Okie on the Move! I have a interview in Orlando and am needing some advice!

[floaton]

Hello and good afternoon all! Thanks for coming to this thread. I understand most people don't read all the way through long threads like these, but I would appreciate if you would take time to read through it.

I am in need of assistance, possibly more so than I even know. I have recently applied for several graphic design position in the Orlando area as my contract with the Boeing Company is soon to expire.

I received a call from a staffing agency. They'd come across my resume and found a position suited to my desires. They expedited my resume to HR and I will likely be flying out for an interview within the next two weeks, which is fantastic. I am thrilled with the possibility of having the chance to move to Orlando and live close to the World!

What I am facing now is a rat's nest of questions to try and sort through.

1. My girlfriend and I bought our first house together a year and a half ago, so the first hurdle will be selling the house. Any suggestions would be very helpful.

2. If hired, I would be starting work the second week of July (so soon!!!) and would need to find an inexpensive studio apartment for myself until the end of the tryout period, when we would make the full move to Orlando. I would be working very near UCF and all of the apartment complexes that I have looked at seem like they have horrendous reviews. I am a very laid back individual so living with a roommate would not really bother me. Does anyone know of an online service to find roommates or a month-to-month housing situation that would work well in my situation?

3. In regards to a search for a new home in the Orlando area...I want to get started ASAP. First, I'd like to get an idea of some of the better neighborhoods to look in, and if there are any I should specifically avoid. We're looking at anything up to $140K.Ideally, I would like to put myself half way between my job and WDW. I have attached a map to where I would like to start looking.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jy9422pdz7rqwqs/Orlando%20Map.jpg


4. Has anyone made a cross-country move? We're considering either PODS or Uhaul. PODS seems easier, but more expensive. I'd like to know if anyone has used them...if their customer service is good, if they take care of your stuff...questions like that. If anyone has experience moving with a UHaul, I'd like to know how that worked out, as well.

5. If we aren't able to find a home to purchase prior to moving, how can we track down a rental property? We have pets, so an apartment might not be an option, unless they accept animals. If we have to rent, a house would best fit our needs.

Thank you so much for reading all the way down to *here*. I look forward to hearing back from the DIS community!

 

[SamSam]

Can't really help you with any of your questions, I just wanted to say to a neighbor to the South of us. Wish you the best with your move.

 

[tstidm1]

What I am facing now is a rat's nest of questions to try and sort through.

1. My girlfriend and I bought our first house together a year and a half ago, so the first hurdle will be selling the house. Any suggestions would be very helpful.

2. If hired, I would be starting work the second week of July (so soon!!!) and would need to find an inexpensive studio apartment for myself until the end of the tryout period, when we would make the full move to Orlando. I would be working very near UCF and all of the apartment complexes that I have looked at seem like they have horrendous reviews. I am a very laid back individual so living with a roommate would not really bother me. Does anyone know of an online service to find roommates or a month-to-month housing situation that would work well in my situation?

3. In regards to a search for a new home in the Orlando area...I want to get started ASAP. First, I'd like to get an idea of some of the better neighborhoods to look in, and if there are any I should specifically avoid. We're looking at anything up to $140K.Ideally, I would like to put myself half way between my job and WDW. I have attached a map to where I would like to start looking.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jy9422pdz7rqwqs/Orlando%20Map.jpg


4. Has anyone made a cross-country move? We're considering either PODS or Uhaul. PODS seems easier, but more expensive. I'd like to know if anyone has used them...if their customer service is good, if they take care of your stuff...questions like that. If anyone has experience moving with a UHaul, I'd like to know how that worked out, as well.

5. If we aren't able to find a home to purchase prior to moving, how can we track down a rental property? We have pets, so an apartment might not be an option, unless they accept animals. If we have to rent, a house would best fit our needs.

Thank you so much for reading all the way down to *here*. I look forward to hearing back from the DIS community!

1. Be prepared to take less than you paid for it especially if you need to sell quick unless you got it as a Foreclosure. Real estate is still pretty bad across America. Get an experienced agent to help you on this as soon as you are hired.

2. Craigslist.org or Roommates.com are good places to start on that.

3. That price range would probably get you a pretty good house down there. I saw places down there for $80,000 or less (non-foreclosures) last year as I was traveling from the airport to Orlando.

4. My friend moved using Uhaul. They are everywhere, so you should be able to return the van close to where you will be living. The Trucks are pretty easy to drive depending on size. I wonder if a mover could be less than a Pod for you.

5. Craigslist.org would be a good start and a good agent can probably help you on this.

 

[floaton]

1. Be prepared to take less than you paid for it especially if you need to sell quick unless you got it as a Foreclosure. Real estate is still pretty bad across America. Get an experienced agent to help you on this as soon as you are hired.

2. Craigslist.org or Roommates.com are good places to start on that.

3. That price range would probably get you a pretty good house down there. I saw places down there for $80,000 or less (non-foreclosures) last year as I was traveling from the airport to Orlando.

4. My friend moved using Uhaul. They are everywhere, so you should be able to return the van close to where you will be living. The Trucks are pretty easy to drive depending on size. I wonder if a mover could be less than a Pod for you.

5. Craigslist.org would be a good start and a good agent can probably help you on this.

2. Thank you for your responses. I have just finished a profile on Roomates.com, it seems like a really good place to try and hunt down my temporary housing.

3. Very good to hear, I have also started looking on Realtor.com and it seem like there might be a few nice prospects.

4. From the pricing I have done so far it seems like UPack, a PODS like service might be a good option. It seems less expensive than PODS and just as nice of service. A UHAUL truck is certainly still not out of the question.

Thank you again, I appreciate your help!

 

[floaton]

Can't really help you with any of your questions, I just wanted to say to a neighbor to the South of us. Wish you the best with your move.

Thank you SamSam for the encouragement. I could use all the that I can get!

Thank you!

 

[Ona]

3. In regards to a search for a new home in the Orlando area...

Two nicer areas to look into that fall into your desired area are Lake Nona, and Hunters Creek. Lake Nona is also know as Medical City, it might also be a good bet for finding other young professional roommates (as opposed to students that you might find around UCF).

Another couple of areas to consider, just north of your desired area, is Baldwin Park - a planned community, like Celebration, and just west, Dr. Phillips - an older, well established area (encompassing Bay Hill of golf fame).

http://myfloridahomesmls.com/ is a good place to look for ideas of prices.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

If the "A" spike is where you will be working, I would suggest looking at the Hunter's Creek area. It is almost at the left edge of your marked area and below SR-417. It is close to WDW. SR417 is a toll road with a 65mph speed limit and never really crowded. It connects to SR408, also a toll road, but the is a major commute road closer to downtown Orland, but in that area you would be going against the normal rush hour traffic.

Both of those have "open road" toll plazas; if you have a transponder (which does get a discount on tolls) you go through the plaza without stopping at the speed limit; there are separate lanes for people paying cash who have to stop.

The problem with both U-Haul and PODS is that you have to do your own packing and unpacking. Depending on what needs to be packed, it may be worthwhile to contact www.uline.com for good prices on packing materials, both boxes as well as bubble wrap and peanuts. They have warehouses around the country and I used them for most of my major move packing. Some U-Haul locations will rent you people to do the actual loading or unloading of the truck. Or you could consider using a moving company to pack and load you but use a rental truck for the travel.

 

[snowwhitenyc]

Hi Floaton,

Congrats on the interview! Sounds very exciting, and living near the World is so much fun, I'm sure you'd love it.

I can't answer all of your questions, but the one suggestion I have for you is to possibly look at garage apartments. I moved from NYC to Orlando for 5 months last year and I needed something short-term, pet-friendly, and furnished...not an easy list of demands. I went through lots of different housing options: extended stay hotel (seemed pricey), furnished apartment complexes (very bad reviews online), roommate (not my preference), sublet of a furnished home/apartment (didn't find one that fit my needs). I finally came across listings for furnished garage apartments in Celebration -- I had an idea about garage apartments as where you stick your unemployed kid who won't get out of the house, but these apartments are lovely. Well-equipped, spacious, utilities are included. Usually the homeowners rent them out for vacationers or long-term (or stick the family and friends who come down to crash for their Disney vacations!). I rented one and it was absolutely perfect for my temporary stay.

Celebration isn't that close to UCF, but Baldwin Park is and it is also a planned community that, like Celebration, has many homes with lovely garage apartments. You can find them listed on Craigslist and sometimes with local real estate agents. I think BP would be fairly convenient for you and still nice and close to Disney.

You may also look into sublets -- your timing might be better and you might find a nice condo or home available. Craigslist again is a great resource.

Good luck!

 

[sayhello]

I would suggest putting the house on the market the minute you know you are for sure moving. The market is still pretty slow, and a lot of houses sit for a while.

Also, find out what your new company's relocation policy is. Lots of places will pay for you to relocate if they really want you. I certainly wouldn't demand it, but it's worth finding out about. It makes life much simpler, because you just hire movers.

Sayhello

 

[floaton]

Two nicer areas to look into that fall into your desired area are Lake Nona, and Hunters Creek. Lake Nona is also know as Medical City, it might also be a good bet for finding other young professional roommates (as opposed to students that you might find around UCF).

Another couple of areas to consider, just north of your desired area, is Baldwin Park - a planned community, like Celebration, and just west, Dr. Phillips - an older, well established area (encompassing Bay Hill of golf fame).

http://myfloridahomesmls.com/ is a good place to look for ideas of prices.

Hello Ona, thank you for your insight. Lake Nona "Medical City" seems to have quite a few good options for housing in the long run. It really seems like an area that I would enjoy staying in. Just at first glance though the property taxes are much higher than surrounding areas in comparison. Definitely not a deal breaker, just an observation.

As for the temporary housing needs during my trial period, I have found that roomates.com might be the perfect solution. I have not upgraded to the premium membership yet, so I cannot read the messages sent to me, it seems that there are already individuals that have tried to reach out to me and have rooms that I could rent from them.

Besides that, my O' my who new one telephone call could shoot you into such a deep mental onslaught of questions. How life can change so quickly!

 

[floaton]

If the "A" spike is where you will be working, I would suggest looking at the Hunter's Creek area. It is almost at the left edge of your marked area and below SR-417. It is close to WDW. SR417 is a toll road with a 65mph speed limit and never really crowded. It connects to SR408, also a toll road, but the is a major commute road closer to downtown Orland, but in that area you would be going against the normal rush hour traffic.

Both of those have "open road" toll plazas; if you have a transponder (which does get a discount on tolls) you go through the plaza without stopping at the speed limit; there are separate lanes for people paying cash who have to stop.

The problem with both U-Haul and PODS is that you have to do your own packing and unpacking. Depending on what needs to be packed, it may be worthwhile to contact www.uline.com for good prices on packing materials, both boxes as well as bubble wrap and peanuts. They have warehouses around the country and I used them for most of my major move packing. Some U-Haul locations will rent you people to do the actual loading or unloading of the truck. Or you could consider using a moving company to pack and load you but use a rental truck for the travel.

Thank you so much for all the practical traffic knowledge, one subject that I don't think anyone can know to much about when making moving preparations.

The upside to Uhaul and PODS is that both my better half are willing and able to break our own backs to save a few pennies. Also luckily we do not have much in terms of large furniture. Living room sectional, a few book cases and bedroom furniture for two bedrooms. We just moved a year and a half ago from an apartment so we haven't had a chance to accumulate to much "stuff".

Thank you again!

 

[floaton]

I would suggest putting the house on the market the minute you know you are for sure moving. The market is still pretty slow, and a lot of houses sit for a while.

Also, find out what your new company's relocation policy is. Lots of places will pay for you to relocate if they really want you. I certainly wouldn't demand it, but it's worth finding out about. It makes life much simpler, because you just hire movers.

Sayhello

Hey Sayhello!

I think that your suggestion is quite valid. Fortunately the realtor that helped us buy our current house, is a friend from high school. I am positive that he would once again be a big help in the that regard.

A relocation incentive will definitely be something I bring up during the interview, not going to push by any means because the position has been exactly what I have been looking for. So its not a deal breaker, but it would like you said "make like much simpler". Having movers would be a very cool experience, I moved around quiet a bit during my college years and let me tell you, if it was financially feasible by the end of the 9-10th move I might have sold my soul not to have to box everything up and move it again.

Thanks for the help Sayhello!

 

[floaton]

Waiting is the worst. Still waiting to hear back from the hiring company about setting up my interview...

 

[Stacy's a freak]

How exciting!! The only suggestion I can give is to rent before you buy. I have never done a big move like you are contemplating, but I have heard from many that it is a good idea to rent for 6 months to a year to get the lay of the land. This will give you time to get to know the area for yourself and to make that personal decision of what neighborhoods, etc. are good for you.

In the meantime, good luck and do keep us posted!!

 

[floaton]

How exciting!! The only suggestion I can give is to rent before you buy. I have never done a big move like you are contemplating, but I have heard from many that it is a good idea to rent for 6 months to a year to get the lay of the land. This will give you time to get to know the area for yourself and to make that personal decision of what neighborhoods, etc. are good for you.

In the meantime, good luck and do keep us posted!!

Thank you for the well wishes!

The three months that I will hopefully spend renting will definitely give me a change to scope out the area. As well as give me the opportunity to form a personal opinion on which areas could suite us best.

Thanks Stacy's a freak!

 

[Cherinva]

I can give some first hand experience with PODs.....They are a great company to work with. It was very easy...I ordered the POD, they delivered it to my house and put it where I wanted it. I packed it (make sure you pack it securely as things can move around in transit). Make sure you have good lock also. When I was ready, I called them for a pick up. When I got to my new house, the POD was there waiting for me. Once it was unloaded, I called for the last pick up. All considered, they were very professional and on time. The cost was worth it for me.

Best wishes on your interview and move.....

 

[floaton]

I can give some first hand experience with PODs.....They are a great company to work with. It was very easy...I ordered the POD, they delivered it to my house and put it where I wanted it. I packed it (make sure you pack it securely as things can move around in transit). Make sure you have good lock also. When I was ready, I called them for a pick up. When I got to my new house, the POD was there waiting for me. Once it was unloaded, I called for the last pick up. All considered, they were very professional and on time. The cost was worth it for me.

Best wishes on your interview and move.....

Great to hear some positive feedback about the PODS service. Definitely will keep that in mind.

Thanks Cherinva!

 

[floaton]

O boy... This just got real, they have requested a phone interview for Friday morning. Now I'm really in need of some

Thank you Dis, for all of your input and moral support on this adventure of mine!

 

[SamSam]

O boy... This just got real, they have requested a phone interview for Friday morning. Now I'm really in need of some

Thank you Dis, for all of your input and moral support on this adventure of mine!

You will do great in your interview, just be yourself and let your natural enthusiasm come through.

 

[Metro West]

Good luck to you!