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Possible move to Houston, Texas - please help!

Possible move to Houston, Texas - please help!

Old Jul 12th 2012, 11:06 am
  #61  
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Default Re: Possible move to Houston, Texas - please help!

Originally Posted by Parisangel
Hi - I know, it's going to take all our relocation allowance lol!

We are waiting for hubby's H1B visa to be processed, he's a Genetic Scientist and will be working at Baylor College of Medecine in Houston. We're anticipating around September, he'll probably have to come out first and find us somewhere to live. We're doing this ourselves so no lovely inter company relcation package and assistance for us!!

Helen
I don't want to rain on your parade, but wanted to highlight to you (both) that you could be hit with extra deposits on house rental etc as you'll have no credit history. When I first came over I ended up having to front up 3 months rent. Not always the case, but just something to factor in. Building credit takes a long time here so you'll get end up buying a lot of things cash. I didn't realise until I came over how frustrating it is to not have ready access to credit when you only want an extra week or two to bridge until payday when you're buying furniture etc...

Commute times will depend entirely on the time of day you commute at so if you have flexible working hours, you can live a bit further out and still have a reasonable commute, if you can avoid rush hour. If you're stuck working at times that will put you in traffic at rush hour, you'll want to be close to work.
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Old Jul 12th 2012, 11:06 am
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Default Re: Possible move to Houston, Texas - please help!

Genetic scientist... I am sure you have the smarts to deal with it even if there is no package.

I will be going out around the 1st of October but will not be followed by the family until January, I will be back to the UK a couple of times in the interim though.
Ultimately, I guess it will also fall to me to sort out most things before the boss aka wife gets there.

If it turns out your hubby and I are there at the same time we should compare notes on location.

Scott
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Old Jul 12th 2012, 11:15 am
  #63  
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Default Re: Possible move to Houston, Texas - please help!

Hi Bink, thanks for the heads up - we had gathered the credit issues would be a consideration at first. We would be keen to build a credit history up quickly though so we can think about buying a house in a year or so if all goes well. Any hints on that much appreciated!

Scott, will definitely let you know!! Tough to leave the family for that long, I would hate it if hubby had to go that long before us but I am sure it will all be worth it.

Helen
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Old Jul 12th 2012, 11:36 am
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Default Re: Possible move to Houston, Texas - please help!

I guess the only way to prepare is to rule out credit at the start. Will not have too much spare cash though as I plan to keep the house in the UK. Like Helen I would like to be in a position to purchase a house in a year or so.

Helen, yes it is a while to be away from the family and I am not looking froward to it. It is part of the deal with the company to see if I like the job before they pay to move my family. I travel a fair bit for work at the moment but not normally for that period.
Have you told your children about the move yet? I dread the day we have to tell ours...
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Old Jul 12th 2012, 11:53 am
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Default Re: Possible move to Houston, Texas - please help!

Yes, we have told them. OUr 6 year old daughter is swinging between sadness in leaving family and friends, and excitement for the move and potential to become a cheerleader lol! Our 4 year old boy is struggling to completely grasp it, he knows we're moving to "The Merica" as he calls it but can't grasp that it's a VERY long way away and Granny and Grandad won't be 10 minutes away. He's been all geared up for starting school too and now he has to wait another year...he's not happy!

We've been practising Skype as I think it will be brilliant for keeping in touch.
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Old Jul 12th 2012, 11:53 am
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Default Re: Possible move to Houston, Texas - please help!

The way I have found to "jump" ahead on the credit system is the AmEx global transfer. You have to have had the account in the UK. I got it 6 months before coming out here, but did it via phone and specifically asked about the global transfer at the time. When I came to move it in the US, my account looked 18 months old to them rather than 6, but I have also heard that other people have done it with less than a year. I got a charge card (pay off whole balance, but no credit limit) and other than a phone call requiring me to pay off the balance part way through the 1st month (they must have been concerned!) I have had no issues with credit and use that for virtually everything. The only thing that gets charged to my wells fargo card it my monthly toll charges and 1 utility bill. After a year, I did a couple of credit checks and my average score was about 725. I have no loans over here or anything else like that. Just got lucky, I guess.
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Old Jul 12th 2012, 11:56 am
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Default Re: Possible move to Houston, Texas - please help!

Originally Posted by Parisangel
Hi Bink, thanks for the heads up - we had gathered the credit issues would be a consideration at first. We would be keen to build a credit history up quickly though so we can think about buying a house in a year or so if all goes well. Any hints on that much appreciated!

Scott, will definitely let you know!! Tough to leave the family for that long, I would hate it if hubby had to go that long before us but I am sure it will all be worth it.

Helen
Buying a house in a year will be a tough ask unless your hubby's company can pull weight with a financial institute. Of course, it will also depend on how much deposit you'll be putting down, the more the better.

If you don't already, get an AMEX (through AMEX, not through a bank) asap. They have a global transfer programme and this will help start building credit as soon as you get here. Otherwise, you'll have to get a secured credit card (more cash tied up...) and after a year, you can convert it to a regular credit card.

I did manage to get a mortgage here after being here for a little under 2 years (18 months credit history - as I simply didn't realise the need nor have the cash to secure a card when I first moved over). The things that helped me were:
- I got an FHA insured loan (credit requirements are less strict, think they require 1 years credit history but in Houston it maxes out at approx $270k)
- Previous (actually it was existing but in the process of being sold) UK mortgage. I had to provide proof of this, letter from Nationwide saying I'd had it x long etc and copy of UK credit report showing it

I was well inside my comfort zone on the mortgage - I strongly advise not borrowing the max here as there are many 'hidden' costs. They're not exactly hidden but are not what we are used to in the UK:

- MEDICAL! Make sure you have medical coverage through your husbands work. Mine is paid for by my employer but I have to pay for my wife and son - even subsidised, this costs me >$500/month, not including the copays if we actually use it.
- property tax in Houston is high (off the top of my head we're circa 3.5% of assessed house value per annum, so $3,500 for every $100,000 of house),
- electricity and water can get expensive during the summer depending on useage (right now we're at $350/month for those two)
- HOA fees (when you own - we're at $800/yr)
- cable is expensive (we're at $155/month for 3 tvs with HD and DVR)
- pest control (you can do it yourself but it still costs for the chemicals, I pay someone $30/month to do it)
- yard work. HOA rules can be quite strict and you may be required to keep your yard neat. In the summer, mine needs cutting every week. Again you can do this yourself, but I have a fairly large yard and hate doing it so I get someone to do it for me
- don't let the price of gas fool you. You will drive a LOT. You will need 2 cars in Houston, there's no ifs and buts about it.

I do know of people that have come straight across and got a mortgage, but they have had company help in doing so.

Please don't intrepret this as a doom and gloom post, I actually love it here and will probably remain here to be honest, it's just these are things that it's fairly easy to miss when you start comparing salaries etc... Good luck!

Last edited by Bink; Jul 12th 2012 at 11:59 am.
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Old Jul 12th 2012, 11:57 am
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Default Re: Possible move to Houston, Texas - please help!

We've heard HSBC will do a similar transfer - hubby has a HSBC account so we're going to look into that.
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Old Jul 12th 2012, 12:28 pm
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Default Re: Possible move to Houston, Texas - please help!

I will still be paid in GBP into Barclays in the UK, I assume that this too will have an adverse affect on my credit rating in the US?
I was thinking I will just use plastic and ATMs but I am beginning to think it will not be that simple.
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Old Jul 12th 2012, 12:31 pm
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Default Re: Possible move to Houston, Texas - please help!

Anyway Mr Weeze, if you go back to page 4 there are some comments that I think you and Mrs Weeze may find entertaining. The thread is moving fast today...
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Old Jul 12th 2012, 12:33 pm
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Default Re: Possible move to Houston, Texas - please help!

Originally Posted by campermad
I will still be paid in GBP into Barclays in the UK, I assume that this too will have an adverse affect on my credit rating in the US?
I was thinking I will just use plastic and ATMs but I am beginning to think it will not be that simple.
It will make it harder, yes. Sorry. Although if you have a per diem or living allowance that you can deposit into a US account that will help. You will need a US account of some kind to build credit in the US but you don't have to keep much money in it.

Make sure your company is paying for a CPA (accountant), as this will complicate your tax affairs as you'll have to file in both countries. You should be able to use foriegn tax credit so you won't be double taxed, but its something to get sorted out so that you don't get a tax bill from the IRS at the end of the year, despite having had PAYE tax deducted in the UK.
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Old Jul 12th 2012, 12:38 pm
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Default Re: Possible move to Houston, Texas - please help!

The TAX situation is something that I have sorted thanks! The company will pay any TAX liability in the US and I have something sorted in the UK also.
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Old Jul 12th 2012, 12:42 pm
  #73  
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Default Re: Possible move to Houston, Texas - please help!

Originally Posted by campermad
The TAX situation is something that I have sorted thanks! The company will pay any TAX liability in the US and I have something sorted in the UK also.
That's good. I have a friend who is significantly in the hole because he and his company didn't sort this out properly so he effectively got double taxed and two years later, still hasn't recovered it.
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Old Jul 12th 2012, 1:19 pm
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Default Re: Possible move to Houston, Texas - please help!

Originally Posted by Parisangel
We've heard HSBC will do a similar transfer - hubby has a HSBC account so we're going to look into that.
Bear in mind the nearest HSBC is several states away! We have friends that used that service. There have been loads of past threads on HSBC, Amex and the like. Like this one;
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...e+credit+cards

The Wells Fargo international service mentioned is no longer active though.
Fat Brit's guide to credit and finance in the Wiki is good reading too.
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Old Jul 12th 2012, 1:53 pm
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Default Re: Possible move to Houston, Texas - please help!

Originally Posted by Bink
Commute times will depend entirely on the time of day you commute at so if you have flexible working hours, you can live a bit further out and still have a reasonable commute, if you can avoid rush hour. If you're stuck working at times that will put you in traffic at rush hour, you'll want to be close to work.
Wife used to commute 22 miles to Galleria - 30 mins when she could choose the time.
Now working 12 miels away in the Energy Corridor, and as she's not on flexible hours, its taking her almost 40 minutes some days! She's talking about going in an hour early to dodge the traffic and spend the time in the gym rather than in the car.
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