house available

[lawcat]

I haven't posted on the board for awhile; was hired last May and have been on the job for a year. There are lots of good things about the job, but several downsides too. In my one year anniversary training last month, we shared war stories, and it was surprising to me how many of us who were transferred to somewhere other than our hometown still had our houses. Because of the horrible housing market, I still have my house in Mobile, Alabama. Several of us wondered why there isn't a forum for us to communicate housing available and/or housing wanted. So, with the prospect of new ALJ's joining our ranks, I'll let you know that I have a beautiful house for rent in Mobile. I only wish I could have found something as nice in my new domicile. Any other "old" ALJ's still in the same boat?

[doodlemom]

Hi, lawcat. Sorry to get off topic, but if you get the job, don't they offer to buy your house? I was wondering why people do not seem to utilize that option, or maybe it does not exist? Is it because they offer market value, and it is too low right now? I would likely have to move, so I am very curious.

[counsel]

So there is no confusion, people hired from outside the federal government receive no help with relocation/housing. It is on your own dime.

[24kgoldengirl]

We all know how little a dime buys on the real estate market these days. Relocating will be expensive for outsiders. I think the idea of posting available housing is a good one. I will be looking to rent since there are no vacancies in my current location. Since an offer automatically means relocation for me the $64k question is where.

[lawcat]

Unfortunately, if you don't work for the fed's you have to absorb the cost of the move completely on your own. It was quite expensive for me, since I moved across country. I have to say, I really questioned the decision I made taking this job a couple of times during the last year. Not only was the move very expensive (and we did it ourselves), but half of my stuff is still in Alabama. It was just bad timing with the housing market. It made it especially difficult because we have pets, and it's tough to find a good rental with kids and animals. I think we should really try to help each other and assist new ALJ's with relocation. I had no time to look for a place to live, and had the stress of trying to relocate and start a new job. Now that I've been in the job a year, I'm getting a little more settled, but it's been rough on my family. Just expect to be unsettled for awhile, and don't be afraid to ask fellow judges in your office for help. For every person leaving a place, there may be another who needs to rent their house Like any move, I would strongly suggest you rent for awhile to give yourself a chance to try out the commute, the schools, and the neighbors. I'm so glad I didn't buy- I ended up transferring after 9 months and would now be trying to sell 2 houses. Good Luck to all of you!

[northwest]

I'm sorry, Lawcat, about your moving ordeals.

I was also not a federal gov't employee, so the move was on my own dime. Like Lawcat, I had to move across the country a year ago, but in the opposite direction. I was fortunate enough to have a retired husband able to take care of most of the details. We drove across the country and stayed in a sublet apartment I found through Craig's List the first couple months. He then went back and packed the moving truck and brought our stuff to our new home. I don't know how people manage without supportive spouses or with spouses who have full-time jobs and aren't able to assist. The time frame between the offer and the first day on the job is ridiculously tight, considering that, at least for our class, it was a year-long odyssey (in the "odd" sense of the word) between submission of application and first day on the job.

I made the choice to scramble to find a home to buy after arriving on the East Coast. I wanted to buy in a buyer's market. Fortunately, I didn't have to sell our home in the Northwest before buying here. It was probably a foolhardy decision and many advised me against it. I was counseled to rent for at least a year before buying. However, we went ahead, and I think we were pretty fortunate to have found a nice place within walking distance of the office. Time will tell if this choice was a financial disaster or if it will work out OK in the end.

One silver lining is that your pay goes up by about $10,000 after a year. So if things are very tight the first year, they'll get better by the second year on the job.

One thing new folks will need to think about is that there's 4 weeks of training in Falls Church that start a couple weeks after you start. If you have kids and pets you'll need to stash them somewhere.