I wanted to take a moment to give you an overview of my relocation experience so you will understand my personal perspective on moving. Unlike lots of agents who help people with relocation, I have actually gone through it a number of times, both by choice and due to corporate jobs.

Most recently, my wife and I decided to make a lifestyle change (I was most in favor of moving to California and had been for years since I hate winter in Boston, which lasts about 6 months!). We spent almost a year talking, thinking, and exploring (good advice) before taking the plunge and moving to Carlsbad. We paid for our own movers, sold a house and a condo, closed the art gallery, and hit the road with 2 cats (more on issues associated with relocation and pets later), taking 7 days to drive 3400 miles. I will share some suggestions on house hunting from a distance, finding the right mover, planning your schedule and more in future posts.

The first big relocation was from Michigan, where I was working on my Ph.D., to Boston for my wife's new job. We had 2 very young children, our first house in Dearborn Heights, and planned to buy a new place in Boston (where prices were at least double). This was a move paid for by my wife's new company (more on working with corporate relocations later). The most difficult aspect was that my wife was in Boston in her new job and house hunting, while I remained in Michigan working fulltime, in graduate school fulltime, and with 2 daughters aged 2 and 3. This went on for a number of months with us able to get together just a few times (part of the relocation agreement with the company). We moved into an apartment in the Boston suburbs for a short period after we sold out MI home until we had closing on the house in Massachusetts. Talk about stress that year!

Next big relo (with a local move to a larger house in between) was to Minneapolis, again a job move with a new company. We had the opportunity to explore the possibility first with the company (great advice if you have the choice before you end up moving to a city that you DON'T want to be in). We were impressed with the Minneapolis area and made the move. The relocation package was different and, again, we were apart with my wife traveling weekly plus house hunting in Minnesota while I was in Boston working fulltime, taking care of the kids, and finishing the work on my Ph.D.  We bought a model home in Minnesota and moved but at the time could NOT sell the Boston house until much later (more on dealing with that issue) so we had 2 mortgages. With the kids growing up, schools were a bigger issue for us and here we found fabulous schools. A downside to the move to Minnesota (we were there 2 years), and something any family who relocates may experience, was that the kids not only changed schools when we moved, but because of living in 2 different homes while in Minnesota plus to school district changes, the girls were in 3 different schools in 2 years (a major issue for one daughter).

The first house was in Minneapolis and the second was in St. Paul, then an abrupt company close-down (no warning, just overnight) forced my wife to hunt for another job (fortunately I was working fulltime). Her new job allowed us to remain in Minnesota for a bit but with significant travel to the west coast, but ultimately we would be moving again. We almost ended up in California this time but my wife's business travel to San Francisco during the big earthquake nixed that decision!! The next decision was to return to Boston (another corporate relo with yet another package). We moved in the dead of winter which meant, with pets, some restrictions on when, or if, you can fly. Since it was 29 BELOW ZERO for 2 weeks while preparing to move, the airlines would not let us fly with pets (for safety reasons, as it gets too cold in the hold), so we ended up having to rent 2 cars (with 2 kids, 3 cats and personal stuff) and driving all night to Ohio to a family member's home, then flying from there to Boston since the temperatures were warmer. This time, given we could NOT sell our home in Minnesota and decided to rent it (oh, and by the way we were ALSO renting the first house since that did not sell when we moved to St. Paul due to the downturn in the market there at the time), we thought it made the most sense to rent a place in Boston for 6 months where we could have pets, and then house hunt (not a bad option if you can manage it and financially it makes sense - it did for us as it gave us time to sell both houses in Minnesota). Who wants to carry 3 mortgages?

There you have it. The BEST advice I can offer as a Realtor, in general, about relocation is to ALWAYS BE PREPARED TO MAKE A CHANGE IN YOUR PLANS and KEEP YOUR OPTIONS OPEN. You just never know when you might need to be flexible. Be ready to deal with lots of emotional stuff too, no matter how smoothly it goes. You are making a significant change here, and it WILL impact you - psychologically, emotionally and physically. Plus if you are married or with a partner, or have kids, IT WILL AFFECT THEM AS WELL.

Need to make a move by choice or job transfer? Check out my services for relocation buyers to see how I can help YOU! Thanks for  reading...and if you have a relocation story you would like to share, please do so.