Relocating an Employee Within the United States

SETTLING IN

The employee must have a new home to begin settling into the new community. Let’s take a look at what’s involved in obtaining a new home and the issues related to the family’s assimilation into the new environment.

Finding a Home

House hunting is almost as traumatic as house selling. But proper planning and collection of information can aid the process.

Here are some things to think about when looking for a home:

• Family needs. Each family has a different set of needs with regard to space and types of rooms desired. These needs should be discussed within the family, as well as with a real estate agent.
• Commuting. What areas are within commuting distance of the work site? What are the traffic patterns (particularly at rush hour)?
• Neighborhood areas. What are the characteristics and costs of neighborhoods within reasonable commuting distance?
• Schools. What are the characteristics of schools within the convenient neighborhoods?
• Real estate practices. Each state has different laws regarding how property may pass from one person to another.
• Real estate agent. Is it up to the employee to find a real estate agent, or should the company suggest one? Should the company require the employee to use a particular agent?

Pre-approval

When looking for a new home, the employee needs to know exactly what they can afford to buy. This can be accomplished by obtaining a pre-approval from a mortgage broker. Pre-approval can speed up the purchase of a home once the employee has found one.