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Lend me your collective wisdom.....

Lend me your collective wisdom.....

Old Mar 4th 2007, 5:13 am
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Default Lend me your collective wisdom.....

I've just started looking into moving to Los Angeles from the UK.

Can anyone point me towards a website that will give me info. on day to day, general living stuff such as what are the regular household bills are etc? I'm trying to get a feel for how much I'm going to need to earn!

Also, are there any good employment websites which advertise jobs specifically where the employer is happy to recruit from overseas? I've seen plenty of jobs going in L.A. but whether the employers would be prepared to go through the visa application process with me is another matter.

All help really appreciated!!
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Old Mar 4th 2007, 5:18 am
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Default Re: Lend me your collective wisdom.....

Originally Posted by tls1974
I've just started looking into moving to Los Angeles from the UK.

Can anyone point me towards a website that will give me info. on day to day, general living stuff such as what are the regular household bills are etc? I'm trying to get a feel for how much I'm going to need to earn!

Also, are there any good employment websites which advertise jobs specifically where the employer is happy to recruit from overseas? I've seen plenty of jobs going in L.A. but whether the employers would be prepared to go through the visa application process with me is another matter.

All help really appreciated!!
California is very very expensive ...

Jobs wise thing like Monster.com and such like
are good ... of course your degree and experience and the
type of employmnt you are looking for all has a bearing..

Ignore visa agencies ..mostly scams ..
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Old Mar 4th 2007, 5:36 am
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Default Re: Lend me your collective wisdom.....

Originally Posted by Ray
California is very very expensive ...

Jobs wise thing like Monster.com and such like
are good ... of course your degree and experience and the
type of employmnt you are looking for all has a bearing..

Ignore visa agencies ..mostly scams ..

Thanks Ray, but expensive compared to where?
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Old Mar 4th 2007, 5:53 am
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Default Re: Lend me your collective wisdom.....

Originally Posted by tls1974
Thanks Ray, but expensive compared to where?
Compard to anywhere else .... housing is a tremendous price..
The will be some LA people along to give you more info I'm sure ..
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Old Mar 4th 2007, 1:01 pm
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Default Re: Lend me your collective wisdom.....

Take a look here:

http://www.homefair.com/find_a_place...ndex.asp?&cc=1

At first blush, you migth think £2:1, this has got to be a bargain, but you have to realize that a lot of your income is taken up in various things here (such as health insurance, taxes, car insurance, etc) that it can be quite expensive.

But before that--you have a great deal of work on the job front. I would suggest reading the 1,000s of posts about the steps necessary for that to happen before looking at home prices. The most difficult part of the move is the visa--find a house is really secondary.
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Old Mar 4th 2007, 1:05 pm
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Default Re: Lend me your collective wisdom.....

I just moved out of the LA area primarily because we could not afford to buy a house and that was on $100k+ with around $30k in bonuses.

A normal house for a 2.1 family will cost you around $600k where we were living (San Fernando Valley). This would be a 1000-1500 sqrft house with no yard. If you want the nice family home (2000+ sqrft) be prepared to shell out in the region of the low $1M's... yes they describe it that way... as if there ever was a low $1m.

regarding food.... we travelled to palm dale (around an hour away) to get cheap food at Super Walmart. We'd spend maybe $400 and get a months basics for 4 of us (me, wife, 2 toddlers) then spend another $100 / week to top up with essentials like bread, milk, veggies, fruit etc. An example of price difference if we DIDn't travel to palm dale.... Country Crock Butter replacement, $4.50 at the local Ralphs/Vons... $1.60 at Walmart. Because groceries are so expensive there is only a small difference between buying them in and eating out.

Now we live in Chicago, that same shop for 4 of us comes in at around $250 and yes thats for exactly the same stuff. The houses around here are sensibly priced if a little decadent - the house next door to us right now is valued at $800k but its a 10,000 sqrft mansion/castle. The house we're in is around 2500sqrft big enough for a 2+4 family and has a nice yard, its valued at around $400k but that price is higher for the region due to the mansions in the immediate area. We're looking at $200-$300k for a normal house not too far away.
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Old Mar 4th 2007, 1:30 pm
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Default Re: Lend me your collective wisdom.....

Originally Posted by tls1974
I've just started looking into moving to Los Angeles from the UK.

Can anyone point me towards a website that will give me info. on day to day, general living stuff such as what are the regular household bills are etc? I'm trying to get a feel for how much I'm going to need to earn!
Not really, A heck of a lot.

Originally Posted by tls1974
Also, are there any good employment websites which advertise jobs specifically where the employer is happy to recruit from overseas? I've seen plenty of jobs going in L.A. but whether the employers would be prepared to go through the visa application process with me is another matter.

All help really appreciated!!
Not really, Snowballs chance in hell.
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Old Mar 4th 2007, 2:39 pm
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Default Re: Lend me your collective wisdom.....

How you get here is more important than where you live. It's almost impossible to find a sponsor. If you wish to narrow down the region, it'll be even more impossible.
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Old Mar 4th 2007, 4:42 pm
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Default Re: Lend me your collective wisdom.....

What kind of employment are you looking for? What degree/masters/ other qualifications do you have?
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Old Mar 4th 2007, 4:50 pm
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Default Re: Lend me your collective wisdom.....

Originally Posted by tls1974
I've just started looking into moving to Los Angeles from the UK.

Can anyone point me towards a website that will give me info. on day to day, general living stuff such as what are the regular household bills are etc? I'm trying to get a feel for how much I'm going to need to earn!

Also, are there any good employment websites which advertise jobs specifically where the employer is happy to recruit from overseas? I've seen plenty of jobs going in L.A. but whether the employers would be prepared to go through the visa application process with me is another matter.

All help really appreciated!!
check with poster on here called Hugh Handbag he's been to LA

(and seriously if want any info PM me. Ive been here a while)
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Old Mar 4th 2007, 6:01 pm
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Default Re: Lend me your collective wisdom.....

http://britishexpats.com/articles/us...rk-in-the-usa/

http://britishexpats.com/articles/us...nce-in-the-us/

Read those, and search the forums, there's been a few threads on CA already...

Basically, getting a visa is your toughest problem....and then your either going to be mint, and sorted, or it'll be well expensive and you won't have enough dosh to enjoy it.
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Old Mar 5th 2007, 12:28 am
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Default Re: Lend me your collective wisdom.....

Originally Posted by Wintersong
What kind of employment are you looking for? What degree/masters/ other qualifications do you have?
No degree but 17 years experience in IT and person management, most of it with IBM and AT&T. I think you need 12 years experience for a H1 visa?

In an ideal world I'd like to work in music production for a large corporation like Warner but I'd probably have a better chance applying to IBM or another IT company.

Last edited by tls1974; Mar 5th 2007 at 12:30 am. Reason: Missed a bit
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Old Mar 5th 2007, 12:30 am
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Default Re: Lend me your collective wisdom.....

Originally Posted by Bob
http://britishexpats.com/articles/us...rk-in-the-usa/

http://britishexpats.com/articles/us...nce-in-the-us/

Read those, and search the forums, there's been a few threads on CA already...

Basically, getting a visa is your toughest problem....and then your either going to be mint, and sorted, or it'll be well expensive and you won't have enough dosh to enjoy it.

Mint, sorted, well expensive? Are you Liam Gallagher (or wot ourkid, innit??)
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Old Mar 5th 2007, 3:12 am
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Default Re: Lend me your collective wisdom.....

Originally Posted by Silly Sod
Mint, sorted, well expensive? Are you Liam Gallagher (or wot ourkid, innit??)
yeah, innit, like
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Old Mar 5th 2007, 3:13 am
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Default Re: Lend me your collective wisdom.....

Originally Posted by tls1974
No degree but 17 years experience in IT and person management, most of it with IBM and AT&T. I think you need 12 years experience for a H1 visa?

In an ideal world I'd like to work in music production for a large corporation like Warner but I'd probably have a better chance applying to IBM or another IT company.
12 years experience is enough, though it's easier to prove a degree than experience in the field, especially after that many years...but the thing is, unless you've got rather unique niche skills, IT people are a dime a dozen, so it wouldn't be worth the effort or cost bothering to sponsor someone.
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