Moving to South Carolina .................... from Germany (lots of questions.)

[FrancoR 0]

It is pretty certain that i will be working in Spartanburg South Carolina for 1 Year, starting January. I am starting to prepare a bit so i have a lot of questions and i hope some of you can help me out.
I allready found a close DZ.
I will also need a car + insurance. Can somebody explain to me what will make an auto insurance in the USA expensive? I have no idea how much i will have to pay for what type of car. Will driving experience have any impact on the price for insurance?

Whats the best way to buy a used older car, dealership of classifieds from an owner? Do used car dealers need to give a guaratee like they have to in the EU?

My employer will take care of Visa, work permit and insurances.

Thanks for answers, i am sure i will have lots of more questions soon.

Franco

If it does not cost anything you are the product.

[shaggio 0]

Welcome to the south! I moved down to SC in March and have been primarily jumping at Skydive Carolina! since then. Its a great place with great people...and home to the Rodriguez brothers!

Cant help with the other questions but can say that a few people do come from the spartenburg area to jump there.

Come play soon!

[j0nes 0]

Please do not judge the rest of the country based on what you see in the south.

[FrancoR 0]

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Please do not judge the rest of the country based on what you see in the south.

I was in New Jersey when i was about 8 or 9 years old for 2 years. Does that qualify me to judge the rest oft the country

Franco

If it does not cost anything you are the product.

[John4455 0]

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Please do not judge the rest of the country based on what you see in the south.

Thats exactly right! The weather isn't this good up north.

How do ya like it Johnny?

[yardhippie 0]

your car insurance will be based on your driving experience, you may want to bring a copy of your driving record with you for easy of set up.

most reputable dealers will give you some type of 30 day or so gurantee, anything over that... you'll probably pay for it, unless it has a remaining factory warranty.
as for the best way to buy a car.. your best deals are out of classified or a list like www.craigslist.com. there are online search engines that allow you to seach the history of a car for wrecks, certain damage, ect (for a fee) i reccomend using one of those services.

good luck and welcome. Theres plenty to see and do in the southeast!

Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD
"What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me
"Anything you want." ~ female skydiver
Mohoso Rodriguez #865

[Rebecca 0]

Car insurance will also depend on the car - airbags, anti-lock brakes, security systems, etc. will all lower your payment...

you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' -- well do you, punk?

[Channman 2]

Oh my acking butt one of them. The South is a fine place to live and I'm sure you will injoy your stay.

Cheers

[Rebecca 0]

Oh, almost forgot -

Wilkommen nach South Carolina! Ich war bei der Uni in Columbia fuer ihren Internationale Wirtschafts Programm. Mein Deutsch ist leider nicht so fliessend wie dann...

Also, viel Glueck beim Umziehen!

you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' -- well do you, punk?

[headoverheels 292]

Y'all gotcha gitcha some book learnin' afore ye gits hyar.

clicky1

clicky2

clicky3

[ReBirth 0]

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Please do not judge the rest of the country based on what you see in the south.

I was in New Jersey when i was about 8 or 9 years old for 2 years. Does that qualify me to judge the rest oft the country

Franco

Wow...you spent time in Jersey and you're willing to come back??? Amazing!!

Insurance rates are based on several things, your driving record (of which you have NONE in the US...could be bad), your age (over 25 gets a break), your marital status (married gets a break), what kind of car (safe sedans get a break, sports cars are trouble).

[quatorze 1]

welcome to South Carolina too larger to be an insane asylum and to small to be a republic all itself

I'm not afriad of dying, I'm afraid of never really living- Erin Engle

[BillyVance 34]

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Oh, almost forgot -

Wilkommen nach South Carolina! Ich war bei der Uni in Columbia fuer ihren Internationale Wirtschafts Programm. Mein Deutsch ist leider nicht so fliessend wie dann...

Also, viel Glueck beim Umziehen!

You forgot Blauer Himmer! (Blue Skies)

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[wartload 0]

SC, in general -- as with any other place, how much you enjoy a place is mainly going to be up to you. I lived in the RTP area of NC when it was being created and watched the Yankee Hordes descend upon, and universally criticize, that part of the country. Within 5-10 years, though, none of them wanted to transfer back to NY, NJ, or MN. Most people who go to the Greenville/Spartanburg area and take the place for what it is end up enjoying themselves. If your'e only happy in a huge city, however, you're screwed.

Buying a car in the South -- either buy from an individual who has advertised in the paper (making sure that he's not a small-time dealer pretending to be selling a personal car), or get one from the used car division of a large car dealer. Stay away from the small and "out in the country" car lots. They often sell rust buckets and lemons bought cheap at northern auctions.

DZs -- haven't jumped at Skydive Carolina but have heard good things about them. I think that they are an outgrowth of the old Midland/Mint Hill DZ where I jumped for awhile.

Social Life -- Visit Clemson. Don't visit BJU.

[BillyVance 34]

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DZs -- haven't jumped at Skydive Carolina but have heard good things about them. I think that they are an outgrowth of the old Midland/Mint Hill DZ where I jumped for awhile.

That's a great DZ... A lot of people from Charlotte jump there as well.

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Social Life -- Don't visit Bob Jones U.

That can also be called Party Pooper U...

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[FrancoR 0]

I know several people who haven't found south carolina bad. They mostly came to work for several months and enjoyed the stay but also wanted to go.
back. I plan on skydiving as much as possible on the weekends. I hope thats possible in the area. I allready contacted skydive carolina, but haven't gotten an answer jet.

Looks like buying cars works like in germany, except that dealers here have to offer a one year guarantie at the least. Is there an organisation that collects prices of sold used cars and offers them as a guideline for the price of a used car? I don't want to get ripped off.

Franco

If it does not cost anything you are the product.

[BillyVance 34]

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Looks like buying cars works like in germany, except that dealers here have to offer a one year guarantie at the least. Is there an organisation that collects prices of sold used cars and offers them as a guideline for the price of a used car? I don't want to get ripped off.

Franco

Try this http://www.kbb.com/

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[FrancoR 0]

I thougth i would have a language problem when i read headoverheels's post, but since everybody seems to speak german, i don't see a problem any more.
Franco

If it does not cost anything you are the product.

[ReBirth 0]

In addition to Kelly, there is also

http://www.nada.org/

http://www.edmunds.com/

[Snowwhite 0]

The folks in Chester are GREAT. We lived in Greenville for a year, and I am VERY jealous of you!
One thing that no one has mentioned yet is the expense of a car license in SC. We found it to be many times the price of a license in Illinois. Don't buy a car til you do a little research there. It could make a big difference.
Now my husband works in Wisc. right up at the border of Minn, and Canada. BRRRR!!
Maybe we'll come and visit you in the south this winter and see our old home dz...

Are you going to work for BMW?

skydiveTaylorville.org
[email protected]

[dixieskydiver 0]

Hi Franco,

You'll be right down the road from me, I go to school about 45 minutes from there. There is a small dropzone in my college town called Flying Tigers if you ever have the urge to jump out of a small Cessna. Skydive Carolina (Chester) is a great dropzone, it is also the Rodriguez Brother's home dz which means good partying. Blue Sky Adventures (or whatever it is called, the one in St. George) has a skyvan sometimes I think or a King Air but that will be a pretty long haul for you from Greenville. There are some other good dropzones within 4 hours of you if you feel adventurous, I suggest Skydive Monroe over in GA or Carolina Sky Sports (home of the CASAs) near Raleigh, NC. Also, you definitely need to check out the Blind Horse Saloon for a taste of the local nightlife, but be sure to bring a native familiar with that territory.

Dixie
HISPA #56 Facil Rodriguez
"Scientific research has shown that 60% of the time, it works every time."

[FrancoR 0]

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One thing that no one has mentioned yet is the expense of a car license in SC. We found it to be many times the price of a license in Illinois.

You mean the price of issuing me the licence card? I heard it is fairly easy when you come from germany, answer a few questions and get the license.

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Maybe we'll come and visit you in the south this winter and see our old home dz...

Are you going to work for BMW?

Yes, i am going to work for BMW, but not for them directly, i am with Rücker a german engineering company.
I hope to see and jump with a few dz.com people next year.

As far as buying a car i think things have cleared a bit. Only problem ist i don't know most of the car types that are offered. There are barely any american cars in germany. I am looking for a van or minvan because i plan on traveling to a lot of dopzones while i am there.

Franco

If it does not cost anything you are the product.

[Snowwhite 0]

You mean the price of issuing me the licence card? I heard it is fairly easy when you come from germany, answer a few questions and get the license.


License plate, you may refer to them as tags. I don't remember how they figured the costs for them, but they had a very high annual renewal rate compared to Illinois. Since we had residences in both States, we kept the Illinois license plates, and we were lucky that we never got gigged on it.

skydiveTaylorville.org
[email protected]

[wartload 0]

Not sure how SC does that now, but the issue may have been that they required sales tax to be paid in the state when a vehicle is brought in and licensed from another state--or they may charge personal property tax that's not charged in other states. If he buys the car there (vans should be fairly plentiful), he'll pay the tax up front. I've had cars registered in SC in the past and don't remember the cost being outrageously high.

[streaker 0]

Welcome! Be sure to check out Skydive Carolina. A very nice DZ with great people!

Be sure to say 'Hey' to Terry, Gus, Dale, Judy (still landin' on your butt?), Danny, Joey, Meggan, Jeff, Randy, James, Rachel, Sharon, Del, and the rest of the gang. (Apologies to those I forgot to mention, but I am getting older).

Best of luck during your stay here.

Beautiful Landings!

Streaker

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Have a yippee ki ya day!

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