Pulaski

You seem a little confused and/ or what you said is confusing, so if you can check you facts then we can give you more specific advice, but here are a couple of pointers:

If you are truely on a "family visa" (which isn't a term used by US immigration, but perhaps "family sponsorship" is what you mean?) then you'll be a permanent resident from the moment you clear immigration.

An L-1x (x = A or B) visa is a work visa sponsored by an employer who is transferring an existing employee. From an L-1x visa an employer can sponsor you for permanent residence, or a family member could, but that can take 10-15 years! If your wife is on an L-1x visa you don't have an immediate right to work, you would need to apply for an EAD (employment authorization document), which will take about 2-3 months to receive after you apply after you have arrived in the US.
A traditional down payment in the US is 20%. You can often borrow more than 80%, through a second mortgage and/ or by paying a monthly mortgage insurance premium.

You don't have a US credit history, and lenders may, or may not, be willing to look at any credit records you bring with you - US lenders cannot automatically access UK credit records thanks to the UK Data Protection Act. Wells Fargo seems to have been particularly helpful to many recent immigrants, as reported by other BE members.

The bulk of the costs of conveying a home are borne by the seller, but you're probably looking at 2-3% of the price in various fees connecting to buying and obtaining a mortgage. Most, but not all can typically be rolled into the loan.

The costs of home ownership in the US are high in terms of repairs and maintenance - a roof usually only lasts around 15-20 years and will typically cost $10,000-$15,000, and a heating/ AC system usually only lasts around 10-15 years and can cost around the same as a roof. At the cheaper end both roofs and heating/ AC systems don't last as long as the more expensive ones.

Then there seems to be a never-ending stream of minor repairs that neither I nor my parents had in the UK - painting is an almost continuous task given the punishment the sun gives out, and I seem to be forever dealing with "minor" plumbing and electrical issues. I have often joked that my house isn't just a home, it is also a hobby, except that after 13 years with no end in sight to the list of things to work on, the joke has worn rather thin.

A figure often bandied around by realtors (estate agents) is that keeping a house "current" in terms of repairs, maintenance, and upgrades, so that it sells for a good price when you decide to move, is that you should budget on spending about 2% of the market value each year on average - obviously years when you spend on a roof, heating/AC system, or bathroom/ kitchen renovations are going to be expensive years. But IMO spending about $5,000 per year averaged over the long term on a $250,000 house sounds about right if you aren't able to do most of the repairs and maintenance yourself.

Noorah101

There is no such thing as an LS-1 visa. Please double check which visa you are getting, as our answers might change whether you're coming over permanently or just for work.

You mention your "partner". Are you married?

Rene

JP1975

Yeah, I understand that buying a house involves more than the mortgage.
This is the kind of thing im trying to understand, what other charges are there in the US when buying a house, Im trying to understand the process and cost.

Pulaski

Good luck with that!

The procedure appears to involved bending and holding your ankles for the benefit and gratification of the lawyers, realtors, and banks.

JP1975

Thank you Pulaski, that is exactly the answer I was looking for.

Im glad you mentioned the VISA. My partners work is sorting it out and its suppose to allow me to work and obviously bring our kids with us.
I thought it was an L1A initially, but if that doesnt allow me to work then I need check with her work and make sure they've got it right!

Noorah101

OK, so you're not coming on a family visa. Your partner (hopefully SPOUSE) is getting transferred through work. You can apply for work authorization once inside the USA.

Rene

Pulaski

No, you're probably right, the spouse (not unmarried "partner") of an L-1A holder can apply for an EAD, as I posted above. It will take 2-3 months before you have your EAD and are cleared to work.

This means not only no employment, but no remote working, and no selfemployment until you get your EAD.

JP1975

Im suppose to be able to work from arrival so its good that youve mentioned it.
It means we can make sure people are doing what they are suppose to

Jerseygirl

If you are not married you will not be able to work...even remotely for a company outside the US.

Orangepants

We were one of the crazies who bought whilst on visas, we had convinced ourselves that we had TWO secure paths to green cards. My OH on a H-1B (with the I-140 submitted) and me on a L-1B. We bought land, built a house, got the dog etc. Suffice to say that at one point in 2009 neither of us had a visa to live in the US.
We're still here and on solid ground now but would we repeat - NO!

JP1975

We get married Thursday

Jerseygirl

Congratulations.

If the visa is a L1a...then yes you will be able to work when you get EAD...approx 90 days after arrival. If it's not that visa please let us know which one it is.

Pulaski

OK, having reached this point in the discussion, I should point out that there is nothing to stop the "trailing spouse" on the L-2, accompanying the L-1x holder to the US, applying for their EAD, ..... then leaving the US and returning to the UK for 90 days until their EAD arrives. So work outside and inside the US can be more-or-less seamless for the L-2 holder, but shifted 90 days behind the L-1 visa holder.

They can't apply for a SSN until they have their EAD, but not having yet received their SSN is absolutely not a prohibition on starting work. .... I know, I started work for a large international corporation in the US without yet having received my SSN.

BTW Congratulations on your impending nuptials!

boltonreddave

Not sure all that is correct. I entered on L2 in Jan, applied for EAD AND SSN, went home and came back end of March once EAD had arrived. So I DID apply for SSN before the EAD arrived.

You have all got me worried about buying a house now! But it's done and we love it so here's to hoping it all works out! 😄

BubbleChog

I would come down on the side of renting for a bit first. Working out the best school district that still has a reasonable commute for your wife might take a while. Traffic in Atlanta is notoriously awful.
My husband and I are living in one of the best school districts ITP (inside the perimeter)as we decided a possible 1-1/2 hour commute each way was not going to be good for our family. You and your wife will need to figure out where the balance lies for your family.

As well as mortgage and utilities costs there is also property taxes and probably a HOA fee to consider. Our HOA is stupidly high but it includes the tennis courts, swimming pool and all gardening type maintenance.

Houses in our subdivision are priced significantly lower than most of the neighbourhood comparisons because of how high the HOA fees are.