My partner and I recently relocated from Washington, DC...I will offer my two cents from out experience!
misskitty wrote >>
-Is there someone who helps with this sort of thing I know it's pretty far that's why I am asking ? Should we get a Realtor here in town or someone there ?
A Realtor is great for unchartered territory. If you are completely unfamiliar with the area you are moving to, a Realtor will be able to help find what exactly it is you're looking for. Plus, my Realtor was especially helpful during negotiations. Also, it's just nice to have an expert at hand when an unknown arises... so much less stressful! (My Realtor, if you need one when you decide to sell your Columbus home, was Kim Lyon, and she was wonderful! http://www.c21joewalker.com/Kim.Lyon/)
misskitty wrote >>
- I own my home here and I know the market is bad so I was hoping to keep my home here and possibly rent it out. So does anyone have experience with property managers? Or would I be better off taking care of that myself ?
If you are intent on keeping your home, I would definitely advise to get a property management company to manage your home rental. My ex had a long distance rental, and it was always a constant headache with something always going wrong. Also, I would recommend purchasing a home warranty, that way when something breaks, you just call up the home warranty company, and they will take care of the work. With new people coming in, something is bound to break... it just happens! I would NOT recommend trying to manage your long distance rental unless you are familiar with the circumstance (a trusted friend is living at the residence, etc.). A management company is nice because they have expertise in rental agreements, finding good tenants, etc. My partner was only charged the first months rent to find someone for his home that he owns, and the rental management company has been wonderful!
misskitty wrote >>
- How much should I expect my homeowners insurance to go up if I were to rent it out?
It most likely will double. You will need to obtain a new policy that is specific to your situation, mostly likely called a dwelling fire policy, and it will most likely cost twice as much. Most insurance companies will require you to carry your main home (your new home or rental policy in Texas) and will then extend the liability protection from your main policy to this new policy.
misskitty wrote >>
- If you relocated else where or here what were some snags or experiences you had?
It's just plain stressful! For me, moving was such a pain. Maybe I'm not being optimistic.... but I dread moving. I think, for me, the biggest thing was just preparing that my life was going to change... everything about your current life will be completely altered, for better or for worse!
With that being said, I know my move to Columbus is for the best, and now that I am all settled, I am very happy. I can't wait for warmer weather and for some vacation time... I'm going to hang out on my deck and sip a martini!
Good luck to you misskitty!
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Launched in August 2010, TheMetropreneur.com is a local online resource devoted to small business development and entrepreneurship. Its aim is to tell the stories of Central Ohio's business community, foster regional economic development and assist entrepreneurs with its resource-heavy focus.