San Fran - move is on the cards!!
 

:) Hi there - we're new to the forum and are hoping to get some advice!

My husband has just been offered a job based near Union Square, SF, on a 2 year contract and we have no idea where to start!!

The company are sorting Visas / taxes etc but we need to sort out all personal affairs, renting out our house in UK, schooling for our two children and renting a house (probably in the East Bay area) and so on.....

How long, on average, is this all likely to take us, as we have only just received an offer and are effectively starting from scratch.

Also we really fancy Walnut Creek / Danville area but realise they are pricey for rentals. How about Alamo / Lafayette - these have been suggested as slightly more affordable areas. Good schools and proximity to BART are a must.

HELP - don't know where to begin other than a blank piece of paper....

The Woodsies x:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Re: San Fran - move is on the cards!!
 

UK - P85 tax form & NRL1 if you are going to let your house

US - Social Security card, driving licence (search DMV), bank account. Difficult to get a credit card with no history.

Craigslist for renting, furniture, cars etc http://sfbay.craigslist.org/

Re: San Fran - move is on the cards!!
 

Welcome to BE :)

What visa are they getting him? If it's a H1B he won't be starting work till October.

If it's a company transfer on a L1, then it could be within a few months or less, and you'd be allowed to work on that once you got a EAD, which you'd not be allowed to do on the H1 derivative, the H4.

Re: San Fran - move is on the cards!!
 

Alamo and Lafayette are generally more expensive than Walnut Creek and Danville, as are nearby Orinda and Moraga. All of these locations have pretty good schools and are good for BART access except for Danville. A cheaper option in the same general vicinity that's also close to BART would be Pleasant Hill. However, the schools there have noticeably lower tests scores.

Re: San Fran - move is on the cards!!
 

Hi, welcome, I'm sure you'll have a great time.

Most important is sorting schools out, I'd say. If you've kids and they are going into a general US school, where you live is going to be critical. Get that sorted first, and if possible, get out to the area / schools and have a look.