New York City Relocation Services and Guide

New York City Relocation

A Sophisticated Relocation Service with 20 Years of Experience

Each year, thousands of people relocate to NYC, drawn by its opportunities, excitement, and reputation for fast living. But as the most significant metropolitan city in North America, living here comes with unique challenges. If you’re considering moving to Manhattan or Brooklyn, then Elika Real Estate can help you. After 20 years of experience with NYC’s property market, we know how to help new arrivals find a new home and get settled. Our agents know the streets and neighborhoods here like the back of their hand. With one of our agents by your side, your move to New York will be as smooth and seamless as possible. Whether you’re looking to buy or rent, we’ll assist you in making the right choice.

International Clients

We know that moving can be a stressful experience, especially when it’s to a new city. Elika Real Estate will help you make that transition as smooth as possible. If you’re moving from abroad, then we’ll take extra steps to get your orientated and settled quickly. Once you contact us, we’ll take the time to assess what your needs are and provide customized advice to help your transition. We know that everyone’s needs and circumstances are different, which is why we provide information on an individual basis. Once your move is complete, we’ll remain accessible for an additional six months. That way, if there are any problems or concerns, we’re only a phone call away.

Need Help Relocating?

If you’d like further information on what Elika can do for you, please Contact Us or Call 212-590-0540.

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Relocation Services and Assessment

Relocation Process

• Personalized Assessment
• Neighborhood Orientation
• Home Search
• Negotiation
• Closing
• Move

Relocation Services

• Managing necessary documentation needed to rent or purchase an apartment
• Locating/comparing insurance companies for renter’s or homeowner’s insurance
• Calling utility companies to commence servicing your new apartment

Individualized Assessment

Unlike other brokerages, Elika takes the time to understand your personal needs and circumstances. That way, we can provide customized advice to help your move to NYC. Once you contact us, a relocation agent will call you to carry out a full assessment of your needs. This assessment allows us to learn about your personal and financial situation, as well as your housing needs so that we can give you the best assistance possible.

This Elika agent who contacts you will be there personally for you throughout the whole process. They’ll act as your guide and answer all questions and concerns you might have. We don’t expect new arrivals to be experts on the intricacies of buying an NYC home and how to settle into a given neighborhood. So please don’t feel shy about asking any questions you might have. We want to make this as easy for our clients as possible, so expect nothing but professionalism and customer care along the way.

Neighborhood Orientation

After arrival, we have a neighborhood orientation tour to help you and your family select the neighborhood that will suit your needs best. New York is incredibly diverse with each borough, area, and even street offering something different. Our job is to help you find the one that’s right for you. Getting accurate information on a neighborhood can be tricky and time-consuming if you go it alone. Our agent will be there to provide all the facts so you can make the right decision.

Each of our neighborhood orientation tours will include an introduction into neighborhood profiles, schools, transportation issues, local shopping, recreation, social and cultural activities, and medical facilities. Elika Area Orientation Tours will also help in making sure you make the right decision when selecting your new home.

Home Search

Once your orientation tour is complete, your Elika agent will do what they all do best and find you the right home in your chosen neighborhood. Our relocation agents know how to help people from out of town find the right place and get them settled into the New York lifestyle.

Also, our agents have full access to the Elika Proprietary Real Estate Listings Database. This is the largest, most complete database of available apartments that’s out there. Based on your personalized needs, our agent will track down that perfect New York home for you. You can expect nothing but professionalism and customer care when you trust us with your relocation to New York.

The Buying Process

Our relocation service exists to help new arrivals get orientated and find their new home in NYC. But if you require additional help with the purchase of a property, then we’re happy to help. Our agents know the buying process in NYC like no other and can help you secure that dream home on terms entirely favorable to you.

Once that perfect home is found, our agent can help you get from the initial offer to the closing day. We’re an exclusive buyer’s agency, which means we only handle buyers, not sellers. Due to this, you can fully trust that we’re entirely on your side through the negotiations. Many brokerages work with both buyers and sellers, which means there can sometimes be a conflict of interest. With us, we’re committed to getting you a fair price on a property with the best terms possible. Also, if you need help with financing a purchase, we can provide advice to give you the best chance of getting approved for a mortgage.

Do I Need Buyer’s Representation?

If you do choose to go without buyer representation, then you’ll be entirely at the mercy of the sellers listing agent. The seller’s listing agent will be entirely on their side and will be working on getting the highest price possible. This can often lead to a lot of bad deals for buyers if they go without their representation.

With representation from an Elika buyer’s agent, you’ll know your best interests are being thoroughly looked after. Real estate deals rarely go off without a hitch, which is why have representation is so important. The home inspection might come back with a list of problems with the property, or a property lien might be found on the building. If anything of that sort happens, then you can feel more confident knowing you have an agent on your side to smoothen out any bumps in the road.

You Won’t Pay a Penny

If the thought of paying a commission for representation bothers you, then you needn’t let it. That’s because you won’t have to pay a penny in commission, the seller will. All sales commissions in NYC come out of the final sales price, which the seller will pay out of their proceeds. As such, you have nothing to lose and a lot to gain by having our agents help you through the buying process.

Contact Us today to arrange for your very own personal relocation service. Your relocation agent will contact you shortly to conduct an individual assessment of your needs. From there on out, you have our full support.

Relocation Guide to New York City

New York City is an exciting, vibrant place to live. We may be biased, but there are reasons people continue to flood into the city. The United States Census Bureau estimated the city’s population grew to over 8.5 million as of July 2016, from less than 8.2 million in April 2010.

The career opportunities are endless, and, to quote the immortal Frank Sinatra, “if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.” There are also cultural events and world-class museums. Meanwhile, crime is incredibly low and continues to fall. Through October 1^st, major crime fell 6% to about 72,000 compared to a year ago, and down about 78% over the last 24 years.  The murder rate had dropped from 2,262 in 1990 to 335 last year.

However, the city can be intimidating for those that are unfamiliar with the terrain, mainly since new neighborhoods are cropping up (e.g., Hudson Square, Hudson Yards). There is ongoing gentrification in other areas, making these places hot spots. We want to provide some guidelines to make your relocation as smooth as can be expected.

Have you become so enchanted by New York City that you’re ready to make it your home? More and more people move here every year, and for a good reason. There’s always something to do, opportunities to grasp, and exciting people to meet. This checklist of resources will prepare you to relocate to NYC with all your bases covered.

Learn the city

You cannot see the entire city in a day or a weekend. However, you can pick specific sections to tour and learn the neighborhood. Take the time to talk to the locals.  Despite New York’s reputation, many people are amicable, just not at rush hour.

Employment

If you aren’t moving with a specific job in mind, there are many ways to find work in the city:

• If you love the bustle of NYC and want to be a part of how it runs, you can find a job working for the city itself at nyc.gov. Job specialties run the gamut, from administration services to technology innovation.
• The New York Times has a live scroll on their website with featured jobs that are continually being added.
• If you’re into the start-up scene, you can search employment listings on AngelList.
• For general employment, Indeed offers a variety of jobs in a lot of different industries.

Budget Tools and Tracking

Moving is never easy on the wallet. However, there are tools you can use to track your budget and anticipated moving expenses:

• Mint by Intuit is a great, free financial tracking tool. You can use the app to add moving expenses, like renting a moving truck—and gauge how close you are to max out your budget. This way, you won’t have to worry about building your bank account back up once you’ve settled in.
•  There are plenty of blogs to follow, like The New York Budget, that offer details on where to shop, eat, and hang out while you’re living on a budget in NYC.
• If you are renting an apartment in NYC, be aware that your yearly income must be at least 40x the monthly rental rate of the apartment you choose.

Transportation

How you are going to get around is one of the most important details to figure out. Public transport or private? The following resources may help you decide:

• If you think you’re going to commute on public transit like most New Yorkers, then familiarize yourself with the Metropolitan Transit Authority  (MTA) schedules, fares, and maps.
• If you’re planning on bringing a car, look at the  DMV’s site to learn how to transfer your license and plates.

What do you Need and Want?

New York has an incredible array of neighborhoods. If you are interested in a quiet area with tree-lined streets and a beautiful view of Manhattan, perhaps Brooklyn Heights is where you would like to live. Maybe you want to live in a calm neighborhood, with a lot of young people, such as Brooklyn’s Greenpoint, Bedford Stuyvesant, and Fort Greene. Or, perhaps you want to live close to Central Park.

Whatever neighborhood you want, whether it is a quiet place or one with an active social scene, New York City has it.

Although residents continuously complain about it, the city boasts one of the best public transportation systems in the nation. Your commute time and how close you are to public transportation is an important consideration.

Once you have decided what you want in a neighborhood and have done some sightseeing, you can narrow your search down to some areas you would like to live in.

Decide Whether You Want to Rent or Own

The decision of whether to rent or buy is complicated. You need to consider whether you are financially and emotionally ready for ownership. It also depends on how long you plan on living in the city. If you are only planning to be here for a short period, renting might be the better option.

Renting does not require as significant a financial or time commitment, and provides increased flexibility if things do not work out. However, your rent payments are not building equity, and you answer to a property owner. Homeownership can be an expensive proposition, with a sizeable down payment and decorating/home improvement projects that occupy your weekends. The benefits include potential capital appreciation and income tax savings from mortgage interest and property tax deductions.

Picking a Neighborhood

Once you figure out how much you can spend on rent and where you’ll be working, you’ll have to choose a neighborhood to live in. Decide what type of commute you want to have every day, and research what each neighborhood has to offer:

• Scope out crime rates on NYC.gov, especially if you’re commuting at night.
• Go walkabout to find out what’s nearby, such as grocery stores and bars.

Are you thinking about buying an apartment?

The city has a wide array of properties. This includes condos, co-ops, townhouses, and even single-family homes in the outer boroughs.

If you decide on a condo or co-op, you have to think about whether you want a high-rise or one with smaller units. It is a matter of personal choice. A high-rise might have more amenities and units available to purchase due to the larger size, but also increased crowding. A smaller building might not have the range of amenities, but you may find you end up paying a hefty price for items you do not use.

A co-op board’s screening process can be strenuous, but a buyer’s agent can help you prepare your financials and for the interview. The method of buying a condo is not as taxing.

Home Search

At this point, you have done enough background work, and are likely looking at places to rent or buy (another complicated decision). We suggest delving deeper than a neighborhood search. You should examine the street and the building. For instance, certain streets are quieter than others, and not all buildings are the same. You want to ensure the interior is well-kept. We recently offered our Elika Micro Market Formula to help you with the process.

Final thoughts 

This is an overview of the process, but, remember, a qualified buyer’s agent is on your side and knows the city inside and out. He/she and can steer you in the right direction, but going in well informed does help.