Three Websites That Can Help You Find a Home After Relocating to the U.S.
If you’re Moving to the U.S. from Canada, you might decide to take your time finding the most suitable home for your family. Here are three websites that can simplify the process and shorten the duration of your temporary living situation.
Zillow.com
Zillow.com is an easy-to-use online real estate website that allows you to simply type in your city or zip code in order to find houses on the market. You can choose from options like homes for sale or rent, or you can simply learn more about topics like mortgage rates. This resource also has categories for professional advice, local information and blogs that can show you what has worked for others.
ApartmentFinder.com
If you’d rather play it safe and buy or rent an apartment before starting your new job in the U.S., ApartmentFinder.com is one of the most reliable ways to find a complex. Since many apartment managers require credit scores, you can use the website’s features to determine your financial rating before receiving a specific quote. When browsing through your city, you’ll even have access to a list of featured apartments, giving you the option to choose luxury over simplicity.
Loopnet.com
Many people simply prefer building their own house. If this is the case with you, Loopnet.com might be a useful tool. This website allows you to type in your city or zip code to find empty lots for sale across the U.S. You even have the option of browsing properties for a potential business venture, as you can choose by categories such as automotive, health care, hotels, churches and convenience store properties. In addition, you can get more specific by learning about zoning details and available acreage.
5 Ways to Keep Your Kids Busy This Summer
After cross border moving, you’ll be getting settled in your new home, and your kids will be adjusting to the new house and city. After they are out of school for the summer, the first thing they tend to complain about is boredom. Prevent this pre-emptively by planning for activities that will keep your kids occupied.
Set up a small garden for them to tend all summer. Look at www.kidsgardening.org. This National Gardening Association site provides multitudes of ideas for different garden types and layouts. A fun choice might be a butterfly garden. You need an area with six hours of sunlight, colorful flowering plants, and leafy plants that attract egg-laying butterflies and become food for the larvae.
Be an idea-generator for your kids. Set up a “boredom box” that they can choose 1-2 ideas from each day. Include ideas such as making sidewalk chalk art, creating a scavenger hunt, and playing dress-up. If they don’t like what is in the boredom box, they aren’t allowed to complain anymore about being bored.
Every kid needs to try a lemonade stand. Teach your kids how to have a really good one. Have it at the same time as your or a neighbor’s garage sale to increase traffic. Give each child a job; money-keeper, lemonade-mixer, sign-maker. Try to sneak in a little math as they add up their profits and subtract their expenses.
Help your kids out by setting up play dates. This is really a babysitting swap service with your friends, but will seem to the kids like a special day out. And do try to make it special. Make ice cream or go to the neighborhood pool. Choose something they can all do together despite any age differences.
You might want to invest in a museum membership. Do you have a history museum or children’s museum? Members often get special access to activities, and you can go anytime you want. Give the kids disposable cameras and make a game out of finding a list of items you create and photographing them.
With these ideas, your kids will forget their cross border moving experience, and will be excited about the summer ahead.
(Photo attributed to Flickr member @sfajane via the creative common license)
Three Educational Resources to Take Advantage of When Moving to the United States
Although it’s usually an incredibly rewarding experience, Moving to the U.S. can also be an arduous process. One thing you can do to get yourself adjusted to the cultural changes and perhaps speed up the citizenship process is research educational institutions that cater to working immigrants. Here are three educational resources that can point you in the right direction.
Literacy Information and Communication System
The Literacy Information and Communication System (LINCS) website can direct you to a useful tool known as America’s Literacy Directory, which allows you to type in your location and helps you determine where to sign up for necessary classes. The directory offers results that can help you read and write, study for the GED program, obtain citizenship education or learn English as a second language.
The University of Texas at Dallas
If your primary reason for moving to the U.S. is receiving a college degree, you should consider speeding up the process by applying to the University of Texas at Dallas. This school offers a wide variety of degrees, and it’s located in a city that has some lenient immigration policies. According to The Dallas Morning News, the state of Texas spent $33.6 million for in-state and institutional financial aid to immigrant students, legal or illegal, between 2004 and 2008.
Driver’s Education
Even though you likely know how to operate a motor vehicle, you must become familiar with the local state traffic laws and basic traffic patterns because these are almost always different in every country. You can refer to the Driver’s Ed website to take all the coursework online and prepare yourself for the driving test at your nearest DMV facility. Once these steps are taken, it might be much easier for you to commute on your own time and find suitable employment.
5 Steps Towards Easy Spring Cleaning
Moving to the U.S. is a large undertaking, and organizing a new home is an equally large task. If you have been settled for several seasons, it may be time to think about spring cleaning. Here are five easy steps to get you started:
1. Start off with a thorough de-cluttering. Look at all the surfaces and make tough decisions about what really needs to be there. Go through the linen closet, the hall closet, and other places where junk hides. Think about donating items you no longer use.
2. Start at the top. Take a broom and stick a sock on the handle. Go room to room dusting corners and taking down cobwebs. Use the brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner to suck up dust on heating vents, draperies, and windowsills. Work your way down the walls, over the furniture, and to the floors and baseboards.
3. Now is the time to actually move the sofa, beds, and other heavy furniture. Pull items from their place and vacuum the floor. Wipe the baseboards behind beds and sofas.
4. You have two options, doing one room at a time, or doing the same task in all the rooms, task after task. The benefit to the latter is that you will have the tools out that you need. Also, you will be focused on washing rugs, dusting plants, etc., and things might go more quickly.
5. Engage the whole family. Assign someone to the garage, shed, and yard. Have them also start with de-cluttering and donating unused items. This person might also be willing to wash the outside of the windows.
After moving to the U.S., spring cleaning will seem like small potatoes. Make a plan and attack your dust bunnies with gusto.
(Photo attribute to Flickr member @nimbupan via the creative common license)
Living in the U.S.: Top Spring Traditions
When moving to the U.S. in the spring, you will see the flowers blooming and people starting to get outside and enjoy the weather. You’ll want to be aware of the springtime traditions most Americans have. Here is a brief list:
Easter is more than a religious holiday for most of the children who expect the Easter bunny to bring them a basket full of goodies. Participate by buying some plastic eggs, filling them with jelly beans, and hiding them in the grass for small children to find. Or make genuine colored eggs with dyes that can be found at any grocery store.
Spring cleaning may not seem like a fun tradition, but it is certainly something most people do each spring. This is the time to actually move the furniture and vacuum under it, wash the baseboards, and wash the windows. You can assign children to clean out their own closets, and the man in your life to tackle the garage.
Opening day is special to baseball fans who have waited all winter for that first crack of the bat. Often you have to dress warmly for this day in the middle of April, but it is worth seeing the excitement on everyone’s faces. Get your first hot dog of the season, and buy a new t-shirt for your new favorite ball team.
The first barbeque is special because it signifies that warm weather is here and it’s time to get out the grill. Hopefully you cleaned it before the end of last season, but if not, be sure to scrub the grate before grilling. Invite some neighbors over when the day looks to be sunny and warm, and pass lemonades all around.
St. Patrick’s Day is a day of celebration for the Irish Americans as well as anyone who loves a beer and a parade. Most communities have a St. Patty’s Day Parade for the family, and most bars have specials, if you can even get a seat! Don’t forget to wear green that day, or you may get pinched.
These fun spring traditions get everyone smiling after a long winter. After moving to the U.S. hopefully you will feel like getting into the spirit and joining in.
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(Photo attributed to Flickr member @adactio via the creative common license)
Four Online Resources That Can Help You Search for Employment After a Move to the U.S.
If you’re planning on Moving to the U.S. in the near future, you might be searching for reliable ways to obtain employment. Here are four online resources that can help you research career opportunities before you pack up your things and cross the border.
National Employment Law Project
The National Employment Law Project, which is a non-profit organization that strives to boost the United States economy, has a website that can keep you up-to-date on the big picture and give you access to helpful resources and publications. In fact, you can click on the immigrant and work section to learn about recent developments that might affect your job search.
H1Base.com
If you’re hoping to receive a work visa or a H1B Visa, H1Base.com might be your most useful research tool. This website provides career specialist services, professional assistance and sponsorship in the United States. In addition, this resource can show you the step-by-step process of getting your hands on a green card.
Jobs.com
Jobs.com is a website that allows you to search for employment opportunities based on career categories and what part of the country you’re moving to. Although there are numerous sources that offer this type of assistance, this particular site provides useful advice that can show you how to find temporary work until you receive a green card – not to mention dozens of other articles about general career advice.
If you’re moving to the United States to eventually start your own business, it’s definitely a good idea to take the first step and network with community professionals. LinkedIn.com allows you to search for local networking events, learn business tactics and connect with people online by building a profile. You can even learn how to work from home with this website!
Four Resources That Can Simplify a Move to the United States
If you’re thinking about Moving to the U.S., you might want to write up an elaborate checklist because there’ll be a lot of preparations to make. Here are five resources that can simplify this transition period and make your life a little easier when you’re ready to get settled.
U.S. Immigration
By referring to the U.S. Immigration website, you can learn how to obtain particular documents such as a passport, green card and work visa. You can also be directed to a number of immigrant resources that might help answer other questions you may have about the seemingly overwhelming process.
JustAnswer.com
One online resource that can be incredibly useful if you have any legal questions regarding your move to the United States is JustAnswer.com, which has a law section that specializes in immigration policy. You can get as specific as selecting from categories such as citizenship, visas and green cards, passports, deportation and general law. This crafty tool allows you to type in whatever questions you might have, and a certified lawyer will send you an answer within an average time of 9 seconds.
U.S. Department of Education
If you’ve either obtained a student visa or citizenship, it’ll be worth your time to check out the website for the U.S. Department of Education, which can give you information on school grants and loans, learning policies, as well as public service and community resources.
National Atlas
No matter what part of the U.S. you’re moving to, you’ll likely want to obtain some general information by browsing NationalAtlas.gov, which provides a wide variety of information. Specialized categories include transportation, climate, geology, mapping, history, government, boundaries, biology and agriculture. You’ll even have access to detailed maps that can help you locate lawyers or immigration professionals if need be.
Moving to the U.S.: Life in Austin, Texas
When considering cross border moving to the United States, there is a whole country of great options for where to live. One city to consider is Austin, the capital of Texas.
You might think of the PBS show, Austin City Limits, which showcases internationally famed musicians. Austin is known for being the “live music capital of the world” because of its nearly 200 music venues and many resident musicians.
Located in central Texas, Austin receives the humid winds from the Gulf of Mexico, making for mild winters and hot summers, and more than 300 days of sunshine each year.
Austin is home to the University of Texas, blending the culture of students with that of the locals. Austin calls itself “weird,” meaning they are different from the mainstream, appreciating a variety of viewpoints, and having more liberal views.
A big part of living in Texas is enjoying the great outdoors. Lady Bird Lake in the center of town is a good place to start, with a 10 mile hiking and biking trail around the lake. Also, enjoy one of the 200 parks in the city, or golf on the Austin Golf Trail, where you can find big name designers and affordable courses. Or meander along the Barton Creek Greenbelt, a 7.8 mile natural surface trail where you will see many endangered species of plants and wildlife. Take a dip in Barton Springs Pool, where you will find 68-degree, spring-fed water year-round.
Visit the granite Capitol building, the largest statehouse in America, and appreciate the legislation they passed there to make strict no-smoking ordinances in all public places.
Austin is a great place to shop. You’ll find one-of-a-kind boutiques, and outlet stores for those bargain buys. Find South Congress for vintage shopping. With 700,000 square feet of shops, the newest shopping mecca is called “the Domain.”
Once you have finished moving to the U.S., and you are settled in your new home, step out on the town and get to know the great city of Austin.
(Photo attributed to flickr member @Aime Pittman via the creative common license)
Moving to the U.S.: Life in Charleston, SC
If you are considering moving to the U.S., look into the city of Charleston, South Carolina. This laid back city of southern charms may be just the place for your family.
Since being settled in 1670 by English colonists, this historic seaport town has become a popular vacation spot. Often called a “living museum,” you can find beautiful architecture, cobbled streets, preserved plantations, and famous gardens. The Magnolia Plantation features America’s oldest gardens, which bloom year-round.
Charleston has a city ordinance restricting the height of buildings, so their city-scape is peppered with many church steeples. It’s for this reason, and the fact that early colonists provided religious tolerance, that Charleston is called “The Holy City.”
This area is known for mild winters, and hot, humid summers, with significant rainfall year-round. Sometimes beset by hurricanes, the worst in recent history was hurricane Hugo in 1989, which damaged ¾ of homes in Charleston. All is now re-built, and the population is growing.
Charleston is known for its famous golf courses, tennis courts, historical sights, and sandy beaches. The water is warm and the surf is gentle, making for a nice swimming experience.
You’ll notice a distinct “Southern Coastal Accent,” which can be quite strong in places. There is also the minority dialect of Gullah, which is spoken in the low-lands.
Be sure to experience the restaurant scene, especially the seafood. Visit The Market, a large gathering of vendors selling everything you can imagine. Make it to the Spoleto Festival, known as America’s best performing arts festival.
When cross border moving, if you are moving to Charleston, you will have much to look forward to seeing and doing.
(Photo attributed to flickr member @cagrimmett via the creative common license)
Moving to the U.S.: Life in Houston, Texas
Are you considering moving to the U.S? Cross border moving is such a life changing experience, and choosing your new home is a serious decision. Here are some reasons to look into moving to Houston, Texas, where everything is bigger and some would say better!
The highlight of Houston is the sunlight, with the majority of days being sunny, warm, with a nice breeze. They only have an average of 18 days below zero; so golfing can be a hobby year-round.
Houston has a low cost of living, 9% below the national average, which is mostly due to the housing costs being 21% below the national average. From groceries, to utilities, you will spend less in Houston.
Getting to work is no problem, with the METRO and an average commute time of 25 minutes, your travel to and from work should be smooth and frustration free.
Houston is full of culture, with the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Museum of Fine Arts, a 17-block downtown theatre district, the Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera, and Houston Ballet.
There is plenty of green space in Houston, with two of the nations largest urban parks within city limits. Fourteen-percent of the city’s land area is green space. Be prepared with your picnic basket and frisbee.
Eating in Houston is a difficult decision. There are over 8,000 restaurants and eateries, serving American food and a high percentage of diverse international cuisine.
As you decide on moving to the U.S., consider Houston as a great choice.
(Photo attributed to flickr member @chispita_666 via the creative common license)
