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Yep, got the generator, hurricane lamps, emergency radio, flashlights, candles, matches, batteries, tarps, plywood, bottled water by the truckload, enough canned food to feed a village, enough insect repellent to poison that village, 3 filled gas bottles for the barbie, several gallons of gas...

^^^^^^ Ooops, messed up on the quote formatting :confused:

Water-view or not, be wary of condo fees. The more amenities the condo has: community pool, tennis courts, gym, pretty landscaping, etc., the higher the monthly fees. $400-$600 per month is not unusual. And higher than that isn't unheard of either. Same for HOA (Home Owner's Association) fees...

Any heat, humid or dry, is hard to deal with in Australian homes, most of which are built poorly for the environment - single-paned windows, no wall insulation, and ceiling insulation only being a recent building code requirement. I also don't understand the Australian attitude towards a/c -...

The new ACA (Obamacare) allows people 65+ who do not qualify for Medicare (i.e., new immigrants) to buy health insurance on the exchanges. It's not obvious, as all the material on Health Care Reform seems to assume those over 65 are receiving Medicare. Even the Healthcare.gov website's...

I blame the system. It doesn't matter who's in office, what party. The entire system is geared towards enriching the few ultra-wealthy and powerful. Big campaign funding and lots of lobbyists doing backroom deals makes sure the top 1% never give up a dime. Too many people put faith in the...

Taking into account the cost of living in Oz, at worst we'll break even by living in the US. We came here not having to flee anything, nor because we expect Nirvana here. We're adventurous and curious and want something different in life. New experiences. I've lived in 3 different countries...

US Healthcare is expensive, yes. And also complex and confusing. Make sure you're aware of the whole in-network, out-network booby trap. You can be insured up to your ears with the best coverage but if you get care outside the network, you'll pay for it all yourself. And even if you do get...

Everyone's perceptions and experiences are different. Yes, minimum wage is higher in Oz than US - about $15/hr, which results in higher costs for a lot of things. Restaurant serving staff are paid a decent wage, no tipping, but that results in higher eating-out costs, by a lot. Personally...

To me, the US is like 50 different countries within a country so it will never cease to fascinate and keep us busy exploring. We love roadtrips and the US is a great place for that. Within the different states, there is a variety of landscape, food, accents, climate, history & culture. The...

My husband and I were ones that didn't get an SSN processed despite requesting it on our DS-230 forms. When we went to the Social Security office, we went through the whole process of applying for SSNs and they told us the numbers would be generated overnight. In the meantime, they gave us a...

My sympathies lie with yours. I'm sorry for the distress your friends must have suffered. Needlessly. I'm "old" enough to have had schoolmates in those awful leg braces, who were often bullied and called "Sp*z" and had to sit out physical activities and play. And now we're hearing of...

It's very state-specific. There are a number of states that allow kids to be registered in school unvaccinated, due to their parents' philosophical beliefs. California, Colorado, Washington are ones I know of. Most states allow exemptions due to religious beliefs. California is one that...

I'm almost certain I read of a forum member who said she and her husband both won. It was DV2012, when my husband got selected. Briefly. What I'm not sure of, is whether they won on May 1st, or in the redraw. My husband got selected in DV2012, then I got selected the very next year...

I think most of us "obsess" a bit about predicting when we'll become current, or what next month's case numbers will be. I did ;) I had spreadsheets with data going back a dozen years or more. I combed the web looking for stats. I did calculations and updated them frequently. It was fun...

I agree with SusieQQQ's recommendation of extended-stays as they'll have everything you need - furniture, pots, dishes, cutlery, sheets, towels, etc. We've used them. You'll save money by cooking at home versus staying in a hotel for weeks, eating out all the time. It's nice having a bit of...

The Canberra website has this: ****** I don’t want to have the inoculations/vaccinations. Does that mean I can’t have a visa? Should you not wish to receive any of the required vaccinations, you will be found ineligible to receive an immigrant visa. You may apply for a waiver of that...

Congratulations, Crawf! Very smooth and quick POE for you. Ours took quite a bit longer, probably because we did it at a Washington state border crossing with Canada and they don't get too many of us compared to LAX. The GC should arrive way sooner than 6 months. It'll likely take 2 to 3...

Exactly. Bring anything you think might be needed to help your case - keep it in a separate pile from the required documents. It will be a security blanket for you, making you feel a bit less nervous. Nothing worse than being asked for a document you don't have with you, even if it wasn't on...