DV 2022 OC Selectees
- Thread starter Melb2021
- Start date
clefs_games_0f
Member
Yes, by the skin of our teeth. We avoided this thread as everyone was breezing through Suva and SYD while we were stuck in MTL. There were only a handful of other OC there but most of us were in AP for months.
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
Be aware that the vast majority of airbnbs in NYC are illegal under a local city law and sometimes also in violation of building rules. NY is expensive though, and it’s still high season in early January so that won’t help. A decent hostel may be your best bet for budget and safety, but you might also want to check out some of the long stay hotels such as Residence Inn (Marriott, so trustworthy) which usually give you better rates for longer stays and also give you much more flexibility to extend or shorten your stay than something like Airbnb. Looks like the downtown residence inn is around $126 a night for January for min 7 night stay, which is pretty darn cheap for Manhattan.
Zillow is pretty popular for finding places to rent. Quite a lot of people still use Facebook groups if you are looking for something with roommates as well. But yeah, any major city like NYC/LA is going to be pretty damn expensive. If you want something affordable/reasonable, you're looking in the wrong city
I did not know that. That price is a little out of my range. Thankyou for letting me know though. Yes definitely aware that this is expensive time. There seems to be less options available compared to previous years in terms of hostel. My bet is many went bust after Covid. @BrisOC22 i will check out Zillow, never heard of it. I understand though NYC is one of most expensive cities in the world
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
Not just season, and actually NY rents have gone through the roof after the pandemic slowdown as everyone’s going back. My kid is at university in New York. Even sharing 2-3 an apartment, a lot of those students are paying $2k or more a month. What is your plan for a job? You may be better looking for something further out in Brooklyn or Queens if you’re looking for more affordable. Median rent in
Manhattan is over $4k a month and average rent is over $5k. https://nypost.com/2022/09/22/median-manhattan-rents-hit-a-plateau-in-august-report/
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Check out the Facebook group, “Australians in NYC”. They often have sublet ads over the holiday season which could be a good option until you have a permanent place.
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
Bear in mind legal sublets often require a credit check and/or landlord approval. Like Airbnb, a lot of people do it illegally. People ought to be aware what they’re getting into.
I don't think it legally requires a credit check. From the landlord's and the renter's perspective, sure it would definitely be preferred, but from a legal perspective, don't think it's required. I believe the law only states that sublets are illegal when it is in public housing or if it's in an building with fewer than four units. For Airbnbs, it's legal if it's a room within a permanent residence or if for the entire residence, greater than 30 days - obviously condo and co-op rules may be stricter.
Also as a long-term NYC resident I'd recommend the "Australians in NYC" Facebook group in general. It's not a dodgy Craigslist website nor is it just for subletting / leasing. We've built quite a solid community that forum has been an invaluable resource to many new and existing NYC residents.
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
I didn’t say it “legally requires a credit check”. I said “legal sublets often require a credit check”. See the difference? Many leases do not allow subletting. If they do, they usually at least want the landlord informed, and in some of those cases the landlord may want to run a credit check on the subletter.
Think we're nitpicking for no reason. Anyway, buyer beware and do your due diligence!
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
I’m not “nitpicking”. I’m highlighting it because many new entrants into the NY market assume everything is being done above board and don’t realize how much is done illegally vs actual law or contrary to building rules or lease terms, and then find themselves in difficult situations. “Buyer beware” is great when you know the system. For those who are new and don’t, a little bit of help is nice.
I've been working as a social worker for the last 12 years, though have had enough of that so i'm planning to do some teacher's aide/assistant work in a high school as I'll be finishing off this qualification next month. Yes Brooklyn/Queens is what i've been looking for past few weeks as I'm aware Manhattan is way too expensive for me (unless you go upper Manhattan/Washington Heights. I'm willing to go far as The Bronx until I find something. I'm willing to do some hospitality work until I find something though very aware it pays nothing like it does in Australia. Brooklyn/Queens/ Upper Manhattan is the areas i'll be looking to move into and definitely something shared.
I'm really hoping to find work pretty soon as almost chewed through all of my funds when I moved to the UK some years ago, so if anyone has any idea of what it is like finding work in NYC, getting set up with bank accounts SSN feel free to chime in as I do not want to put myself in a situation where i'm burning through my savings quite quickly. @dazza2104 yes i'm part of that FB group and theres another one called 'Australians in New York Accomodation' though it looks like most people are advertising whole apartments not just rooms and very classy and in expensive areas.
This actually varies quite a lot from my experience. The main difference is its not as consistent as it in Australia, people like to talk about how low the minimum wage is for these workers in the US but you also have to remember the US has tipping. So it really depends on the type of job + location + combination of other things. If by hospitality you just mean like McDonalds then yeah, but other places that have tipping like restaurants can vary depending on how much they get tipped/if the tips are divided evenly etc.
I was working in a VR arcade/bar in LA that would also host parties, and some of the workers occasionally made more in 2 weeks than what Im making as a Software Engineer now. But yeah super varies and isnt consistent, some days theyll make way more, some days way less, but all depends on the location + store + variety of other things. Just wanted to mention that since you made it sound like its something bad, when it could actually be really good
Also only purely based on my year of living in LA/people I know, I'm sure others have different experiences where it has just been awful minimum wage with very little tips or none at all.Minimum wage is also pretty comparable to Australia's, just varies state to state. Cali being 15 USD/hour and Australia being 13.90 USD/hour.
Hello Everyone
Good to read about people already settling in US.
Can’t wait to start our American dream late Oct.
Does anyone know a good financial planner or accountant who could help with our property etc and information on CGT both for US / AUS?
We were planning to sell n then move to LA late this month. Our property is on the market for some time now. Looks like we will lease it out as it appears the market is not good
.
Any tips/ advise much appreciated.
Good to read about people already settling in US.
Can’t wait to start our American dream late Oct.
Does anyone know a good financial planner or accountant who could help with our property etc and information on CGT both for US / AUS?
We were planning to sell n then move to LA late this month. Our property is on the market for some time now. Looks like we will lease it out as it appears the market is not good
. Any tips/ advise much appreciated.
Just a note on selling your Australian property - the previous government removed the main residence exemption for non-residents, so you'll be lugged with CGT if you sell your Australian property once you become an Australian non-resident for tax purposes. You'll also need to pay taxes on the gain to the IRS although tax treaties will blunt the force quite a bit. If you're negatively geared it might be worth keeping your property and renting it out as you'll be able to claim a deduction (and a generous depreciation) on your US taxes provided that your AGI is less than $150,000. Forums such as 'Australians in the Bay Area' or 'Australians in NYC' would be a better source for financial planner / accountant recommendations.Hello Everyone
Good to read about people already settling in US.
Can’t wait to start our American dream late Oct.
Does anyone know a good financial planner or accountant who could help with our property etc and information on CGT both for US / AUS?
We were planning to sell n then move to LA late this month. Our property is on the market for some time now. Looks like we will lease it out as it appears the market is not good
Any tips/ advise much appreciated.
Thank you so much for the information dazza2014. Much appreciated.
I will certainly go through the mentioned forum.