Help please - Scotland to Aiken (North: apartments, rental, health insurance)

[Scotsman77]

Hi. We're living in Scotland - a native Scot and his American wife. We're thinking of moving to Aiken in the next 6 months and have already filed for a green card for hubby with the Embassy in London. We have a couple questions - can anyone help?

1. Are there fulltime jobs readily available in the Aiken area for clerical workers?

2. Do most full time jobs include employer-sponsored health insurance?

3. Is it possible to rent a trailer or apartment in the area with no recent credit history?

4. How do you think a native Brit and a native Wisconsinite would fare there? (Hint, we're both white, teetotalers, non-smokers and Baptist, however - the wife has tattoos from a distant before-being-saved past)

[Racelady88]

Clerical positions are few and far between in Aiken itself. However, Augusta GA is only 20 minutes away and there are many opportunities there.

Benefits are going to vary by company. Some offer full packages, some offer nothing at all. The bigger the company the better your chances of having benefits offered.

I don't rent, but there are many rental properties here. Houses and apartments alike. I would be happy to put you in touch with a Realtor who can help you with that.

[Euro Mark]

Being a Brit and having gone through this process, when you get here you have no credit history therefore no one gives you credit. Amex lets you transfer your credit card to the USA so thats worth doing if you have one. Also start by applying for a store charge card or gas card to start building some credit history. Only way we could rent when we got here was from a understanding private individual that thought we looked trustworthy. The Brit accent also helps alot !

[MoMark]

Originally Posted by Scotsman77

Hi. We're living in Scotland - a native Scot and his American wife. We're thinking of moving to Aiken in the next 6 months and have already filed for a green card for hubby with the Embassy in London. We have a couple questions - can anyone help?

1. Are there fulltime jobs readily available in the Aiken area for clerical workers?

2. Do most full time jobs include employer-sponsored health insurance?

3. Is it possible to rent a trailer or apartment in the area with no recent credit history?

4. How do you think a native Brit and a native Wisconsinite would fare there? (Hint, we're both white, teetotalers, non-smokers and Baptist, however - the wife has tattoos from a distant before-being-saved past)

Evey below is a very nice lady and she has a lot of information on that area as she's a transplant to Aiken and one of its strongest supporters
EuroMark makes a very good point about building credit in the USA, and honestly, he's right... a lot of people will give you a break simply because you come across well and honest.
As for the tattoo... Lord have Mercy....! Um...oh well, even my 65 year old mother has tribal tattoos around her ankles from a stint sailing in the Marquesa Islands... I think the people of North Carolina can handle it Good luck! You're picking a beautiful state to move to!