Relocation

[Tx21]

Can anyone give advice or their experience on the topic of relocation?I thought i saw somewhere on the OPM site that the agency you work for may offer assistance when relocating. Im nearing the end of the process with the USMS, and while i dont want to rush ahead of myself, i definitely want to be prepared. I will have to uproot the family and sell a house, like many others have done before.

Is there any assistance in regards to housing or real estate, and do we have a timeframe to settle in after completion of academy?

[hawaiitexas]

you should talk to HR, if relocation is provided it would be mentioned on the usajobs posting. My agency does pay certain real estate fees, they used to even buy your house after a certain period if it didn't sell but that went a way a few years back. Keep in mind that moving expenses are now counted as taxable income and the government being the government pays a boatload to move even the smallest of houses.

[RettAllan17]

The USMS does not pay for or cover any moving expenses for new deputies. The district you are going to will reach out near the end of academy and allow you to take time off to get adjusted. But the brunt of the moving and all that goes along with it will most likely be handled by your spouse throughout acadmey. (Depending on how far the move).

[Tx21]

Good to know guys ....... thanks..... i figured thats how it was going to have to be done, i was kind of just trying for a last ditch effort.

[L-1]

A little food for thought here -

I was never a Fed, having spent my career working for state agencies. However, there came a time when I had to move and my agency did not pay relocation expenses.

Before selling my house, I took a moment to assess a number of financial options. Among other things, I looked at the equity I had in my house, the cost to continue to maintain it (mortgage, insurance, maintenance, etc.) and how much rent it might bring. I then looked at my savings, whether I had enough to make a reasonable down payment on a new house and still maintain enough of an emergency fund, whether I could afford the new house payments, etc.

I discovered that even paying a property management company to oversee things, if I kept my old house, rent from it alone would cover its mortgage, taxes and maintenance. I also had enough to put a down on a new house and could afford the payments on it with the salary from my existing job. Many years later, I had both houses paid off.

Just something to think about in your situation.

[hawaiitexas]

Something to keep your eyes on for the future, as I imagine the marshals pay relocation if you transfer after being a permanent employee. There is a bill floating around to offset the harm caused to feds by relocation fees being counted as taxable income. Not sure if it will pass or go anywhere but it is possible.

[L-1]

Something to keep your eyes on for the future, as I imagine the marshals pay relocation if you transfer after being a permanent employee. There is a bill floating around to offset the harm caused to feds by relocation fees being counted as taxable income. Not sure if it will pass or go anywhere but it is possible.

Remember, while relocation pay may be taxable, I believe moving expenses are equally deductible, so it pretty much becomes a wash.

[hawaiitexas]

Remember, while relocation pay may be taxable, I believe moving expenses are equally deductible, so it pretty much becomes a wash.

negative, no longer deductible. Only certain military moves are currently deductible under new 2018 tax laws.

[RettAllan17]

USMS only pays for promotional moves. All voluntary move expenses are paid for by the employee.

[Ratatatat]

True to the G, the cookie doesn't crumble the same for everyone.

Many agencies will pay nothing when it comes to move costs.

Other agencies will pay for a house hunting trip, temporary quarters (hotel) for 90 days, any and all moving costs, and even throw in $750 for incidentals like new cleaning products and bath rugs.

I've even seen the G volunteer to take a hit when an employee's house sells for less than paid for. It was an 'administrative move' (meaning the employee screwed up and the trash was being passed to another district). The housing market had softened and the employee's house had lost $100K in value. Guess who paid full market value for the home so the employee didn't take a loss.... the American taxpayer!


It's precisely what makes the G such a wonderfully inconsistent place... same situation: some get wanker paper, others get windfalls.

[Ratatatat]

Any and all moving costs to include home inspection fees, appraisal fees, title and transfer fees, new driver's license and car registration fees

[jazz77]

The home buying thing is pretty much dead except in cases of forced PCS...I believe anyway. I know of a situation where the Agency was requiring a PCS and the verbiage of the notice specifically mentioned that the Agency was on the hook for the employee's home if a full value offer wasn't received within a certain period.

[OfficerDotCom]

Bot reported.

PLEASE stop quoting them when you report them. To cleanse the forum then requires deleting their post while applying the ban AND deleting your post without applying the ban. It's not that much time, but it's also unnecessary. Just report them and we'll delete them / ban them.

[Aidokea]

Copy that.

[mih pihsrow]

Look into ARC. They at least will provide a kick back and its free for you since you will be a Fed. I used them with great success

[UCLA1998]

Relocation prior to 2018 was great and nothing out of pocket. Since the 2018 tax cuts you’ll have to pay taxes and file RITA the following year to get some money back. Household goods shipments are paid direct so you’ll get a tax bill for the benefit. Most guys I know get hit with $3500-$10,000 bills depending on distance and timeline of the move. The following year file RITA to get back what you paid in taxes (some not all). In other words paid moves aren’t free anymore.