Your Voice: Relocating Because Of The Pandemic

Matt

New York

"Moving in New York, you have to do a security deposit, first and last month’s rent and then a truck rental. It was going to be around ten thousand dollars."

My fiance and I were paying $3600 a month for a brownstone garden unit in Washington Heights. We never had that money before COVID but we made it work. I was maintaining the entire property and it was great to have all that extra room. We started asking our landlord about our lease renewal and she just wasn’t responding. Eventually she served us papers saying we have 60 days to leave the property because she’s selling the building to developers, at least it wasn’t an eviction notice but we had to go.

After looking at places online and reaching out to some real estate agents we crunched the numbers. Rents just weren’t going down. Moving in New York, you have to do a security deposit, first and last month’s rent and then a truck rental. It was going to be around ten thousand dollars. We also talked about moving upstate; we wanted a quality life. We let it sink in; we took it slow. We would be staying in New York just for me. So we said let’s go be near your parents in California, which we had talked about doing for a couple of years anyway. Let’s save a $1000 a month on rent and the move across country, looks like it will only cost $5000.

Angela

Michigan

"Just purchased a brand new home and have to sell."

My husband and I started looking for homes to buy before hearing about Covid-19. We found our dream home in March and started the process of purchasing. At the time, my husband was still working overtime every week even though our governor had shut down all non-essential businesses. It wasn’t until July that his hours got cut — twice. After moving into our new home, we can no longer afford the mortgage payments. We have to put the house up for sale and move somewhere with cheaper payments.

Joe

Tennessee

"The pandemic hit, I was like, I can't stay in New York. I'm not grounded enough. I'm not mentally, emotionally prepared to go through this in a studio by myself in Hell's Kitchen."

When they started refunding all the Broadway shows, I knew nothing was going to be happening in Music Theater until at least the end of the year.
So when the pandemic hit, I was like, I can’t stay in New York. I’m not grounded enough. I’m not mentally, emotionally prepared to go through this in a studio by myself in Hell’s Kitchen. I was like, get me out.

I reached out to my landlord and I said, let’s see if we can come to some kind of agreement. They let me out of my lease one month early and they let me pay for July with my security deposit.

I made it to Nashville, where my sister and her family live, just before their lockdown. I kind of just realized, you know what, this is a nice life. I get to sit here and watch my niece and nephew grow up.

Your Voice. Your Story.

Relocating

"Moving in New York, you have to do a security deposit, first and last month’s rent and then a truck rental. It was going to be around ten thousand dollars."

"Just purchased a brand new home and have to sell."

"The pandemic hit, I was like, I can't stay in New York. I'm not grounded enough. I'm not mentally, emotionally prepared to go through this in a studio by myself in Hell's Kitchen."

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