21yr Male: Advice on moving from DC area to Atlanta

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by Macharity

Oops, that was my mistake, sorry.

What do you think of moving WITH the money to buy a car and ready to make a purchase once I arrive. I do have a friend who lives in the city and she would be willing to drive me to purchase a car. I will most likely arrive a few or two prior to starting work which will give me a buffer to buy a car. Would you say this is a decent idea?

Moving with the money to buy a car and making a purchase after you arrive is actually a decent idea...as long as you purchase a car almost immediately after you arrive in Georgia, if not immediately after you arrive in Georgia.

I say that purchasing a car (immediately) after you move to Georgia is a decent idea because a new state law that was recently passed that charges new residents fees of 6-9% of their vehicle's current value (a value which is predetermined by the State of Georgia) when they register their vehicle in Georgia.

If you buy a car and register it in your current state and then move and register your vehicle in Georgia, you will basically be paying to register your newly-purchased vehicle twice....Once in your current state and then again after you move to Georgia.

But if you don't already have a car and don't want to pay to register your vehicle twice, then purchasing a vehicle (immediately) after you move to Georgia may not be the worst idea....That's particularly because if you purchase a vehicle at a dealership, the dealer will almost always finance the cost of the 6-9% vehicle registration fee into the cost of vehicle you buy which means that the Georgia state registration fee will be paid with your regular car note/car payment instead of you having to come up out of pocket with additional cash to pay the 6-9% fee when you register your vehicle again after moving into Georgia.

(...The law mandating a "one-time" registration fee for new residents and new car sales was made at the behest of car dealers to discourage private and person-to-person vehicle sales so that more people would buy vehicles at a dealership where the 6-9% registration fee would be financed into the cost of a car payment.)

The 6-9% vehicle registration fee is basically a "one-time" fee that a vehicle owner only has to pay either when they move into Georgia from another state or only when they buy a vehicle....But that 6-9% registration fee can be a significant chunk of change for most people even if it is paid only when one moves into the state and/or when one buys a new vehicle.

Originally Posted by Macharity

Just fyi I'm not trying to argue and I am open to advice but I will defend my thoughts. You just have to convince me your idea is best, sorry I'm just naturally stubborn lol

That's okay, no worries....Just don't let stubbornness get you into a situation that you will regret financially and emotionally.

Originally Posted by Macharity

However I do understand what you are saying about employers wanting reliable transportation before they hire me.

Absolutely....Having access to automobile transportation early-on is critically important because many (if not virtually almost all) employment opportunities in the Atlanta metro area may be located in areas where they may not be conveniently located near a train or bus transit line.

Example: I had a friend from Southern California (whom has since moved back to Southern California) who lived in South DeKalb County and commuted everyday during evening rush hour outbound through very heavy traffic along Interstates 285, 85 and 985 out to a security job in an area with no transit whatsoever in the Gainesville area....He basically commuted a distance of over 60 miles each way (120 miles round trip) to and from work between South DeKalb County and the Gainesville area.

[DreamerD]

Originally Posted by Macharity

It's ok, being negative often turns out to be more helpful. The plan is to have a vehicle and in all probability I will be able to afford a car even before I make the move out there. If it's necessary I will simply take classes on the days I'm off from work so that I won't be rushing to get to class/work.

And in the event I dont have a car by the fall semester then I will hold off on attending until the spring semester, saving up for a car.

That sounds like a much better plan! I think it would be better you get the job first (as you said you would) and let us know the city where it's located; then we can offer you better advice towards where you can rent. Obviously, the community college would still play a role but the hope is that you will have a car before the start of community college. Even then, it would still be ideal for your school and work not to be too far apart (so please consider this more).

I love that you are doing your research from now and that you are starting broad but you will get better advice when we know more details. As it is right now, there are too many variables. This must be exciting for you! Look forward to helping you the best that I can.