Interview tips

[Dexman PE PMP]

Not directly there. I can ride to Union station then take the free Mall Ride the rest of the way. But because I live "Out of District" I would have to pay $4/day to park at the station.

 

[Road Guy]

Weird, I would have thought Douglas County would have been in the tax district?

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

Weird, I would have thought Douglas County would have been in the tax district?

Most of it is, but the district ends just south of Lincoln Ave. Castle Rock voted not to join the district. Even being an employee doesn't help.

 

[csb]

 

[Ble_PE]

^Thanks for those csb. I've actually pulled up our internal relocation policy as well, and there is quite a bit of latitude given to the hiring manager it seems. Specifically for the reimbursable type of package, there is also a lump sum that can be added to that to help with the incidentals. I'm sure the company I'm thinking of switching to has a similar policy as they are a large, multi-national corporation as well. My problem right now is that I don't have a lot of time to call the recruiter due to the shit-storm I'm dealing with here at work. I'm thinking about starting the conversation with an email, which is how most of this has been handled anyway. Good idea, bad idea?

Figured that I'd give an update. I emailed the recruiter about the possibility of getting a pre-move visit and a bit more money for relocation due to the estimates that I've gotten for moving out there. They struck down the pre-move visit because one part of their offer was that I get 40 hours paid time off once I get there to get things organized and try to get settled in. This wouldn't come out of my vacation time, so basically I'd be getting paid to wait in line at the DMV, look at houses, go to the beach, etc. So I can understand the fact that they don't want to spend ~$4000 to fly me and the mrs. out there for a week prior to this. As for the relocation offer, they are willing to work with me since I'm showing them estimates from their own relocation specialist that is for more than they are offering me. The recruiter asked me to get pricing for one-way tickets, temporary housing, rental car, etc and forward them to him so that they could go to upper management to get more money added. He was very open with me and reassured me that they want to do everything that they can to make the move as painless as possible for me and my family. At the same time, they are a business and have to make sound financial decisions, so they are not going to just cut me a blank check so to speak.

I've been very impressed with the company throughout this entire process and I have pretty much made up my mind to accept the job at this point. At the same time, I'm hoping to get a bit more from them on the relocation package so that I'm not out much money at the end of it all. I should know more by the end of the week. Until then I'll be thinking happy thoughts:

 

[mudpuppy]

I can understand them not wanting to pay for a pre-move visit. What would be stopping you from taking the visit and then saying, "naw, not for me" and just getting a free Hawaii vacation out of it.

Exciting times nonetheless.

 

[Road Guy]

How do you plan on doing the move? Are you all going to go out together?

The way we did it is I went out first as sorts of the advance team to try and find a place to live. That way when the family came in they only had to spend a few days in a hotel before we went to our rental house.

Are you going to try and rent for the first year and then purchased a house or are you going to try and move down and stay in some other temporary lodging and them buy a house?

 

[Ble_PE]

The plan right now is for me and the mrs. to go out and spend a few weeks getting things organized and finding a place to rent. We're planning on renting at first and I really don't know when we would look at buying. The first year we would rent for sure. After we have been there a few weeks my in-laws are going to fly out with the kids. I'm hoping to have a place rented when they get there so that we don't have to worry about staying in a hotel with the kids. The hardest thing for us is the fact that we have dogs. It's much harder to find a rental that accepts pets, so that's going to be the toughest thing.

 

[Road Guy]

That's a good plan, my wife worked and we didn't have anyone to keep the kids so we didn't have that option.

One thing I overlooked when I moved is that our bank wasn't in Colorado (bank of America) and I did not set up a bank once I got here and I had to scramble when we found a place to rent to get them the deposit- they wanted either cash or a certified check. The rental market was so crazy busy here that I only had till the end of the day to get them the deposit so I had to use a credit card to secure a certified check at a bank and that cost me a few extra bucks.. I just assumed that bank of "America" would be in all 50 states! Lol... If I had more time I could have gotten one from BOA but I didn't have time..

I ended up losing that rental house anyways a few weeks later due to the owners not moving if you remember that fiasco...

It will be important for your kids to have their pets and usually you can bribe / offer to to pay more deposit or a little more per month to let them accept your pets.. That part does suck about renting cause you don't really have control..

Most "landlords" will run your credit before they will even talk to you. I had a few issues with potential rental houses cause I was a former home owner and didn't have any references which I though was dumb... But those were typically people that didn't want to rent to someone for a year and then buy a house - guess they want to sucker you into a long term deal....

Also our year rental cost us some money in terms of losing the mortgage interest tax deduction- so factor that in a little to your finances....

Also make sure you get a hard copy of all your kids school stuff (grades, tests, etc) before you leave...

Sounds fun!

 

[Dleg]

Good luck, Ble!

Maybe some day we can meet up, if I can make it to HI for a conference or something. There's an EPA office there, too, where I've known several of the staff for over a decade, so it's possible I might even move there someday, too (but unlikely).

 

[cement]

regarding the dogs: http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/ai/aqs/animal-quarantine-information-page/

 

[Ble_PE]

^Thanks for linking that. I've been reading up on getting the pups out there a lot over the past few weeks. They are going to stay with my parents until the 120 day quarantine is up and then we'll fly them out. We'll probably have to wait until this fall just due to the temperature requirements that the airlines have. I think most of them won't fly a pet in the cargo hold if temps are above 85.

 

[kevo_55]

Good luck on this Ble!

I would look into this a bit more but I heard somewhere that only Hawaiian born people can actually own land there. Everyone else has to pay some sort of monthly lease. (Not that this would make you get 2nd thoughts or anything.)

 

[Ble_PE]

^That's not entirely true. There are properties that you can buy that are "leaseholds" which means you are basically buying the house, but leasing the land that it sits on. Then there are "fee-simple" purchases which is just like buying property anywhere else. As for having to be a native, there are a few areas of the islands that this is evidently true, but it's not wide-spread from what I can tell. Thanks for the info though!

 

[engineergurl]

Yeah the way it was explained to us was there were designated areas for them...

The houses are much different out there so don't expect to get a traditional house like we think suberbia. I am sure you will love it, and now I can have a Honolulu cookie supplier, lol

 

[kevo_55]

Oh, I am glad that you know a bit more about that than I do.

I am surprised that you used the term "fee-simple!" I remember that from my Canadian test. Well, one of the few things that I can remember from it.

 

[Ble_PE]

Yeah the way it was explained to us was there were designated areas for them...

The houses are much different out there so don't expect to get a traditional house like we think suberbia. I am sure you will love it, and now I can have a Honolulu cookie supplier, lol

Yea, I've definitely noticed the houses being different based on my craigslist and zillow research.

 

[snickerd3]

Ble, where in Hawaii? I must have missed the city

 

[csb]

Oh, I am glad that you know a bit more about that than I do.

I am surprised that you used the term "fee-simple!" I remember that from my Canadian test. Well, one of the few things that I can remember from it.

Don't tell me this! I don't need Tim @ NCEES all up in our business.

 

[Ble_PE]

Ble, where in Hawaii? I must have missed the city

Honolulu. The office is right downtown.