Should we stay or should we go? (Houston, Canadian: sales, rent)

[janetreb]

I've been reading this forum and y'all are so helpful and friendly. I am just seeking opinions on my situation. My fiance and I are getting married this month and want to move to Houston after because 1) lower cost of living and 2) to be close to my parents. We plan to have kids right away and having family nearby is very important. We are willing to give up the perfect CA weather for a big house and free babysitting.

I work from home so moving is not an issue for me at all. The concern is that my fiance would be giving up his almost 6-figure income and not know when he will be able to find a new job. To make things more tricky, he is Canadian (on work visa) and would probably have an easier time looking for a job after he applies for his green card, so he may not start job hunting until several months from now. He currently works in the medical device field (I'm not seeing too many of these jobs in Houston) but he would not mind a change in career path, although he doesn't know exactly what he'd like to do yet. We can get on by fine with my income (we estimate mortgage/taxes/insurance will only be half of my monthly pay) and we do have a 2+ year emergency fund after we buy a house. My parents think it's risky for my fiance to give up his job in this economy and always think of the worse case scenario (me losing my job after we move, higher expenses due to baby, etc). I know we should plan for the worst, but I think they are being too paranoid. I think the risk is worth the overall lower cost of living. We would never ever be able to afford the same house (with good school system) in CA that we can get in TX, and daycare here is ridiculous (up to $2k/mo per kid). So eventually, we are going to move one way or another. I think part of the issue deep down is that I am going to be the sole breadwinner for a while and my parents are very traditional.

Alternatively, we could stay in CA for a while and keep renting or buy a much smaller place here for a higher price than we'd spend in TX (and we'd always need both our jobs to cover the mortgage). We currently rent with roommates (we're in our early 30's) and I want to have a place of our own asap and buy so we can take advantage of the low interest rates (I already got a 4.625% quote). We could move and rent first, but rent would be as much as mortgage and I hate moving around. I just want to be settled already. What do you think? How can I convince my parents that moving to Houston on one income isn't too risky or crazy?

[XodoX]

Honestly, you're both adults and should not care much about the stuff your family says. Do whatever YOU want to do.

What visa is your husband on? Sounds like it's the HB1 Visa. If so, he can not go into a different field. Working in a capacity other than the specialty occupation for which they petitioned, it's a status violation.HE can change his employer, but must petition first ( same field ). The HB1 is also valid untill he receives his green card.

When would you want to move? I don't think I would give up a decent paying job right now. Unless you have a job lined up before you come.

[janetreb]

Yes, I know ultimately we will do what we want to do, but I won't be happy living near my parents if they aren't happy and stressing me out. Coming from an Asian family, it's hard for me to go against their wishes, even as an adult.

My fiance is on an TN visa. He wouldn't look for a job until his green card/work authorization document comes in.

[XodoX]

You really saved up a 2 year emergency fund? I'm younger than you and I would take the risk then. Sounds like he will find something here. Getting a work permit dosen't take longer than 3 months. You apply for a work permit at the same time you apply for the green card. That way you can start working before you get the actual green card. It's not like he's gonna be out of work for a long time.

Maybe his current company can transfer him. I would go ahead and look around and see what they have to offer here for him and start applying.

[janetreb]

Thanks for your reply. He already asked his company if there's an opportunity to transfer within the company and work in TX but unfortunately there isn't. His company only has sales positions in Houston but they require sales experience which he doesn't have (he's an engineer). Yes, we have an emergency fund that should last two years, if not more. I personally don't care what job my fiance eventually gets, even if it's half his current pay that would be fine. I just want him to be happy, stable, and contribute financially.

[XodoX]

Well, then I would go ahead and move. I personally do like CA better. Have you visited Houston before?
Seems like you have nothing to worry about then.