Moving cross country while selling our home and buying a new one.

[Marcus]

There was another thread that was like 8 years old that dealt with a cross country move to Houston, but wanted to start this one rather than grave dig, as I think the situations are a little different.

Currently living in the DMV, but looking to relocate to either NEO or Harris/Galveston Counties, TX in 2024. My side of the family is up in NEO, while my in-laws are down in that area of TX.

My wife and I would like to relocate while our daughter is still young (currently a toddler) so that she can grow up around family and so that we can get some occasional support - the closest we have is my side, some 350 miles away, whom we try to visit at least a couple times a year. We also have three pets (two cats and a dog).

Job prospects for me aren't an issue - I work fully remote in information security and make enough to be the sole source of income for however long it would take my wife to find work (she's currently working in the public sector).

I've moved cross country before - from Cleveland to Seattle and then from Seattle to Washington, DC - but those were apartment to apartment moves. This is my first time needing to sell my house and buy us a new house at our new location. My current loan is a VA home loan (I also get some further benefits from that as I am a partially disabled vet). While we did zero down for our current home, I expect that we would have a considerable amount of money to put down from the proceeds on the sale of our current home (basically we started with a ton of equity right off the bat, as we paid much less than what the house appraised for in 2021, and the value has only increased since then).

I'm a first time home owner, and although I've learned a lot in the couple of years that we've had this house, I still feel like there is so much I don't know, and that is compounded by the fact that we are going to be navigating this process while moving to a different state.

Ideally, we wouldn't have to spend any time renting in our new location, but if it comes to it, we could probably get by for a few months in a place with a couple bedrooms and put most of our stuff in storage. Really, really don't want to do that though... I don't like the thought of sharing walls with anyone else (unless we somehow rented a single family home) and I really don't like the idea of essentially lighting money on fire every month for rent.

Logistically, things would have to be handled differently depending on where we end up. Ohio would be a half a day of driving; TX would probably see me fly my wife and daughter down ahead of me, ship my wife's vehicle, and then I'd drive a couple days with the animals in tow. Or, if they had the availability, potentially fly one of my in-laws up here to drive her car and help with the final day or so getting moved out. In either case, we've got a house full of stuff that would require a moving company - a process (and cost) that I'm already familiar with, just that this would be on a larger scale.

Anyways, if anyone could offer any advice, what to expect, etc. in this regard, I'd be happy to hear it.

 

[2 For The Brew]

Wife & I relocated from Cincinnati to Philly in 2012. Six months to sell the house and then we had to vacate quickly. We moved into temporary housing (not great but workable) and after six months rented a place for two years. In the meantime we carefully researched where to buy property, targeted a neighborhood and pounced the day a property went on the market. Probably overpaid but we got exactly what we wanted.

Temp housing is expensive but it’s usually month-to-month and it’s very difficult to time sale of one home in one city with purchase in another.

Good luck - moving with kids is a bitch. I changed schools in the middle of the school year three out of four years in elementary school. Not fun.

 

[Lee]

There was another thread that was like 8 years old that dealt with a cross country move to Houston, but wanted to start this one rather than grave dig, as I think the situations are a little different.

Currently living in the DMV, but looking to relocate to either NEO or Harris/Galveston Counties, TX in 2024. My side of the family is up in NEO, while my in-laws are down in that area of TX.

My wife and I would like to relocate while our daughter is still young (currently a toddler) so that she can grow up around family and so that we can get some occasional support - the closest we have is my side, some 350 miles away, whom we try to visit at least a couple times a year. We also have three pets (two cats and a dog).

Job prospects for me aren't an issue - I work fully remote in information security and make enough to be the sole source of income for however long it would take my wife to find work (she's currently working in the public sector).

I've moved cross country before - from Cleveland to Seattle and then from Seattle to Washington, DC - but those were apartment to apartment moves. This is my first time needing to sell my house and buy us a new house at our new location. My current loan is a VA home loan (I also get some further benefits from that as I am a partially disabled vet). While we did zero down for our current home, I expect that we would have a considerable amount of money to put down from the proceeds on the sale of our current home (basically we started with a ton of equity right off the bat, as we paid much less than what the house appraised for in 2021, and the value has only increased since then).

I'm a first time home owner, and although I've learned a lot in the couple of years that we've had this house, I still feel like there is so much I don't know, and that is compounded by the fact that we are going to be navigating this process while moving to a different state.

Ideally, we wouldn't have to spend any time renting in our new location, but if it comes to it, we could probably get by for a few months in a place with a couple bedrooms and put most of our stuff in storage. Really, really don't want to do that though... I don't like the thought of sharing walls with anyone else (unless we somehow rented a single family home) and I really don't like the idea of essentially lighting money on fire every month for rent.

Logistically, things would have to be handled differently depending on where we end up. Ohio would be a half a day of driving; TX would probably see me fly my wife and daughter down ahead of me, ship my wife's vehicle, and then I'd drive a couple days with the animals in tow. Or, if they had the availability, potentially fly one of my in-laws up here to drive her car and help with the final day or so getting moved out. In either case, we've got a house full of stuff that would require a moving company - a process (and cost) that I'm already familiar with, just that this would be on a larger scale.

Anyways, if anyone could offer any advice, what to expect, etc. in this regard, I'd be happy to hear it.

So I have done the across the country move professionally as a mortgage loan officer dozens of times.

I would look to use your VA loan again, as a 10% or more disabled vet you wont have a funding fee, but VA loans are lower rates and easy to streamline (IRRRL) into a lower rates as rates come down., The issue is you will need to sell your house, use the down payment if you must, but you can do 100% financing again if you can afford the new house with the much higher payment for the higher rate.

Good news is since you are remote, you can use your income if you get a letter from your employer on company letter head that states you are working remote and they are aware you are moving to TX and you will be able to keep your job at the exact same pay. Trust me, you wont close the new loan without it, unless you have to rent a place.

@2 For The Brew is right, most likely need to go into temp housing. The timing of selling and buying is very difficult, not impossible, but improbable, especially in a tough market like this. You might want to look into pods as your furniture can be stored and not needed to access to you buy a place. It will be pretty expensive of a move though as storage, temp housing, and everything does add up.

PM me if you want for any more advice, And your house will sell quicker and for more money if you stage it but dont actually live in it while selling, i know a pain, but that is the cost of doing business and doing this type of move.

 

[Marcus]

So I have done the across the country move professionally as a mortgage loan officer dozens of times.

I would look to use your VA loan again, as a 10% or more disabled vet you wont have a funding fee, but VA loans are lower rates and easy to streamline (IRRRL) into a lower rates as rates come down., The issue is you will need to sell your house, use the down payment if you must, but you can do 100% financing again if you can afford the new house with the much higher payment for the higher rate.

Good news is since you are remote, you can use your income if you get a letter from your employer on company letter head that states you are working remote and they are aware you are moving to TX and you will be able to keep your job at the exact same pay. Trust me, you wont close the new loan without it, unless you have to rent a place.

@2 For The Brew is right, most likely need to go into temp housing. The timing of selling and buying is very difficult, not impossible, but improbable, especially in a tough market like this. You might want to look into pods as your furniture can be stored and not needed to access to you buy a place. It will be pretty expensive of a move though as storage, temp housing, and everything does add up.

PM me if you want for any more advice, And your house will sell quicker and for more money if you stage it but dont actually live in it while selling, i know a pain, but that is the cost of doing business and doing this type of move.

Sending you a DM, much appreciated dude! (And @2 For The Brew)

 

[DJTJ]

Just throwing this out there as someone who bought while also selling just locally… please listen to Lee and commit to the process, even if it’s harder in the short term.

When I sold my house to build the home we live in now, the biggest grief was timing to satisfy all of the loan requirements. I basically had four days to move everything into a storage locker, and wouldn’t have our new build for 6 more months. The amount of stress from the pace was insane, and I had a free place to live lined up.

 

[Lee]

Just throwing this out there as someone who bought while also selling just locally… please listen to Lee and commit to the process, even if it’s harder in the short term.

When I sold my house to build the home we live in now, the biggest grief was timing to satisfy all of the loan requirements. I basically had four days to move everything into a storage locker, and wouldn’t have our new build for 6 more months. The amount of stress from the pace was insane, and I had a free place to live lined up.

When I was with Chase I was on a purchase team and did this a ton, and yes marcus, Texas does love the vets, so you will get along there. The underwriting will be easy if you do the move into a temp housing....pay off debts except student loans and cars, but no credit cards, no personal loans, ect.

Also, tip no one gives. Pay off your credit cards in full by the 31st of the month (last day whatever that is), really the 30th. When the credit card companies report to the bureaus once a month, its what you on on the last day of the month that gets reported, not that you pay them off in full every month, so just get used to paying them off in full by the 30th and your credit will be better for it and you want have fake payments show up hitting your debt ratios.

 

[Marcus]

When I was with Chase I was on a purchase team and did this a ton, and yes marcus, Texas does love the vets, so you will get along there. The underwriting will be easy if you do the move into a temp housing....pay off debts except student loans and cars, but no credit cards, no personal loans, ect.

Also, tip no one gives. Pay off your credit cards in full by the 31st of the month (last day whatever that is), really the 30th. When the credit card companies report to the bureaus once a month, its what you on on the last day of the month that gets reported, not that you pay them off in full every month, so just get used to paying them off in full by the 30th and your credit will be better for it and you want have fake payments show up hitting your debt ratios.

Yup - doing this already. I only carry a balance on one card and I pay it off every month before the interest hits, using it for regular expenses like groceries, child care, incidentals, and whatever other regular monthly bills can go on credit. Other debts are what I’d consider typical for a 30-something - student loans and a car loan. We also have a small loan for some exterior work we had done on our home (which obviously happened prior to the decision to move, damn it ) that I can probably pay off prior to listing.

Being in security, the thought of using my debit card for any transaction at all gives me chills. Unless your bank is cool about detecting and reversing the damage caused by fraud involving your checking and savings, it’s generally much, much harder to recoup your losses as opposed to filing a chargeback or fraud claim from a credit card.

 

[Lee]

Yup - doing this already. I only carry a balance on one card and I pay it off every month before the interest hits, using it for regular expenses like groceries, child care, incidentals, and whatever other regular monthly bills can go on credit. Other debts are what I’d consider typical for a 30-something - student loans and a car loan. We also have a small loan for some exterior work we had done on our home (which obviously happened prior to the decision to move, damn it ) that I can probably pay off prior to listing.

Being in security, the thought of using my debit card for any transaction at all gives me chills. Unless your bank is cool about detecting and reversing the damage caused by fraud involving your checking and savings, it’s generally much, much harder to recoup your losses as opposed to filing a chargeback or fraud claim from a credit card.

Not before the interest hits...before the end of the month, If you wait until after the month hits, you will show a balance, it will have a slight hit to your credit.

PAY OFF ALL CREDIT CARD DEBT BEFORE THE END OF THE MONTH ...in case you missed it...calendar month, not the credit card's cycle.

 

[DJTJ]

When I was with Chase I was on a purchase team and did this a ton, and yes marcus, Texas does love the vets, so you will get along there. The underwriting will be easy if you do the move into a temp housing....pay off debts except student loans and cars, but no credit cards, no personal loans, ect.

Also, tip no one gives. Pay off your credit cards in full by the 31st of the month (last day whatever that is), really the 30th. When the credit card companies report to the bureaus once a month, its what you on on the last day of the month that gets reported, not that you pay them off in full every month, so just get used to paying them off in full by the 30th and your credit will be better for it and you want have fake payments show up hitting your debt ratios.

This times infinity.

I had to accept my offer, move, wait for my second loan to close, and then pretty much immediately refinance.

 

[Marcus]

Not before the interest hits...before the end of the month, If you wait until after the month hits, you will show a balance, it will have a slight hit to your credit.

PAY OFF ALL CREDIT CARD DEBT BEFORE THE END OF THE MONTH ...in case you missed it...calendar month, not the credit card's cycle.

Ah yep, I normally pay it on payday, so payment is always scheduled before the end of the month.

I monitor my credit regularly and have noticed that month to month my reported balance never seems to go up - now I know why

 

[Lee]

Ah yep, I normally pay it on payday, so payment is always scheduled before the end of the month.

I monitor my credit regularly and have noticed that month to month my reported balance never seems to go up - now I know why

100k credit reports seen in a 20 year career and i know a thing or two.

Another trick is to constantly ask for credit line increases on ALL credit cards. Not new credit cards, owe as little as possible, have access to as much as possible and that helps credit too.

 

[Marcus]

100k credit reports seen in a 20 year career and i know a thing or two.

Another trick is to constantly ask for credit line increases on ALL credit cards. Not new credit cards, owe as little as possible, have access to as much as possible and that helps credit too.

This. Updating income with every raise and putting in a request when I do.

 

[Lee]

This. Updating income with every raise and putting in a request when I do.

Income has zero to do with credit, but those credit lines are based on income, if you have good credit they never check your actual income, just say you make a bit more than you actually do. Not saying use the credit, but higher credit lines vs balances helps credit. Its all a fucking game.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Currently living in the DMV, but looking to relocate to either NEO or Harris/Galveston Counties, TX in 2024.

Do you have to take a ticket and wait in endless lines for things like using the bathroom? Because I'd sure as hell want to move too.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Good luck - moving with kids is a bitch. I changed schools in the middle of the school year three out of four years in elementary school. Not fun.

I'd been in six different school systems by the time I finished third grade. Agree on the "not fun" part.