OT: Tails from a small town: Mortgage and CC experience
 

Hi All,

I thought I would pass on my experience from my most recent visit to the US. This was our fact finding mission to Wilmington as we have never been before and Ellen starts work there in March. It gave us a chance to find a place to rent and stuff. I thought I tell this now as the Superbowl has got a little bit dull and hopefully it will liven up a bit while I am writting this.

It worked - the superbowl just got interesting. Any way we flew AA again (despite there lack of free alcohol in cattle class), don't watch stealing Harvard - its a terrible film, I almost walked out it that bad and we where at 32000 ft.

We had already decided before we got to Wilmington we would rent as we had no idea whether we would like it or not. The first houses we went to see where all by the beach - we where very impressed by the place and asked about houses to buy. TCALSS we changed our minds and decided to buy and put an offer on a 4 bed house by the sea.

Mortgage People. The first people we went to see after we put the offer on was the bank we opened up an account with in November. Because I have no job yet we decided to do the mortgage on Ellens wage. They saw no problems but because Ellen had been out of the country for seven years they could not count on her US credit check so they would do an International credit check - I asked if this could be used for other things but they said no - bummer.

The first time we went to see the mortgage people Ellen spoke to the girl on reception, the second time we went I spoke to her. I spoke to her for about 5 minutes, when I finished speaking she looked at Ellen and said "Where is he from? Can you understand him". She then blanked me and only spoke to Ellen completly ignoring everything I had said. I think I could be in trouble when I move here. Its not like I have a strong or weird regional accent, although I grew up in the North West I spent the ages 16-28 travelling the world before settling down. I have given training all over the world and people have understood me! It happened again later on in the week when it took 3 of them in Dunkin Donuts to deceifer the fact I wanted a regular coffee with cream and sugar. Needless to say I got a Hazelnut flavoured coffee (although on a positive note I did get cream and sugar).

Still no touchdowns.

While I was there I rang up MBNA and asked them about using the fact I have had a MBNA card in the UK as a basis for getting one in the US. They said that it would be no problem getting one here using my UK credit history, I told them I wasn't coming until next month but they said no problem apply for it now. I went through all the hassle of applying on the phone and then at the end the guy says - "you probably won't get it as the address you are using (my father in law) is not your own address so when you get refused apply again when you get here."

Gannon just got sacked but still no td's.

While I was there I thought I would pop into the SSA. The Embassy had said the SSN card would be issued without me visiting the SSA but the POE contradicted that. When I went they said that I had been entered onto the computer but had not been issued a number so they did what they had to do and I rang up the next morning and got my SSN.

Touchdown Tampa Bay!!!!!!!!!!

I hope that this offers some hope for people moving to america - the fact that you can get a mortgage without a US credit history and the fact that you can get a Credit card. These things should start my credit in the US. I also put all the utils in both our names and didn't need to put a deposit down on any of them. I would tell you to buy as well - we got a 30 year fixed rate mortgage fixed at 5.75%.

I bought a car and the insurance company are using our UK driving records (green part of driving license) as your driving record and the insurance is only costing us $800 a year.

I have heard horror stories since I have been coming on this NG about not being able to get stuff like mortgages, credit cards and stuff like that. Also th horror stories about high insurance on cars, I have (touch wood) had no such worries.

Patrick

hubby is gutted right now, i picked tampa mid season for the superbowl....hehe

good news on the house patrick, sounds lovely.

i had the same problem orderring a sandwich from subway, as i come from the north east they looked at me as if i was stupid, and the hubbie was rolling on the floor laughing at me struggling to get them to understand, it aint as if i have a strong geordie accent, as i lost it as a teen, but i still struggle in the southern USA trying to order stuff.

well my time is drawing near to the big day, hubbie gave me good news, he got us a new house, so all i gotta do is get home...hehehe

congrats on your new home im sure you both will be happy

one last thing

GO TAMPA

hehehe



dee

Hey Dee,

Good Luck for Wednesday, I will be praying for you and hope your in your new house with your husband by February.

While we where in Wilmington Ellens Dad came up (he is from NH but now lives in FL) and as we where house hunting we drove past a civil war reenactment and my Father in Law is hanging out of the car window shouting "Go Yankees!" I thought we would get hog tied!

Did you see the half time show, it was a nice top Shania was almost wearing!

Go Buckeneers (what with my pirate fixation you didn't expect anything else - although the raiders mascot wears an eyepatch?)

Patrick

thanks patrick

well of course i never thought of the pirate thing, you bought a home in wilmington NC, sorry my geo isnt to good, but im going to SC and the hubbie has family from wilmington NC.

So if i get a miracle on weds, im going home in a weeks, if not it will be 4 weeks, but it will give him a chance to clean my car out...lol

well i think the pirates have it all sewn up.

goodluck in your move

dee

Hey we will be neighbours! There is a British shop in Wilmington so you can get tea bags and stuff (or I can send you them)

Good Luck and God Bless

Accents
 

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger Dee and Patrick. I grew up in New England, on this side of the pond for crying out loud, and there are times when I and the native Georgians have trouble understanding each other. It could be worse, you two, you could be a damnyankee, and down here that's one word! :)

Just flew Virgin from orlando for my 2 day visit to the UK. Went to Soham but didn't see Patrick!!!, Only paid $400.00 as much booze as you want, or can handle as they did refuse to serve anymore to one guy as we got close to Orlando, they said he'ed had enough

Great news about the house and credit cards. Sounds like it's all going pretty smoothly. I still can't get on the bank account - no EAD, no SSN. But I'm philosophical about it since getting steamed won't speed up the good ship INS any. I have a job to go to when I finally get some paperwork through and meanwhile am using the downtime to settle in and get on with my studies. Also eating ice cream and smiling a lot - in between sneezes ;)

regards
-=-
Scarlett

Re: Tails from a small town: Mortgage and CC experience
 

"Patrick" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Hi All,
    > I thought I would pass on my experience from my most recent visit to the
    > US. This was our fact finding mission to Wilmington as we have never
    > been before and Ellen starts work there in March. It gave us a chance to
    > find a place to rent and stuff. I thought I tell this now as the
    > Superbowl has got a little bit dull and hopefully it will liven up a bit
    > while I am writting this.
    > It worked - the superbowl just got interesting. Any way we flew AA again
    > (despite there lack of free alcohol in cattle class), don't watch
    > stealing Harvard - its a terrible film, I almost walked out it that bad
    > and we where at 32000 ft.

No alcohol with AA?? Good grief!.Thanks for the warning, I usually fly AA
but I think I'll be checking with Virgin for my one-wayer.

Sean