[iron]

looking to pick some brains on life in NZ. if you have lived there at any point in the last 1-2 decades, please shoot me a PM

[cascadeclimber]

Have been looking into Christchurch myself...

[Jeff]

Definitely act quickly. The locals are already complaining about foreigners, mostly Americans, moving in and raising prices for things. Escpecially real estate. A decade ago they were begging for men with good careers to move there, but they would take anyone they can get. They have since raised the bar considerably, but it's still easy for someone with a good career.

[treeswarper]

A timber company was up here recruiting years ago. I did my research and the salary sounded good in NZ dollars, but would have been a sizable cut in US dollars. Their recruiter went on about how much cheaper it was to live there, hence the salary was OK. About the time I was to drive down for an interview, I came down with a nasty bout of flu--fever and all so missed it. That may have been a good thing, I do not know. I still wonder about it. This was on the South Island.

[iron]

based on the NZ website, my job profession has a skills shortage, as does my wife's. so, ideally not concerned about that. plan would be to move in ~3-4 years. hopefully the US isn't trashed by then such that expats are forbidden worldwide.

[ofuros]

A average two income family will survive just fine in NZ...

[Hesman]

Would you be ditching your US citizenship so you wouldn’t have to pay Uncle Sam taxes on the income you would earn in NZ. I’ve read a few things about expat’s biggest complaint about living abroad is that they still have to pay tax on income earned to Uncle Sam, but when they renounce their US citizenship and become a citizen of the country they are living in they no longer have to pay taxes to Uncle Sam. https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/taxpayers-living-abroad https://thepointsguy.com/2017/04/paying-taxes-while-living-abroad/

[HitTheTrail]

US citizens get to exclude the first $102,100 of foreign income earned when computing their US taxes.

[puzzlr]

I don't know how much you depend on the internet, but from our travel there and stays with friends the whole country's internet plans include caps on how much you can download a month. It may not be important to some, but if you're going to work on the internet it may be important.

[AlpineRose]

Why on earth wait 3-4 years to relocate? Are you hedging your bets to see if this country doesn't deteriorate at as fast a pace as currently?

[iron]

other factors involved, not just how fast we're going down the shitter. like, baby #2 eventually...

[DIYSteve]

like dood WTF?

[treeswarper]

[Layback]

[neek]