moving to Miami - what's it like??
 

Hiya!
My husband and I are moving to Miami at the end of the year - he's been offered a job out there. I have been looking on line to get a better idea of what it's like but nothing beats some first hand knowledge, right!! Wondering if i could trouble a Miami-based expat for some tips -where's good to live, any things that are hard to adjust to etc..? People that I've spoken to who have been to Miami really play up the clubbing/party angle of the city, but as we are there for the long term rather than a holiday it would be useful to know about some other things. And a concerned aunt was telling me about the crime levels and how no one wears jewellery in public for fear of being mugged - is this true!?
What areas are nice to live? We are thinking of starting a family soon-ish, and would like to live somewhere with outside space - all realty websites i've found online seem to focus on condos - are there any houses in Miami? In reasonable price range?
I'm very excited about this move and would love to hear some more from anyone who's made a similar life change! We currently live in Fulham, my husband works in advertising, I'm a PA and we have a cat.
Thanking you in advance! xxx

Re: moving to Miami - what's it like??
 

Welcome to BE :)

Have a search of the forums, plenty of info on Florida and probably Miami specifically, and also the wiki for a lot of general info, plenty of info on bringing over a pet.

Your main issue to worry about would be the medical benefits, and when looking for a house, how much the insurance is going to be if you can get it, and how much a month the AC is going to cost to run as it'll be huge.

Re: moving to Miami - what's it like??
 

A job offer is nice, but the crucial quesiton is: what visa? :)

Re: moving to Miami - what's it like??
 

HI Meauxna - good question!! He is sorting that out with his HR department this week. I think he'll have a working visa for 1 year (does that sound right?) and they've spoken about sponsoring me a visa too (is that possible?)
I'm looking forward to having a bit more news on it (and what medical insurance they'll provide) because it's starting to give me sleepless nights! ;)

Re: moving to Miami - what's it like??
 

Is this a company he has been working for for a year+?
or
Is this a new job in a high-skill position?

The visa type will make more of a difference to *you* darlin', since some trailing spouses are allowed to work and some aren't.
It's not so much the actual w o r k as the access you'll have to other activities based on the employment authorization.

But there is NO point fretting over any of that until you know what visa type. A one-year placement does not sound all that usual, so yes, I'm curious.

One year isn't very long in terms of establishing yourselves here. Buying a house vs renting, leasing a car or buying a used one. As with many places, traffic and duration of commute might make more difference to where you want to live than you're used to thinking about.

And then of course the pay scale and benefits.. health insurance being probably the most important to you.

There was a recent Miami thread with very good info for you; have a browse.

Re: moving to Miami - what's it like??
 

hot and humid and full of immigrants :blink:

Re: moving to Miami - what's it like??
 

I live in Miami... so I'll give my 2c...

Clubbing is good in Miami, however if you're just a peasant you'll have to wait in line for up to 2 hours and pay the cover charge. I'll only go if I can get in quickly.

Only in some parts.

There's plenty of houses here! Condos will soon be dirt cheap because they've built way too many of them, and houses are coming down in price, in fact if you're lucky you could get some really good prices on homes in foreclosure.

You'll have to leave the cat with someone, under no circumstances should you bring your cat to Miami - it will be eaten by an alligator or run over.

Re: moving to Miami - what's it like??
 

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Re: moving to Miami - what's it like??
 

I would not consider it prudent to buy property anywhere in the US unless the path to a green card has been is well under way*.

And in the present economic climate and the state of the housing market, I would stick to renting for the foreseeable future.

(* Any claim by the company that they will "start the GC process straightaway" needs to be investigated throughly - as this can mean a multitude of things :eek: - and put in writing...)

Re: moving to Miami - what's it like??
 

You're ahead of yourself. The only thing that is necessary for you to investigate is the visa. Then you need to know how it works and what you can and cannot do with it A search of these forums will find people who left it to the company......and came a nasty cropper.

Re: moving to Miami - what's it like??
 

Sounds like an L1 though if he's 'talking to his HR dept' - implies a transfer rather than a new job. At least here's hoping for the OP since there are probably no H1s left until next April!

Re: moving to Miami - what's it like??
 

hope so, because not much luck if it's the H1 :lol:

Re: moving to Miami - what's it like??
 

Totally agree with Elvira regarding the housing...best to rent then you have far more options...what if you don't like it ? can't get green card? etc. etc.

Try not too worry too much..there's alot of help here and it will make this a much more pleasurable experience if you take it one thing at a time and not worry about the "what ifs".

Hopefully your husband's employer has done this sort of thing before. If not then it's up to you to look into everything and do the investigating. Push for good health insurance..does it include dental ? optical ? how much co pay ? does it cover medication ? It sounds a lot to think about but it's really important that you get all the answers before you take the leap.
Good Luck :thumbsup:

Re: moving to Miami - what's it like??
 

Don't underestimate the extent to which the weather can and will affect your quality of life - if, like me, you have a very low tolerance for humidity life in Florida will be miserable for much of the year.

Re: moving to Miami - what's it like??
 

Definitely have to agree with waiting to buy. We spent 4 more years than we wanted to in our last country because we were stuck with negative equity. Luckily we were able to stay there as long as we needed to, if my husband got fired tomorrow (and they wouldn't need a reason either) then we'd have to leave within a few days. So we are waiting at least until we have our green cards before even thinking about it this time. If we miss out on some deals then so be it.