Magpie1

Hello fellow Expats.
Well here I am actually posting on this section of the forum. I have been lurking on here for a long time and planning a return to the good old UK.

Briefly I have been in the USA for over 22 years. The only reason I moved over here was to marry my sweet heart how I met when she was visiting England. With in a year I found my self living in the USA and married. I am happy to say we are still very happily married and now we are planning to live in England.

Our plan is as follows.
Firstly for me to become a US Citizen. Done.

Secondly for me to get US Passport. Done.

Thirdly Sell the house. Been on the market for about a month.

Forth: Try to find a job in the UK making enough money to meet sponsoring requirements. My job in the US exceeds the requirement and I am a trained technician and equivalent jobs in UK seam to exceed the requirement from what I have seen on line.

Five: get my wife a spousal visa.

Six. Move to UK.

We haven't put definite dates on anything were just working through one step at a time But would love to be there by Springtime next year. Although If we can sell the house quick enough Christmas will do fine.

Mummy in the foothills

Sounds like a good plan
How are houses selling in your area?

curleytops

Hi Magpie, good luck with your plans. Have you decided where you'd like to live over here?

Magpie1

According to the local rag they are improving slowly. They say the average time a house is on the market is between 3 & 4 months which is a lot better than a year ago when it was closer to 6 months and inventories are droping. In our sub division there are a couple that have been on the market for close to six months whilst another one sold in under a month. So who realy knows its hoping the right person shows up sooner rather than later.


The strange thing is that we placed our house on the market just before labor day and with in 3 days two other houses went on sale in our street. Although i am hoping that will be to our advantage as they are both asking about 40k more for thers than we are. Although ours is one of the smaller houses on the street.

Only time will tell

Magpie1

Hi curleytops.

At the moment it depends were I can get a job so I am being very flexable as to where we will end up.

On the other hand I do have preferances. The first would be some where in Worcestershire as that is were my family now reside and my wife gets on realy well with them and she will have some one fairly close by who she knows apart from me. I am originally from the south east but i dont really see us returning there as my home town has changed a lot in 22 years and I dont want to try and compare now to back then and end up being disapointed. So Were ready to start a new adventure some where else. Pluss Teresa May is also the local mp and I am not to happy about her new imigration rules.

curleytops

I hear Worcestershire is lovely and its nice to have family close by. Good luck with the job search, it certainly does help if you're open minded on where to live. For what its worth, I don't think anyone's too pleased with Theresa May these days.

Bud the Wiser

Hi Magpie1, Good luck with your plans, you seem to be half way there, so I hope all goes well. A quick question from your above post, 'What has changed in your home town in the last 22 years that makes you feel you don't want to return there?"

fulwood

Mummyinthefoothills, I live in Arizona which was esp. hard hit by housing market. I put my little 2 bd/2ba home up for sale on 9/24 and by Monday 9/27 it had sold! I'm still in shock. Home inspection tomorrow. Don't expect anything major (fingers crossed) and also most shocking of all I'll be walking away with a wee profit.. Interesting..

Mummy in the foothills

Wow! that is amazing, I hope Magpie and I have that kind of luck. Hang on fulwood it's only 9/25 today do you mean yesterday 9/24?

Magpie1

Hi Bud

I am not sure how to explain it relay its just one of those feelings. Its not that I don't like the area on fact a lot of the changes have improved parts of the town as far as traffic flow is concerned and a lot of old ratty looking buildings have been replaced. Its just that I have this mental picture of how it was 22 years ago and I don't want to end up regretting the hole move because its not exactly as I remember it.

Also nearly all the people I know from back then have moved on and not just my family. One of its biggest problems is that it is basically become a bedroom community for London as its on the main line into Paddington with the fast train getting you there in about 20 min.


I guess I also want for me and my wife to explore and discover a different town together that will become our town rather than my old Home town.

Hope that makes sense.

Magpie1

Thats great news fulwood I hope everything works out for you.

We had 4 viewings in the first couple of weeks but no one since hoping it picks up soon.

Bud the Wiser

Makes a lot of sense. I read a lot of MBTTUK trying to guage different views and opinions and how their circumstances would fit in with mine, or should I say mine and Mrs Wiser, It really isn't a simplistic option or a 'one size fits all', and to hear/read different view points is, not only refreshing, but essential to those with an open mind.

Thanks again.

curleytops

I think that's a common problem for a lot of us and I think our perceptions of where we came from change throughout our lives. For many years I actually avoided coming back to the UK for visits because I was afraid the "bubble would burst" so to speak and I'd be so disappointed that it was not the place I remembered. When I finally did return for my recce 2 years ago I did my very best to see my home town through objective eyes. Yes, there had been some huge changes, some of them good and some not so good, not the least of which is the dreadful state of unemployment in the Northeast. Given a choice both my husband and I would love to be back in our home town complete with its warts and all but the sad fact is the work is just not there and we've accepted that. We've looked upon our time on the Kent coast as our new adventure and we are about to embark on yet another new adventure in Yorkshire where we can make our own memories. I'm sure you will too, wherever you decide to go. By all means look back on where you came from fondly while having the open mind to see new opportunities elsewhere. All the best

Derrygal

Congratulations!! That is wonderful news!! I am so happy for you.

fulwood

Mummyinthefoothills, Yes sorry got dates wrong. I put house on market Friday 9/21 and got offer 9/24. had home inspection today so hopefully nothing major... .