Move from Europe to Houston (West Houston) (Howe, Van: apartments, renting)

[georgemichael]

I think you're light on the car insurance and gas estimates. though he is trying to live close to work but with the wife traveling to drop the children off and pick them up, plus traveling for general errands I think it will add up. I doubt they will want to sit in the house all the time either. guess it depends on how efficient a car he gets/finds. And insurance should be discounted for being married and multiple cars but if he doesn't plop down and outright buy two cars he will need full coverage and he has no insurance history here I wouldn't think. I don't think the discounts will be enough unless there is some relocation type discounts. or he is being provided a company car.

hopefully the job offers some sort of family health insurance that might balance out.

and lastly, 3 kids most likely will be more than a food and school expense.

Originally Posted by txdemo

Thousands of families in Houston have 3 kids and make it on half that salary. Take the advice that you get on this board with a grain of salt (including mine). I've concluded that many of the posters on this board make more money (some much more) than the average Houstonian. So their view of a good salary may differ drastically.

That said, it will be tight. Net pay would be about $70k. Divide that by 12 is $5833 a month.
$1800 rent
$600 2 modest car payments
$200 car insurance
$300 utilities
$300 cable/telephone etc
$500 family health insurance
$700 food
$100 gas
$0 - public school
Total - $4500

Obviously these are ballpark and modest estimates. Hopefully you already have a 6 month emergency fund saved.

From which country are you moving?

[Craig1101]

I initally moved under the exact same circumstances as yourself, (with onle less kid) on slightly less than that and found it a struggle. I had a sizable lump sum from house sale which I used part of to purchase4 2 cars and without that I would have probably ended up running up a large credit card debt.

Happily having done it and served my time so to speak, I'm now much more comfortable, so I'm not saying don't do it, you may struggle at first but in the long term you'll have a better standard of living IMO. I'm saying that without knowing where in Europe you're moving from or anything about you, only sharing my own experience.

I was $2000 a month for a single story 4 bedroom house but I chose an expensive area with great schools.

[radiolibre99]

Are you from Western Europe, OP? If so, you'll be giving up a bit to come to a red state in the US. 90k is a decent salary but health care is not cheap, neither is higher education once your kids are ready for college, etc. I hope you're not one to complain about how your free healthcare and free education back home is just alright and slow, because you'll go from that to none. But if you can afford it Houston has the best in all the world. There are other things you'll leave behind but I think overall Houston is great experience if you have a great salary to start off otherwise I don't think its worth moving halfway across the globe for.

[curbur]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

I think overall Houston is great experience if you have a great salary to start off otherwise I don't think its worth moving halfway across the globe for.

Yep. I've always said this place is great for the upper-middle class and rich, but I wouldn't want to live here if I was poor.

[ethanw]

That was the most intelligent answer. Just great

Originally Posted by txdemo

You're right - 3 iPads - $1200

[TexasTony]

I would say it is manageable or doable. Shouldn't be tough. You just need a simple lifestyle. Don't be discouraged. The fact that you are being moved from Europe to Houston on H-1B means that you might have a skill which is important. Basically once you are here and have relevant US experience within no time you can transfer your H-1B and move to better higher paying job or who knows you might become permanent resident and no longer need H-1B. Don't let this opportunity pass. Don't know what stage of career you are in but most of the people I work with came from Europe, Asia and Africa 5-12 yrs ago. Most of them got a bump in salary based on US work experience and jumping between companies. Instead of negotiating about higher pay right now, you should negotiate about your immediate green card processing so that you can cover up the pay gap pretty soon.

Finally the most important question and that only you can answer is that do you currently make 90k in your home country and after all your expenses do you break even or able to save some $. Based on that you can determine if it is worth it moving here or not. Good Luck...

[Meyerland]

Will you have to pay for furniture or are they shipping your things? How large is the container? Sometimes they skimp on this and you can't take everything you need.

If you have to buy stuff, you need to take that into account.

[ptt]

To me, expatriate should pay well enough to make it worth for being far from your culture, friends and family. Of course, it is doable lot of Americans families made less than that but why should you move half way round the world just to make 90k?

[Keyan]

Originally Posted by txdemo

You're right - 3 iPads - $1200

ha ha ha

Originally Posted by EuropeanNo1

Hi,

I am researching a job offer i got from a Houston based company. The offer is around 90K a year, maybe a little more.

I will be working on a work visa (H1B), so my wife is not allowed to work, so we will have to live entirely of my income.

We are looking into houses on the West side off Houston, which is closes to my future workplace. Either Katy og Cingo Ranch area.

Is 90 K a "good" or average household income in Houston? Is it even possible with 3 kids (age 6 - 12). We don't need daycare and such, since my wife will be at home taking care of the children before/after school.

We found houses around 1500 a month, is that a fair rent for a 4 bedroom house?

Any assistance is appreciated, since it would be too late, if we accept the offer :-)

OP, I think you made a good choice to come to the states. I know how life in the EU and europe is (whether it be western or eastern), it's a little on the 'tighter' side. here you can live much more comfortably as your potential for growth is much higher. it is much easier to grow big here. as another user mentioned, i would take all the responses on this thread with a grain of salt. to some 90- 110k is impossible for a family of five, to others its very possible.

on your salary of $7500 - $8500, you can live here with your family of five. you just won't have a bunch of money to save at the end of each month. most your salary will be spent on the basic necessities. in the early 90's this salary for a household would be considered above average for a family of five, but today its average. you will be fine on it. just don't pay more than $1500-1700 a month on rent. shop your insurance for the lowest possible rates, budget until you get that raise. if you are okay with living average for some years, i believe you will be fine. figure out if this scenario outweighs your current. to many people, size,comfort and potential for growth is much better than being 'tight'

[radiolibre99]

most your salary will be spent on the basic necessities

Yeah how enticing! Lol. No matter how much Europeans may complain about the safety nets at least a lot of them don't fear that they just work to sustain themselves. Good lord, "tighter"? They get like a month off for holiday. If the guy wants to go back to school he could for almost free.

The only thing he has going for him is that he's starting off in Texas with a very above average salary and with room to improve. That's the only thing I would agree with you on.

Unless he's coming from Poland, don't act as though he's a third world immigrant fresh off that boat.