Company transfer to Troy Michigan
Oct 7th 2019, 3:23 am
#17
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 101
Re: Company transfer to Troy Michigan
Troy is not Detroit. It is a suburb. I assure you, since it is obvious that you have never been here, that it is quite pleasant. Secondly, there are many thousands of multi-national people who have been transferred to Detroit to work in auto-related businesses, and love it here. That includes a couple of Brits who I know personally. One of them jokes that he was sent here on a "six-week assignment", and is still here on his six-week assignment 40 years on. In addition, there are many Italians, Germans, Indians, Korean, Japanese, and other nationalities, along with an Arabic population of 100,000+, that have made a home here.
And you're right, we do experience four seasons, rather than what I feel is having the boring monotony of the same weather over, and over, and over......
And you're right, we do experience four seasons, rather than what I feel is having the boring monotony of the same weather over, and over, and over......
Last edited by christmasoompa; Oct 7th 2019 at 6:03 am. Reason: Please re-read Site Rule 1. Next time put your point across without the insults, thx.
Oct 7th 2019, 2:58 pm
#18
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Joined: Mar 2017
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 455
Re: Company transfer to Troy Michigan
Oct 7th 2019, 3:02 pm
#19
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Re: Company transfer to Troy Michigan
Affordability and quality of life is a 2 sided equation and if one side of that equation is limited to a single salary then that needs to be taken into account. Before we moved to Texas we knew ahead of time that my wife would not be able to work but my salary was going to be sufficient to support the family.
Oct 7th 2019, 6:02 pm
#20
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Joined: Mar 2017
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 455
Re: Company transfer to Troy Michigan
Exactly.
Affordability and quality of life is a 2 sided equation and if one side of that equation is limited to a single salary then that needs to be taken into account. Before we moved to Texas we knew ahead of time that my wife would not be able to work but my salary was going to be sufficient to support the family.
Affordability and quality of life is a 2 sided equation and if one side of that equation is limited to a single salary then that needs to be taken into account. Before we moved to Texas we knew ahead of time that my wife would not be able to work but my salary was going to be sufficient to support the family.
Oct 7th 2019, 8:24 pm
#21
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 211
Re: Company transfer to Troy Michigan
Troy is not Detroit. It is a suburb. I assure you, since it is obvious that you have never been here, that it is quite pleasant. Secondly, there are many thousands of multi-national people who have been transferred to Detroit to work in auto-related businesses, and love it here. That includes a couple of Brits who I know personally. One of them jokes that he was sent here on a "six-week assignment", and is still here on his six-week assignment 40 years on. In addition, there are many Italians, Germans, Indians, Korean, Japanese, and other nationalities, along with an Arabic population of 100,000+, that have made a home here.
Oct 7th 2019, 8:45 pm
#22
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Joined: Oct 2011
Location: "LA LA Land"
Posts: 2,447
Re: Company transfer to Troy Michigan
Costs to anticipate in advance include:
Cars.
Buying cars outright from a dealer is unheard of. A salesman laughed in my face when I asked if they did cash deals and said no, we make all our money on monthly payments. You need to buy from a private buyer if you want to buy outright and all the usual caveats and bullshit-detection apply.-.
Cars.
Buying cars outright from a dealer is unheard of. A salesman laughed in my face when I asked if they did cash deals and said no, we make all our money on monthly payments. You need to buy from a private buyer if you want to buy outright and all the usual caveats and bullshit-detection apply.-.
We've NEVER purchased any vehicles other than new ones.
And never other than from factory authorised dealers.
Always and only fully paid for in cash, outright, then and there.
With never the slightest resistance on the part of the dealer.
To the contrary - they always turn themselves inside out to clinch the $ale and woo us to return to the dealership for all future $ervice$$$.
I don't doubt you experienced what you describe above.
Can only imagine the salesman heard your accent, considered your gender, labelled you an easy mark.....and (without even getting into the car with you) "took you for a ride"
Oct 7th 2019, 9:31 pm
#23
Account Closed
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2
Re: Company transfer to Troy Michigan
Also bought a new car from a dealer for cash. And know others who did.
Oct 7th 2019, 9:53 pm
#24
Austin. TX.
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 5,930
Re: Company transfer to Troy Michigan
Costs to anticipate in advance include:
- Car insurance as mentioned (not so much because of credit history but more because you don't have a driving record here and they consider you a new driver and therefore high risk).
- Cars. You'll need two. Most people buy on monthly plans. The less credit data you have, the higher risk you are and the more down payment/monthly payments you'll need to pay. Buying cars outright from a dealer is unheard of. A salesman laughed in my face when I asked if they did cash deals and said no, we make all our money on monthly payments. You need to buy from a private buyer if you want to buy outright and all the usual caveats and bullshit-detection apply.
- Utilities: no credit history - high risk. We had to pay deposits of a few thousand up front to cover our internet subscription and mobile phone plans for example. Also the cost of internet/tv/mobile phone etc is much higher here. Pay as you go mobile phones are not common although you can get 'family plans' which give you 4 lines/4 phones etc but expect to pay $$$.
- Health insurance: your company will pay the majority of your monthly costs but you will have a contribution to pay each month and the more people on that plan, the more you pay. Factor in $1000/month at least. Also every time you visit the doctor/get a prescription etc you have to pay a percentage of the cost (co-pay). Bear in mind that anything other than a routine trip to the doc can result in a MASSIVE bill and your copay could be hundreds, if not thousands. Although there is usually a yearly max in place.
- - Rent: you may need to rent before buying a house. Furnished rentals are not common and paying first month, last month and a deposit equal to or more than a month's rent is common.
- One way move: this is a tricky one. Your employer has to apply for the greencard for you (unless you are highly specialized in something) and they will be in no hurry to do so as once you've got it you can F off and all the money they've spent getting you here will be wasted. The process takes at LEAST two years (absolute minimum, usually a lot longer) which is why people are saying make sure employer gets this started asap.
- Car insurance as mentioned (not so much because of credit history but more because you don't have a driving record here and they consider you a new driver and therefore high risk).
- Cars. You'll need two. Most people buy on monthly plans. The less credit data you have, the higher risk you are and the more down payment/monthly payments you'll need to pay. Buying cars outright from a dealer is unheard of. A salesman laughed in my face when I asked if they did cash deals and said no, we make all our money on monthly payments. You need to buy from a private buyer if you want to buy outright and all the usual caveats and bullshit-detection apply.
- Utilities: no credit history - high risk. We had to pay deposits of a few thousand up front to cover our internet subscription and mobile phone plans for example. Also the cost of internet/tv/mobile phone etc is much higher here. Pay as you go mobile phones are not common although you can get 'family plans' which give you 4 lines/4 phones etc but expect to pay $$$.
- Health insurance: your company will pay the majority of your monthly costs but you will have a contribution to pay each month and the more people on that plan, the more you pay. Factor in $1000/month at least. Also every time you visit the doctor/get a prescription etc you have to pay a percentage of the cost (co-pay). Bear in mind that anything other than a routine trip to the doc can result in a MASSIVE bill and your copay could be hundreds, if not thousands. Although there is usually a yearly max in place.
- - Rent: you may need to rent before buying a house. Furnished rentals are not common and paying first month, last month and a deposit equal to or more than a month's rent is common.
- One way move: this is a tricky one. Your employer has to apply for the greencard for you (unless you are highly specialized in something) and they will be in no hurry to do so as once you've got it you can F off and all the money they've spent getting you here will be wasted. The process takes at LEAST two years (absolute minimum, usually a lot longer) which is why people are saying make sure employer gets this started asap.
1 buying a car with cash - she's right that you may NOT get a good discount with cash as the dealership makes money on the finance plan they sell and they will take that into account. Bear in mind that getting a lease car will help build your credit. It is fairly easy to do this either before you arrive or after but you will need to ask us here about specific companies/brands as not everyone is super helpful.
2 some insurance companies will give you a discount on car insurance for good driving record from DVLC. Geico is often mentioned. Getting a US license as quickly as you can will also help.
3. Utilities - varies around the country. In Austin, $200 deposit sorts you out and internet is $50 per month. Presumably OP will get a company cell phone and plan but otherwise t-mobile are pretty good ( even on pre-paid), google fi can be great if not huge data users.
4.Health insurance depends on company. Ours costs us $360 a month for a family of 5. and it's good coverage. Other companies are not so good. I would definitely figure this one out.
5. Green card does not have to take 2 years at all. If it's L1a and GC is started promptly, no reason it should take more than a year. .
Oct 8th 2019, 5:20 am
#25
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 101
Re: Company transfer to Troy Michigan
Will, I am very sorry that you are so unhappy that you feel it necessary to make uninformed, gratuitous insults about places of which you have no knowledge.
No, Detroit is not "shit", anymore than the place you live is "shit". Over the last 50 years, the City of Detroit has had many serious problems, and still does, but for the last 10 years it has begun its rebound and is much improved from where it was. If the poster wants honest, unfiltered opinion about downtown Detroit proper, I will be glad to supply it, without any sugar-coating. I do suspect that, besides just being mean-spirited, your comments are based on articles / attitudes / opinions about Detroit that are decades out of date.
I don't know about you, but I would rather spend my energy giving the original poster valuable information so that they can make an informed decision about their potential move, rather than making useless, subjective comments about where I, and you, both live.
No, Detroit is not "shit", anymore than the place you live is "shit". Over the last 50 years, the City of Detroit has had many serious problems, and still does, but for the last 10 years it has begun its rebound and is much improved from where it was. If the poster wants honest, unfiltered opinion about downtown Detroit proper, I will be glad to supply it, without any sugar-coating. I do suspect that, besides just being mean-spirited, your comments are based on articles / attitudes / opinions about Detroit that are decades out of date.
I don't know about you, but I would rather spend my energy giving the original poster valuable information so that they can make an informed decision about their potential move, rather than making useless, subjective comments about where I, and you, both live.
Oct 8th 2019, 11:41 am
#26
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Joined: Aug 2013
Location: Athens GA
Posts: 2,133
Re: Company transfer to Troy Michigan
Same for me also and I got excellent deals every time.
Dealers do not just make money from individual sales, volume comes into it as well. That's why buying at the end of a month or year can sometimes be really beneficial. They may take a loss on a few vehicles in order to meet their volume targets and gain a large bonus.
Dealers do not just make money from individual sales, volume comes into it as well. That's why buying at the end of a month or year can sometimes be really beneficial. They may take a loss on a few vehicles in order to meet their volume targets and gain a large bonus.
Oct 8th 2019, 3:58 pm
#27
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Joined: May 2012
Location: Nebraska by the Sea
Posts: 987
Re: Company transfer to Troy Michigan
Will, I am very sorry that you are so unhappy that you feel it necessary to make uninformed, gratuitous insults about places of which you have no knowledge.
No, Detroit is not "shit", anymore than the place you live is "shit". Over the last 50 years, the City of Detroit has had many serious problems, and still does, but for the last 10 years it has begun its rebound and is much improved from where it was. If the poster wants honest, unfiltered opinion about downtown Detroit proper, I will be glad to supply it, without any sugar-coating. I do suspect that, besides just being mean-spirited, your comments are based on articles / attitudes / opinions about Detroit that are decades out of date.
I don't know about you, but I would rather spend my energy giving the original poster valuable information so that they can make an informed decision about their potential move, rather than making useless, subjective comments about where I, and you, both live.
No, Detroit is not "shit", anymore than the place you live is "shit". Over the last 50 years, the City of Detroit has had many serious problems, and still does, but for the last 10 years it has begun its rebound and is much improved from where it was. If the poster wants honest, unfiltered opinion about downtown Detroit proper, I will be glad to supply it, without any sugar-coating. I do suspect that, besides just being mean-spirited, your comments are based on articles / attitudes / opinions about Detroit that are decades out of date.
I don't know about you, but I would rather spend my energy giving the original poster valuable information so that they can make an informed decision about their potential move, rather than making useless, subjective comments about where I, and you, both live.
Oct 8th 2019, 4:49 pm
#28
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 211
Re: Company transfer to Troy Michigan
Will, I am very sorry that you are so unhappy that you feel it necessary to make uninformed, gratuitous insults about places of which you have no knowledge.
No, Detroit is not "shit", anymore than the place you live is "shit". Over the last 50 years, the City of Detroit has had many serious problems, and still does, but for the last 10 years it has begun its rebound and is much improved from where it was. If the poster wants honest, unfiltered opinion about downtown Detroit proper, I will be glad to supply it, without any sugar-coating. I do suspect that, besides just being mean-spirited, your comments are based on articles / attitudes / opinions about Detroit that are decades out of date.
I don't know about you, but I would rather spend my energy giving the original poster valuable information so that they can make an informed decision about their potential move, rather than making useless, subjective comments about where I, and you, both live.
No, Detroit is not "shit", anymore than the place you live is "shit". Over the last 50 years, the City of Detroit has had many serious problems, and still does, but for the last 10 years it has begun its rebound and is much improved from where it was. If the poster wants honest, unfiltered opinion about downtown Detroit proper, I will be glad to supply it, without any sugar-coating. I do suspect that, besides just being mean-spirited, your comments are based on articles / attitudes / opinions about Detroit that are decades out of date.
I don't know about you, but I would rather spend my energy giving the original poster valuable information so that they can make an informed decision about their potential move, rather than making useless, subjective comments about where I, and you, both live.
Oct 8th 2019, 5:05 pm
#29
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Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Posts: 4,525
Re: Company transfer to Troy Michigan
As you have had lots of info on your questions I am only going to add that you need to be prepared for winter. Winter in MI can be harsh bloody cold and a pain in the arse to commute in, be sure to factor that in with your choice of vehicle.
Also I have been told (I have not tried this so I have no idea if it actually works, just passing along the info) that when living in the US if you have an American Express credit card you can transfer your account to the UK and have an immediate higher credit limit than you would if you applied for an new account when arriving there, it maybe worth looking into to see if the reverse is true
Also I have been told (I have not tried this so I have no idea if it actually works, just passing along the info) that when living in the US if you have an American Express credit card you can transfer your account to the UK and have an immediate higher credit limit than you would if you applied for an new account when arriving there, it maybe worth looking into to see if the reverse is true
Oct 8th 2019, 5:13 pm
#30
Heading for Poppyland
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: North Norfolk and northern New York State
Posts: 14,532
Re: Company transfer to Troy Michigan
This is patently untrue!
We've NEVER purchased any vehicles other than new ones.
And never other than from factory authorised dealers.
Always and only fully paid for in cash, outright, then and there.
With never the slightest resistance on the part of the dealer.
To the contrary - they always turn themselves inside out to clinch the $ale and woo us to return to the dealership for all future $ervice$$$.
I don't doubt you experienced what you describe above.
Can only imagine the salesman heard your accent, considered your gender, labelled you an easy mark.....and (without even getting into the car with you) "took you for a ride"
We've NEVER purchased any vehicles other than new ones.
And never other than from factory authorised dealers.
Always and only fully paid for in cash, outright, then and there.
With never the slightest resistance on the part of the dealer.
To the contrary - they always turn themselves inside out to clinch the $ale and woo us to return to the dealership for all future $ervice$$$.
I don't doubt you experienced what you describe above.
Can only imagine the salesman heard your accent, considered your gender, labelled you an easy mark.....and (without even getting into the car with you) "took you for a ride"
