[Rabin]

Hi All

I'm extremely pleased to have finally found this site since I've been stumbling around the Internet for awhile now and this is what I have been looking for.

I'm going to take this opportunity to give a breif history and introduce myself as well as sneak in a few questions along the way which I'm hoping someone might be able to answer.

I was sent by the company I worked for to Atlanta for three months at the beginning of last year to help the Atlanta office during tax season on an L1 visa and my wife came over to visit for a few weeks when she had some time off. I think that was the turning point and we decided we wanted to see if it was possible to make a move to the US a permanent situation.

In September last year we applied for an EB1 visa for her and after an extremely chaotic and rollercoaster emotional ride everything was granted which gives both of us Greencards and we are flying to New York in the middle of August this year.

The renting without an established credit history is one of the obstacles we've encountered so far and we've spent hours on Craigslist. Every second advertisement there appears to be a scam and everyone wants a deposit before we arrive. It was very interesting how many different appartments at different addresses all seem to have the same interiors and contents We have now decided to spend a few days when we get there apartment hunting in the different areas. My question though is does anyone know of or can recommend a good place to rent for 19 days until we can hopefully start a lease at the beginning of September? We're looking for somewhere that travelling wont be difficult and wont break the bank since the Rand Dollar Exchange rate has never really been in South Africans favour so ideal would be as little as possible. We're also bringing two dogs across a month later (no quarantine required) so any suggestions on a dog friendly area to focus our home search in? Majority of agents so far wont even look at us as soon as we mention dogs.

Im a qualified Chartered Accountant and I'm planning on doing my CPA exams once there. I am also finishing my LLB degree off through UNISA. Unfortunately I dont think the New York Bar accept the UNISA degree completely and I might have to do a short catch up course before being allowed to write the New York Bar Exam. I have been in Auditing and I am currently consulting on a client restructurisation project. Im trying to get as far away from the auditing scene as possible and ideally would like to go into corporate law, banking or consulting. Looking towards the mergers and acquisitions or liquidations area. Does anyone have any advice on what the best way to go about this would be? When it came to job hunting in South Africa it was simply a case of contacting a recruitment agency and they did the rest. Are things very different in the US? I've already learnt the hard way how incorrect my 6 page European style cv is for the US market. My wife is a photographer so any suggestions there would also help. Arriving in a new country without accomodation or jobs is certainly keeping things interesting. The good news is there are no kids to worry about at this stage

I have a social security number and a bank account already but since I am coming on a Greencard I think I get allocated a new social security number. Has anyone been through this process before? How simple is it? I also have my Atlanta drivers license, is it necessary to change it to New York if I'm probably going to be using the subway and have no intention of owning a car for awhile?

I know this is probably a bit lengthy, which I apologise for, but I thought I would try get as much out as possible at the beginning.

Any other suggestions on how to make this transition as smooth and easy as possible would be really greatly appreciated!

Thanks everyone!

[Mariette]

Welcome to the USA. Hope you are going to be very happy. Look at the DMV site for New York what the requirements are for your drivers licence. Also, have you tried real estate agents to help you find a place? The city and Westchester County is not known for being cheap.Good luck with all your ventures.

This post has been edited by Mariette: 12 July 2010 - 09:53 AM

[treverly]

I would suggest that you go to an extended stay hotel.

Extended stay hotels

They usually have a small kitchen, (microwave/stove, crockery and cutlery) lounge and bedrooms.
Many include breakfast - coffee and donut/muffin.

Some have pet facilities.

We stayed at the Homestead Suites in Dallas for 3 months while we searched for a house.
I was able to cook a reasonable meal every night so that we didn't have to eat out very much.
Lunch was left-overs or sandwiches.

Check www.rent.com for apartments. The have a $100 reward card if you rent through them. It comes off your first months rent.

Bev

[oscar]

Congratulations on winging your way to the USA.

As Treverly mentioned above try www.rent.com
or if possible do a web search for local newspapers in the specific town or suburb that you are considering moving to. A lot of Real Estate Agencies have rental properties available. Lots of folk cant afford to sell or are out of work and don't want to loose their properties so there are plenty of rentals everywhere.

http://longisland.sublet.com/

I would also be flexible in deciding what city you want to live in and rather work in a city where you find employment. Originally we chose, Los Angeles, CA and then Boston, MA and ultimately found work in Washington, DC

If you decide to rent a property /townhouse contact the local Electricity department and ask them what the average utility bill is. This will give you an indication as to how much it will cost you to warm the place up in the winter. This info is freely available from any utility service provider

As you do not have a credit score you can expect to pay one months rent as a security deposit which will be refunded after a year. After a year your security deposit will only be around $200.00.Some apartment complexes charge a deposit for dogs as well and there are limitations regarding the size of dog and breed has restrictions. Expect to pay around $25.00 to $50.00 deposit per animal.

When posting you resume on CareerBuilder or any employment blog. Only post your resume for around 14 days and then remove it for a few days. Keep on posting and withdrawing your resume every few weeks. If you get no response tweak your resume, rewrite it, just keep it fresh.

also see this article

http://finance.yahoo...reer-leadership

This post has been edited by oscar: 12 July 2010 - 06:35 PM

[C185]

Expect to pay up to 3 months deposit for an apartment. We had to pay $7800 deposit when we found an apartment. We stayed on Roosevelt Island, I would recommend it. It is on the East River between Manhattan and Queens, transport is easy with the F line on the Subway. There is also the TRAM (Cable car) from the island to Manhattan which is stunning at night time, it is the same cost as a subway ride. The island also has its own bus service you can use but the walk from the apartment to the subway and tram is really nice.

We stayed in Manhattan Park, it is nice. To give you an idea on prices, we payed $2600 in 2007 for a 1 bedroom apt. I don't know if they allow pets but have a look at there website and maybe contact them before you go over. http://www.manhattanpark.com/ Gas and water is included with your monthly rent and you only pay for electricity. Our elec bill used to be in the upper $20's! Never more than $30. Since they supply warm water, no water heater and the oven/stove is gas.

They have a doorman, gym and onsite laundry (no laundry facilities in apt). When ever you need a car service you just call the doorman and he arranges everything. They have a specific car service they contact and its normally cheaper than the yellow cabs and a much nicer ride.

The Island has got lots of parks, sport fields and a walk way that goes all around the island. It makes for a nice walk in the evening. The grocery store and post office is across the road from the apartment building which is nice but don't expect a Pick n Pay but they have what you need.

New Jersey has some nice areas and apt could be cheaper but the travel could get long and be unpleasant. My wife was 2 stops from her office in 6th ave.

I hope this helps.

This post has been edited by C185: 14 July 2010 - 02:20 AM