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How to relocate to Dallas? (kinda long)
Hello there Dallas Nesties!
My husband and I live in Southern California and we really want to move to Dallas soon. I grew up in Okla. City and have been in Los Angeles for over 12 years. I have always wanted to move back to be closer to my family and Dallas is perfect because it's close, but not too close!
The problem is jobs! We are both in the legal field (non-attorneys) and what we do is very state-specific. I'm not sure how hard it would be to find a paralegal job in Dallas when we don't know Texas law. Of course, the fundamentals are the same and I'm sure we would both learn quickly.
So, we are starting to formulate a plan for moving out there that we'll do in stages. My DH is going to quit his job here in CA and move to Dallas for 90 days. During that time he will bust his butt looking for a job. If he finds one, then great - I start looking. If not, he comes home and just gets another job here in CA. The beauty of this plan is that I will keep my current job here and our apartment, which will leave us with a steady paycheck and some stability.
Is this crazy? We will definitely use up some of our savings, but I think its worth it if we can be closer to family. Also, we both dislike Los Angeles very much and have been wanting out for a while.
The tricky parts will be 1. finding him an apartment that is month-to-month in a decent neighborhood for not too much money; 2. him finding a job; and 3. me finding a job from California once he is established at his new firm. This gets really tricky in that I don't think I will just quit my job here and move out there to be with him and look for a job (it all depends on how much of our savings we have left and how soon he starts working). I will probably have to fly back and forth for a few interviews.
Anyone ever done this? Any advice? What are some nice but affordable apartments near Downtown Dallas? We plan on visiting a month or two before he moves so we can check some places out.
Thanks for reading my rambling and indulding my crazy. ;-) I really, really hope this works out because I love Dallas and I want to be closer to my family. And, ya'll seem so sweet on here - I know will love it there!
Thanks!
Re: How to relocate to Dallas? (kinda long)
Welcome!
My husband and I did something similar but not exact. We were in NE and decided we wanted to move to Dallas. We lucked out in that we stayed with his family (about 2 hours away) while we were interviewing.
As far as the month to month apartment thing, I suggest either using one of the free apartment finder services (we used promove) as they can at least narrow it down to what places will even allow a month to month or 3 month lease. As far as price we found most of them wanted 200-300 more per month to go with a short term commitment.
Even with living with his family we blew through a huge chunk of savings but neither of us had a paycheck coming in either. I dont think its crazy but it can be stressful and expensive.
I probably won't be of too much help here, but you might consider looking into extended stay hotels as well. My parents did this for a few months while they were waiting for their house to be built, and it was much more affordable than an apartment and was fully furnished.
Best of Luck to you!
With All the Trimmings
Just do it!
Stephanie - why do you say that? Is the legal job market poor in Dallas? I see quite a few job postings online. What area of law do you work in?
With All the Trimmings
Just do it!
Thanks! My husband is a civil litigation paralegal and I am a legal secretary, primarily in workers' comp defense. We have both been in the field for a little over 10 years. Do you work in a big firm? I know there are a lot of CA firms that have offices in Dallas. I think it will be very tricky not knowing TX law. That's one of our biggest concerns. I wonder, though, how different it truly is. Do you know any good resources for us to start researching/learning local rules, etc?
Bobbieleigh - that's cool that you relocated to Dallas, too. I hear you - it will be very stressful. I think it's going to be hard for us to be apart that long. We've never been apart more than a few days in the last 12 years! I think we are highly motivated, though. We are definately still researching, though, and we'll make our final decision shortly on whether this is a smart move or not. It's a lot to think and pray about!
I used to work in a big firm. but my boss broke off with another guy and started this one 10 years ago and I've been here ever since. We call ourselves a "boutique" firm--although we're bigger than any of us thought we would be. Everything is online so if you Google, it should be easy to find. Good luck in your search!
ETA: Ok, I asked my boss and he thought you not knowing Texas law would be no problem.
With All the Trimmings
Just do it!
We relocated here, and this is how we did it:
H moved here right after we began dating. He stayed with his family until he started a job -- a total of four months. His living expenses were taken care of by his family during that time.
I tried unsuccessfully to find a job here from where I was living for about 7 months, then finally bit the bullet and moved down here without a job to be closer to him. It took me 7 months to even get an interview -- luckily, I also got that job. I was trying to be frugal, but I still spent 1k per month of my savings while I was unemployed.
We're in IT/computers, not the legal field, and I know every job search is different for everyone. But just to give you an idea of how it went for us. I say go for it if you have that kind of savings. I don't regret the lost money one bit, but I made sure I had a comfortable cushion financially before I moved.