cheap are never in the same sentence. You can find less expensive in the suburbs and take the commuter train, but still not "cheap." Unless you're coming from another big city - Boston is only a little more expensive than my city. Amazing how these things become relative. You can live in the city if you don't have a car, the money saved there makes city living possible.