moving to Austin - advice needed

[StellaBlue]

I lived in Austin from 1997 through 2001 while a student at UT. I have returned to Texas after living abroad since then, and I have been working and saving up money while living with my parents for the last six months. I was planning to move to Austin around April 1st, when I estimate that I will have about $3000 saved up, or before then if I can manage to get a job (since August, I've had two interviews and, obviously, got neither of them!). Right now I have $1000 saved, but I have monthly outgoing of at least $600 ($210 student loans, $175 car payment, $85 insurance, plus gas, some food, incidentals). I only have $1000 right now because I a) bought a car; b) bought some necessity items, a bit at a time, to get ready to get an apartment (like sheets, dishes, etc.). I have probably more furniture than I will be able to fit into an apartment in storage, waiting to go.

Now. Here is my dilemma. One of my friends has told me about another friend, who I don't know, who wants to sublease his furnished room in a 3/2 house in downtown (!) for $325/mo plus utilities, available Feb 1st. On Feb. 1st, I will have about $2000, as I prepaid my student loans/car payments with my Xmas bonus and they are not due until the end of Feb. I am SICK of being stuck here in Hicksville and desire nothing more than to get to Austin and get on with my life (my parents are allowing me to stay at their house for free and pay no bills except some food, but will not actually loan or give me any money to move for some reason!), especially since I am back here because of a bad breakup and, as long as I am stuck here, feel that my ex's decisions are still controlling MY life. I want to just get on with it.

Should I jump at this chance?

I figure that to have an apartment that costs a meagre $550/mo, make my standing debt payments, and eat, I will have to earn a minimum of around $30K/year in Austin. At my previous job in the UK, I was an administrator making about $40K plus great benefits including company car and all that jazz. I am now working in customer service. I figure if I take this opportunity and move into this house for Feb/March, that might be just the jumpstart I need to get a job in Austin (it's understandably hard when you are about 400 miles away!). I am willing to waitress, temp, or whatever, in the meantime, and, if it really came down to it, I could always put my loans on hold (with interest), though I have been desperately trying to avoid doing this for the past 2.5 years.

If you were in my position, what would you do? Thanks in advance.

[jobycom]

1. Well...

Austin has a lot of students, so part of it is geared towards cheap living. The job market right now sucks, but I think the economy is improving. I say this because I work at a tire shop which is often a bellweather of the local economy, because we sell retail and also service a lot of industry, such as construction, trucking--anything with wheels. Our business ebs and flows with the economic tide, and right now it is either ebbing or flowing, whichever of those is good for tides. But not a lot. Just better than before.

One thing odd about the Austin job market is how slow people are at hiring. People wait weeks sometimes before calling on applications, and it's not unusual for their to be a month on hiring. I don't know what this is, but it is, or at least, it was the last time I was seriously looking.

I'm sure there are jobs that you could get. Hotels are always short of night auditors, for instance. Just depends on what you want. But the market in general is slow. Also, we are coming off a long ebb in hiring, and also there are a decent number of Katrina evacuees who have moved here permanently. So there are a lot of people looking for jobs, or better jobs than they have.

Aside from that, sounds like you know the area. Prices have gone up since 2001, and salaries have gone down. 325 for something near downtown is good. There are a couple of places east of the interstate that might be bad for that price. There aren't really many bad places in Austin, though. Even east of the interstate, which is dreaded by many white folk, are really cool--some, like me, would argue they are the coolest places in Austin. You've probably got a good feel for that, though, if you've lived here.

My thoughts are that if there is nothing tying you down, and it's a question of when, not if, then make it sooner rather than later. At worst, you blow it and move back with the parents for a while. At best, you strike it rich and wonder why you waited so long. Somewhere in the middle is living off the kindness of parents and friends until you get on your feet. I guess what I'm saying is, ask yourself what's the worst that can happen, and see if that even matters.

Just my meager, non-committal advice. I ain't going out on a limb, I have no gaurantee you won't hunt me down and steal my sneakers if my advice is wrong!

[StellaBlue]

2. thanks!

I am thinking of just waiting it out, as I would have to move again in two months anyway. Plus the more $$$ I can save up, the more cushion I have when I get there. Do you think I can make it with two crap jobs? Like temping in the day and waitressing at night? According to all my estimates, to get a $550/mo apartment and pay my student loans and eat I need to earn at least $30/pa. :(

[jobycom]

3. I would think you could by on less than that

If you've listed all your bills, seems like you could get by on less, without any left for savings, until you got up to speed. Depends on your experience and pay history. Supermarkets, hotels and restaurants are always hiring. My spouse works in the loan industry, and that is still booming in Texas, and it pays better than average, so if you've got administrative experience, maybe that would be a place to look. She started out as administrative, and fourteen years later and several job changes within the industry, and she's a bank VP now. And she has no college degree. So it's doable. They've loosened several mortgage requirements in the last ten years, and that has spurred the mortgage industry.

One thought: it might be harder to get a lease without a job, so your options might be more limited. That would be an advantage to subletting first, then moving in two months, since you would have a job by then. There's a lot to be said for having savings, too, but you might have to lease from an individual, which would probably cost more in deposits than leasing at a complex. And you could always find a roommate.

I guess you know the places to look for job listings? austin360.com (which lists the Austin American Statesman classifieds) and the state government web page? There are lots of state jobs in Austin. They pay less on average, but have better insurance. And of course, there are several large employers you should be blanketing with resumes. Dell, 3M, IBM, Freescale, Whole Foods, Samsung, places like that.