Immigrant Housing Recommendations
- Adam Garrett
- May 7, 2023
- 9 min read
Updated: Sep 5
Someone from another country reached out recently regarding help finding a home for rent. This article is a direct response to help him and others in the same situation.
General Tips for Connecting & Integrating Into American Society:
Connect with locals from your country of origin.
Especially if you or anyone that came with you speaks limited English, getting connected to those that speak your native language, especially those from your country or with direct ties to your country, can be an invaluable resource. Especially in nations with more of a collective culture & less of an individualistic culture, there is a strong bond that can develop rapidly among those who have come from the same nation. There are a few locations where you might consider finding others from your culture:
1. Online localized groups from your nation are one potential source.
I started my search small and targeted on Facebook (i.e. "Turkish in Virginia Beach"). When looking at options, I narrowed to the groups section by clicking "See all" under groups. Not finding good options, I began expanding my search. I did searches like "Turkish Tidewater", then expanded to "Turkish Hampton Roads", then to "Turkish Virginia". I also looked up things like "Eastern Europe Virginia".
I found one group on "Moving to Virginia." In some cases, there are large communities. For instance, there are 24000 members in "Indians @ Virginia." There's a community of 1k called Indians/Desis in Virginia beach.
2. Look for communities of faith that align with your own from your country of origin is another potential source of assistance.
For instance, if I Google "turkish church virginia beach", here is what I find:
Not only is ministry content there available in Turkish & Arabic, but when going to the about section, I find that one of the co-senior pastors was born in Turkey & that there is a Dream Church in Turkey. I also see in the connect section that they have a Facebook community & even a ministry to refugees.
3. Go to restaurants from your nation. For instance, check Google Maps and Tripadvisor, such as:
Image courtesy Tripadvisor
Which produces the following result:
Image courtesy Tripadvisor
If you don't find something in the city you're looking in, check nearby adjacent cities/counties, especially ones with large populations.
Related: SE VA City Information & Real Estate Property Info
4. Consider festivals from your nation if present that are local. Start out with a Google search:
Image courtesy Google
All Events didn't seem to produce anything viable, but in many cases will be a good option for large cities that have large communities of a certain country. For instance, the same search for "Greek" instead of Turkish produces a number of localized event options including a Greek Festival in Norfolk.
Get a social security number/card.
A social security number is an important element of life in America. It's important to get one, and the US government provides information for immigrants about the process here.
Here's some additional information I put together on the subject including content local to South East Virginia, although it hasn't been updated since 2018.
Get a license & transportation.
While there are some cities/counties where you can get by without a license and your own transportation, most homes in America rely on their own vehicles. Whether you get one or not depends on the mass transportation available in your area, the cost of parking, the cost of vehicles, the cost of tolls, your needs to get places, etc. Often, public school buses will be able to stop close to your home for your children in school. Beware of car buying scams. Dealerships will tend to cost more but will be more secure. A trusted friend can also be helpful if they know cars especially even in navigating things like Craigslist where there are many scammers.
Here's some additional information I put together on the subject including content local to South East Virginia, although it hasn't been updated since 2018.
Establish US-based credit wisely.
Get a no-annual fee secured credit card. Here are some options.
Many Americans are in credit card debt & much other debt. Once you establish credit, be sure to use it sparingly in most cases except things known as "good debt" like a mortgage in some cases (see my other section on the subject of renting or buying; typically renting will be best at first). After you've acquired your first credit card, be careful about using credit on credit cards too much. You should always be in a good position to pay off all of your credit cards and you should keep your balance low, always making payments in full.
Use online budgeting/money management tools & easily track the difference between your checking account and any credit card debt you have in one place, even if where you bank and where you have credit cards are at 2 different institutions.
Once you have some credit, keep track of your score for free on one of the options listed here such as a free account with Experian.com
Go here for more credit tips.
Beware of scammers.
Especially if looking online, and in some cases in person, there are a number of scammers out there who would wish to defraud you of any funds or resources that you have and don't care about how much pain it causes you and your family. It's such a big problem in America that I have web pages (1, 2) about those that frequently seek to scam me specifically targeting my form of business.
While there are certain exceptions (i.e. mortgage lenders asking you for your social security number) in general, don't provide others access to your credit card numbers, license number, or social security number. Don't sign things that you don't understand. If you find out that you have signed something that you didn't understand, there are ways, in some cases, to pursue people in court to refund you of those funds. Keep in mind that I am not an attorney and that I thereby cannot provide "legal advice" and that an attorney is best consulted on the subject.
For more details on navigating rental scams, go to a 3rd party page on the subject here.
Consider non-profits & ministries.
When considering non-profits & ministries, look for options that help newcomers in your area, especially refugees if you're a refugee. Also, there are a number of options for those of low income regardless of where they are from.
For a number of resources geared towards those of low income, homeless, or frugal, go to my website on the subject here.
Refugee ministries & nonprofits:
https://gracebible.church/refugees (based in Norfolk & Virginia Beach, but supposedly throughout Hampton Roads)
https://www.dss.virginia.gov/community/ona/refugee_services.cgi (throughout VA)
https://seniornavigator.org/program-type/refugee-immigration-services (throughout VA, i.e. Chesterfield, Newport News, Norfolk, Richmond, etc.)
Area Guide & Things to Do
SE VA Area Guide - while geared primarily toward SE VA, it has information pertinent throughout the US
Fishing in Virginia Guide (specific to SE VA, but has some applicability throughout the US)
Finding a Place of Worship (applicable throughout the US)
Housing Tips in America
Information Specific to South East Virginia
Temporary Housing
Go here for my temporary housing page which includes a list of websites where you can check for temporary housing, including options like Airbnb where it's possible to get a home even if you don't have any US-based credit yet.
If you have points, there are a number of viable options for hotels & in some cases, homes, for a low cost in the US (i.e. map 1, 2, 3 in increasing cost order). If you don't have points but know someone else who does who might be willing to donate to you if you're low-income, consider these options.
Consider renting vs purchasing initially, but you're typically better off renting initially until you have good job security & are confident you won't be moving again in the near future.
When you've just arrived in America from another country for the first time, you're typically going to be better off renting than purchasing. If you purchase, and things don't work out in America (or if you decide that another location within America would be better for you) and you decide to leave for another distant location that the home you purchase wouldn't accommodate, it's much harder to leave than if you are a renter. The costs involved with a sale are too high (typically around 8-12%) to make a purchase and sale soon after a realistic prospect in most cases.
After you're settled in the US and confident with your work and newly developed community that you aren't going anywhere, you might consider purchasing, but until you're confident that where you've moved to is where you'll do best, for most (see some exceptions in section below), it's likely better to rent. Once you're confident in where you are within the US, there are many good reasons to buy. In fact, the net worth of homeowners is reportedly 40 times higher than that of renters in the US per CNBC.
For more details on renting vs purchasing generally speaking, go to my page on the subject here.
See the exceptions section below on when the above might not make the most sense for you.
More on Renting & Options for Refugees/Low Income
Refugees/Low Income Options:
See Section on "Where to Find Homeless Shelters Throughout the US" here
Exceptions Where Purchasing Initially Might Make Sense for Some
Whether you're from outside the US migrating to the US, or whether you're migrating from the US to another country, it's typically better to rent first, but there are some significant exceptions where it might make sense to purchase, especially if multiple scenarios below are combined.
Some of the best-case scenarios for purchasing in that area initially for those that do decide to purchase initially include a combination of at least 2 of the following:
Cash purchasers whether from your own funds or from family funds
Those who have spent a lot of time working for the same company that they will still be part of
Those who have spent a lot of time in the location that they are moving to
Those who have family in the area that they are moving to, with good relationships with that family
Those moving to an area with a relatively high % of those from your country of origin in that area, with events, restaurants, and grocery stores that can make things seem more like home
Those with generous relocation packages. If the company hiring you is going to pay for a high % of your closing costs, and would pay the real estate agent fees to relocate you to another area in the US or another country
Initial Mortgage Acquisition Difficulties & Options
Unless you are a cash purchaser, if you don't have established US-based credit when you move here, it makes it more difficult to purchase with most institutions, so if you don't have the full amount of the home purchase in the bank, most banks/credit unions aren't able to offer mortgage loans initially.
That said, there are some notable exceptions, i.e. HSBC if you've established international credit, even without 2 years of US residency & 2 years of US employment. It's best to plan far in advance to establish credit in the US ahead of time so that you have the most options.
NACA is an option to buy where credit score is not considered, with no down payment & no closing costs, but it's a 3-6 month program without the option to rent your property that's not for the faint of heart. It also requires tax returns & W-2s from the past 2 years.
Novus Home Mortgage has options for the following:
"ITIN & Foreign National Loans"
"Work Visa, Student Visas, EAD Card, DACA to 80% LTV - no credit required."
If you are a Muslim purchaser, there are specific institutions that can help with a purchase in a way that is more halal than others.
When Most Should Shift to Purchasing: A Few Years In & Not Going Anywhere
If you've been in the same area for a few years, have a good career/retirement path, & otherwise feel very satisifed with the area, and have explored alternative areas in the US, and you plan to stay here for at least another 5 years, it's typically best to consider a purchase. By this point you should have established credit & long-term job history, which are both helpful if you plan on using a mortgage.
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