How Would I Go About Shipping Things To Arkansas?

[Travis]

I am pretty sure that I am going to move back to the states. friends have sent me some info on rents there & they are cheap for about the same thing but much better shopping so I told them to keep their eyes open for a place near a super walmart or super target type store so I do not need a car. here is a place I found with rentals for a 1/1 for $295 & they tell me there are even lower priced places to be had coz of the slowdown http://www.rentals.com/Apartments/Arkansas/Fort-Smith/89485/ so any info on shipping things back would be appreciated

[Art2ro]

With those kinds of low rental prices in Arkansas, I too would move back to the U.S., but in California, rents are 2 to 3 times that! So for now, it's the Philippines for us!It's all about location, location, location and how depressed the local economy is where you want to live! I guess in California it's not all that depressed, because the cost of living there is still too high for our taste! We'll be going on vacation next month and we'll see if it's still the same in California! If it still is, we'll be back in the Philippines in November for good permanently as Dual Citizens!Our lifestyle here in the Philippines has been pretty good for the past 12 years and getting better every year! We're pretty much settled in our way of living here and so what ain't broke, don't need any fixing! As for your question of shipping things back to the U.S.? IMHO, you're better off just selling everything prior to your departure and just pack your essentials to take on the plane for your trip back home and buy what you really need and at a much better quality once you find a place to stay for the long haul! Good luck with your returning to the U.S.!

Edited August 8, 2010 by MrBBtheFilAm

[Mr Lee]

I am pretty sure that I am going to move back to the states. friends have sent me some info on rents there & they are cheap for about the same thing but much better shopping so I told them to keep their eyes open for a place near a super walmart or super target type store so I do not need a car. here is a place I found with rentals for  a 1/1 for $295 & they tell me there are even lower priced places to be had coz of the slowdown http://www.rentals.c...rt-Smith/89485/ so any info on shipping things back would be appreciated

T, I do not know how to ship items back so I cannot help you on that except to say that I would be sorry to see you go and hope you rethink leaving, but I know you have to do whatever is best for you. Also Nila and I always go to Cebu with 4 suitcases full and usually go home with just one full so if you are still there by the time we get back, then we would be happy to bring 3 of your full suitcases (50 pounds each or whatever is allowed at that time) or possibly 3 of ours suitcases filled with your items back to our home in Florida and you would then have to find a way to get it from there to wherever you settle down. I would of course have to see what is in the suitcases and need the keys if we were to take your suitcases in case of an inspection of same.You might also wish to look into mother daughter type rentals or rooms in someones house in Florida because those can often be fairly inexpensive so possibly look those up online too and I would be happy to go look at a few for you if they are within close driving distance to where we live. Email, pm or call me and we can talk and if we can be of help to you then let me know. Good luck my friend.

[Jake]

Hello Traveler,I'm sorry to hear that things did not work out for you living in the Philippines. Art madea good point about selling/donating everything except your personal items. Might aswell start out fresh with new things for your future home in Arkansas. That website youprovided shows some pretty good deals. Even a 3 bedroom, 1300 sqft for less than 500 bucks a month looks awsome. The amenities are excellent!Please keep in touch -- Jake

[Mr Lee]

I am pretty sure that I am going to move back to the states. friends have sent me some info on rents there & they are cheap for about the same thing but much better shopping so I told them to keep their eyes open for a place near a super walmart or super target type store so I do not need a car. here is a place I found with rentals for  a 1/1 for $295 & they tell me there are even lower priced places to be had coz of the slowdown http://www.rentals.c...rt-Smith/89485/ so any info on shipping things back would be appreciated

Wow there are three Super Walmarts in that town and also a Free Downtown Trolley. I still would prefer Cebu but that looks like it could be a nice place to also live. 

All ListingsWal-Mart Supercenter Not Rated  |  Write a Review 2425 Zero St, Fort Smith, AR zip code

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[Travis]

Hello Traveler,I'm sorry to hear that things did not work out for you living in the Philippines. Art madea good point about selling/donating everything except your personal items. Might aswell start out fresh with new things for your future home in Arkansas. That website youprovided shows some pretty good deals. Even a 3 bedroom, 1300 sqft for less than 500 bucks a month looks awsome. The amenities are excellent!Please keep in touch -- Jake

thank you Lee & hi Jake it is just that the cost of foods that I like to buy in the supermarket seem to be going up almost monthly & then there is hardly ever anything on tv to watch & electric has gone up I believe twice in 1 year & on top of that the power is not stable & will probably only get worse overtime & then there is the issue of the exchange rate always changing & going down & that too is making it harder to stay afloat for a guy like me who just lives on my ss. then there is the news of water shortages for the future so it is probably my fault for not taking all these things into account before hand even when Lee & others had told me about them & said the Philippines was not for everyone yet I do like it here but when compared to cable in the US & reliable power & other things & now that prices have come down to where it seems actually less expensive to live back there I am weighing my options & thinking ahead. don't worry pal I like this forum & you all on here so I will stay around even if I move back & try to help others if I can get fast access wherever I end up & if not then there is always walmart or library computers to keep in touch. don't count me out yet guys

[MikeB]

Hello Traveler,I'm sorry to hear that things did not work out for you living in the Philippines. Art madea good point about selling/donating everything except your personal items. Might aswell start out fresh with new things for your future home in Arkansas. That website youprovided shows some pretty good deals. Even a 3 bedroom, 1300 sqft for less than 500 bucks a month looks awsome. The amenities are excellent!Please keep in touch -- Jake

thank you Lee & hi Jake it is just that the cost of foods that I like to buy in the supermarket seem to be going up almost monthly & then there is hardly ever anything on tv to watch & electric has gone up I believe twice in 1 year & on top of that the power is not stable & will probably only get worse overtime & then there is the issue of the exchange rate always changing & going down & that too is making it harder to stay afloat for a guy like me who just lives on my ss. then there is the news of water shortages for the future so it is probably my fault for not taking all these things into account before hand even when Lee & others had told me about them & said the Philippines was not for everyone yet I do like it here but when compared to cable in the US & reliable power & other things & now that prices have come down to where it seems actually less expensive to live back there I am weighing my options & thinking ahead. don't worry pal I like this forum & you all on here so I will stay around even if I move back & try to help others if I can get fast access wherever I end up & if not then there is always walmart or library computers to keep in touch. don't count me out yet guys

Good point about the exchange rate; that is my single biggest concern about moving there next year. Lack of decent TV programming, especially HD, also.

[Balintawak]

Guess I dont know you bro, but its always sad to see an expat going back home. Its suppose to be the other way hehe. You can ship out by balikbayan boxes or ordinary shared container loads. As its said, leave all the stuff you can get cheaper there. I guess there goes most of the big stuff.

[love2winalot]

Hiya: First off, I have no idea how to ship items back to the USA. But I do Know apartment rentals, as i have done it for over 20 years. There is an old saying, "You get what you paid for". If you have low rent apartments at $300-$400 a month, and others of the same size are going for $500+ a month, you need to ask yourself this.Is the $500+ a month apartment trying to ripp me off, as it it over priced? orIs the $300-$400 a month apartment a trap, that i will regret moving into?If it cost less, then there is a reason it rents for less. The Owners can rent for less, and still make a profit, by doing the following.1. Skimp on employee wages. usually, lower paid employee's = not as good or skilled as they should be.2. Skimp on maintenance. The term, "slum lord" is a real term, and is more common that most people think.3. Bad Management. Once again, to save money, there is usually a manager, either on or off site, that does not really care.4. Property Location. The Lower the Rent, the more people there are that want to stay there. Why? Usually, because it is all they can afford, vs just trying to save money.5. Code enforcement/health department. These 2 agency are on lower income properties all the time. They cost the Owners money, and force them to do other things, instead of the normal day to day things they need to be doing. This is only Bad for tenants.Not all low income properties are bad. But MOST are. If you have never lived there before, you can not DO ENOUGH reasearch prior to moving there.Things to look for in a lower income property.1. Do they have an On Site manager? answer needs to be yes.2. How long has that Manager been on that property, and Managed apartments, total. answer needs to be at least a year or 2.3. Who does the techinal maintenance? Fixes the AC, Replaces the Hot Water heater, and so on. and how long does it take?4. Who will be your nextdoor neighbors? Are they good/quiet, or are they so bad you pray that they move out or get evicted?imhop: It may be better, to put items in storage, and stay with a friend, or rent someplace that does not have a Lease, and go find the, "Right Apartment", for you, instead of just taking a chance, and hoping it all works out. Good luck no matter what or how you do it.

[Jake]

Excellent advice Love2winalot -- your 20 years of experience as a property/rental managerprovides valuable insights on things that we should seriously consider before we fall into atrap of a long term lease.Thank you sir -- Jake