Tuesday, November 23, 2021

Americans didn’t move nearly as much as you may’ve thought during the pandemic - Could have fooled me!!

Americans didn’t move nearly as much as you may’ve thought during the pandemic

Amanda Peacher Nov 18, 2021
Heard on:
New Census data show surprisingly low relocation rates over the pandemic. Above, a mover places boxes in a moving truck in New York City. Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images

Over the past year and a half, Marketplace has talked about how people have relocated during the pandemic — say from big cities to little mountain towns, or upgrading from a small house to a more “work-from-home-friendly” house.

New Census data actually show that relocations were down this past year. In 2021, Americans actually moved at the lowest documented rate in over 70 years.

Now, a lot of Americans did move around during this past year and a half. But whether or not someone picks up and moves has a lot to do with access to resources.

That pandemic narrative of urban residents escaping and then driving up home prices in rural Vermont or Central Idaho? It’s not like that’s false.

“It’s possible to hold two truths in our minds at the same time,” said Rachel Franklin, a professor of geographical analysis at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom. “People did flee cities, but it was temporary or reflects maybe a more sort of dynamic lifestyle where people move back and forth.”

What Franklin is talking about here is not migration but mobility. People may not be picking up and moving permanently; some are buying vacation homes or working remotely from the beach for a couple of months.

“And it’s also in sort of a socio-economic niche,” she said. “This is not the way most people have experienced the pandemic for sure.”

It’s not how Roberto Echanique, who lives near Washington D.C., has experienced it.

“Must be nice to have that flexibility,” he said.


Echanique and his partner have thought about moving. “You know, greener pastures, a little more space, a little less crowded,” he said. “For what we make, there’s no way we could afford anything at all, within, you know, one or 200 miles of here.”

If you think about the kinds of big life events that often prompt moves — say, going away to college, getting married, starting a new in-person job — a lot of those things have been on hold for the past two years.

“A lot of them were not happening anymore,” said John Logan, a sociology professor at Brown University.

Americans, in general, are moving less than they were say fifty years ago, Logan said. Still in the past decade, a third of Americans, at the least, moved neighborhoods.

“That’s characteristic of the United States. So we’re not a pioneer society with a frontier anymore,” Logan said.

But compared to other countries, Logan said we’re still a pretty mobile society.

Thursday, November 18, 2021

An Ultimate Guide for Moving Interstate with Pets!

A great article from the California News Times 11/17/21

Moving isn’t an easy task to perform with ease. Instead, moving is one of the most hectic jobs that impact physical and mental state a lot worse. However, adding your pets into it can make the job more critical for sure. This isn’t only for you and your family members, even moving can be stressful enough for your pets too.

So, while moving interstate with your pets, it is necessary to have proper planning. Failing to make a proper plan can make you a real worried during your move. However, being a caring person, it is solely your responsibility to take care of your pets during the move.

However, if you’re a bit worried about your upcoming move with your pets, we are here to guide you. This article genuinely describes the ways so that you can have a stress-free relocation with your pets. Let’s dig in!

Consulting with Your Vet is Essential

Once you have tried letting your pets know about the recent relocation, it is essential to consult with your vet. Your vet can help a lot in the moving process if you’re moving with your pets. As already stated that your pets can be emotionally down during the moving process. So, you must perform a thorough health check-up before commencing the move. If there are any health hazards arise in any circumstances, your vet can eliminate the risks associated with this before you commence the move. Your pets are just like your kids. So, taking risks won’t be a wise decision for sure.

Do You Have Vaccination Certificates of Your Pets?

The best out of state movers in the network of Moving Feedback explain that it is crucial to have the vaccination certificate for your pets. Checking all the vaccination details of your pets is essential in any situation while you’re moving with your pets. It won’t be a wise decision to travel with your pets without vaccinating them properly. Getting an authentic health certificate of your pets will eliminate several difficulties during the move for sure.

However, ignoring these things will not only be a threat to your pets, but you can also face several legal complications during the move as well. Especially if you’re moving with dogs or cats, having authentic rabies vaccinated tag is essential for getting an entry to the new state.

Break the News to Your Pets

Well, you may be wondering that how you can let your pets know about the upcoming relocation! How they will understand about the recent relocation that is going to take place!

However, you might be surprised to know that several studies showed that pets could feel and read the minds of humans. So, while you’re planning for a move, try to let them know about the fact beforehand. If they can even feel a bit of the upcoming activities, it would help them to cooperate with the moving process.

Do You Have Travel Identification Tags of Your Pets?

Only having vaccination certificates for your pets isn’t enough if you’re moving interstate. In addition to the vaccination certificates, you need to have authentic identification tags of your pets as well. The identification tags must have the name of the pets, the name and address of their parents, and an alternate person’s details.

The details of an alternate person are mostly mandatory for travelling with pets in the USA. In any circumstance, if the pet owner can’t be located, the authority will contact the alternate person to hand over the pets.

Transporting Pets Have Restrictions 

Well, you might not know that transporting your pets to another state has some restrictions. You can’t relocate your pets in a moving truck. The pets aren’t the household items that you can move through a moving truck. However, there are a couple of ways with which you can relocate your pets securely.

By Air

One of the best ways to relocate your pets is by air. Of course, you can’t relocate them in trains, buses, or even in a hired moving truck. However, you can relocate them by air for sure. In such scenarios, you can either move with them or consider an appropriate container for moving them to the new destination.

In the Personal Motor Vehicle

However, if you don’t wish to relocate them by air, you can consider moving them in your vehicle. Moving them in a personal motor vehicle is always best for your pets. They are already habituated to travel in your vehicle. So, if you choose to relocate them in your vehicle, it will eventually help your pets get emotionally strong during the move.

Conclusion

So, we hope that you’re now better ready to move your pets to the new destination. However, if you still have any doubts to clear, you can ask in the comment section. We will try answering them for sure.

Additionally, if you have any suggestions regarding moving with the pets, let us know in the comment section. Finally, wish you all the best for your upcoming move with your loving pets!

 

 

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Families should expect moving delays this summer as companies recover from COVID

 This article was published specifically about Military families moving, but it applies to all families moving this summer.  We all use the same logistics, moving companies, van lines and mover employees to accomplish all moves.  

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After a rocky year moving to new orders during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Air Force is warning its troops that supply shortages could make transitions difficult this summer too.

April to September tend to be peak moving months around the nation, but after coronavirus forced many civilian and military families to put off transitioning to their new homes, moving companies were forced to downsize. Now the demand is overwhelming what the moving industry can handle in its smaller state.

“Department of Defense demand this peak permanent change (PCS) of station season has greatly exceeded commercial industry capabilities, largely due to resource constraints associated with the COVID-19 pandemic,” an Air Force Personal Property Activity Headquarters memo states. “Per industry, this resulted in a 25% decrease in their labor pool, resulting in decreased personal property movement capacity necessary to support private sector and government demand.”

This summer has the potential to be one of the biggest moving seasons for military families since many had to defer their PCSs due to COVID.

DoD put restrictions on who could travel or access bases at the beginning of the pandemic. It eventually settled on a color-coded system to dictate which installations were cleared for travel.

Now 90% of bases are in the “green” zone, meaning that service members can move to new orders or visit bases without any special authorization. The number hovered in the 40% to 65% range for a large part of 2020.

Katie McMichael, director of moving and storage conference at the American Trucking Associations, told Federal News Network, this summer is that “perfect storm” for moving demand.

“COVID obviously hit everyone hard,” she said. “The commercial market slowed down during COVID, but it has come roaring back. You are seeing it in the relocation trends, people are moving with the changing way people are working now.”

McMichael added that third party freight services were affected by COVID and not as many are available to ship goods.

To mitigate the impact, the Air Force Joint Personal Property Shipping Offices say they are employing all available tools and options to accommodate shipment and delivery requests. DoD services and U.S. Transportation Command are working with commercial industry to modify business rules and add flexibility to achieve maximum carrier capacity.

McMichael said those efforts are extremely helpful, but there is not a magic solution.

The Air Force said there are some actions airmen can take to add more flexibility and ease the burden of moving:

  • Get shipping requests in four to six weeks prior to the pickup window.
  • Ask about expanding pack/pickup (a.k.a., “spread date”) windows from the current seven-day requirement to 14 days.
  • Contact the assignments team to determine if they can postpone the move by changing the report-not-later-than date.

Airmen also have the option of “do-it-yourself” moves. DoD now offers 100% reimbursement of costs plus a fuel surcharge and other accessory costs.

“In addition to the old “rent a truck” option, airmen now have access to new modes within the commercial industry called portable moving and storage containers,” authors of an Air Force release wrote. “These containers are dropped at the home, the service member packs them and the company picks up, transports, stores and then delivers at the destination. Some companies also offer a menu of associated services including full or partial packing.”

Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Safe Moving Options During Uncertain Times

Moving during the COVID-19 pandemic? Moving can be stressful even during normal times, moving during a pandemic can be even more stressful. Fortunately, the moving industry has adapted, and best business practices altered for the safety of everyone. Whether your move is small or large, there are options for your move. 



Thursday, January 7, 2021

So many people headed to Florida- here are some reasons why

 Miami South Beach, Fla.



Photographer: Marco Bello/Bloomberg
What You Need to Know About Relocating to Florida
Jan. 7, 2021, 4:01 AM

The combination of warm weather and no personal income tax makes Florida a desirable place to relocate. Connie Eckerle of Smolin outlines what you need to keep in mind to make a clean break from your current domicile—and its taxes.

White sand beaches and tax incentives have people turning to the Sunshine State. And not just the traditional retirees—remote workers nowhere near retirement are also considering making the move. Because if you have to socially distance yourself, you might as well have balmy winters to keep you company, right?

But why Florida?

As appealing as warm afternoons on the beach sound with winter here, there are things to consider when it comes to relocating to Florida. What do you need to know before buying a plane ticket?
The Siren Song of Tax Incentives

Many states across the country are currently operating at a deficit and the loss of income taxpayers to greener pastures, so to speak, is driving an increase in those state’s residency audits. By and large, rules haven’t changed but states are getting more aggressive and fewer exceptions may be made than in the past.

Florida is one of the few U.S. states with no state income tax, so it’s no surprise that people from the high-income tax states are among the top relocators. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) has left some people looking to improve their tax position.

Before the TCJA, individuals in higher-taxed states were able to benefit from State and Local Tax (SALT) deductions on federal income tax forms. But now the TCJA limits the SALT deductions to $10,000 annually. SALT deductions have historically represented big tax breaks for individuals who itemized their Schedule A deductions. For those in high-income tax and property tax states, this has been a big hit.

But to see these tax benefits, one has to officially change their state of residence. For those planning on splitting time between Florida and their previous state, there are a few important factors to weigh—and a few things to watch for.
Where is Your Domicile?

When making the move to Florida, your goal is to establish Florida as your domicile, or your permanent home. The “facts and circumstances” behind your move to Florida plays a key factor when proving that you’re a Florida resident in the event of a state residency audit.

Although you may own more than one home, you only have one domicile. What does that mean? It’s the place a person calls home and intends to reside indefinitely—and whenever the person leaves that home, where he or she intends to return.

Because establishing domicile can be ambiguous at times, states may take a hard look at several factors. They consider the size and nature of use of your home, where is your time spent, your business involvement, your personal connections, and location of items “near and dear” to you.

There are also some additional ways to document your domicile in Florida including filing a declaration of domicile at your county office, obtaining a Florida driver’s license, registering to vote in Florida, and several others.

Moreover, domicile is impacted by your reasons for moving. But domicile is only one piece of the puzzle. Statutory residency may need to be considered.
There’s No Place Like Your Statutory Residency

The nomadic lifestyle is increasingly common. In the U.S., 4.8 million independent workersdescribe themselves as digital nomads according to a report by MBO Partners. Yet if you’re bouncing back and forth between locations, you may risk having the status of “statutory resident” bestowed on you.

Definitions of “statutory resident” vary from state to state. Some states consider you a statutory resident, at least for tax purposes, if you spend more than half the year or 183 days in the state. Some states lack specific rules, but consider someone a resident if the state considers them to be there for more than temporary reasons.

And that statutory residency status could very well come knocking with an unexpected tax bill in hand. More specifically, it can mean being taxed on all your income, including capital gains, dividends, and interest income.

How do you avoid being classed as a statutory resident? Know the rules of your state and follow them carefully.
Real Estate, Estate Tax, and Other Factors to Consider

Establishing a domicile in Florida and establishing residency is a complicated process. Ideally, you can make a clean break by selling all real estate, moving all business activities, and fully investing in your life in Florida by buying a home in Florida. This is the best way to indicate intent to make Florida your domicile.

Along those lines, be cautious of how you handle any real estate sales you may initiate — you want to take advantage of the capital gains exclusion on the sale of your primary residence. To do this, the home you are selling must have been your primary residence for two of the last five years. For example, if you’re selling your New York residence in year five of claiming Florida residency, you would not be able to take the capital gain exclusion since the New York residence would have been your primary residence for only one year in the last five years.

If you choose instead to maintain multiple properties between Florida and another state, you’ll want to keep detailed records of financial transactions and travel plans to document where you have been in the event you are audited by the state.

You’ll also want to consider estate taxes when you’re considering relocation to Florida, especially if you are at or near retirement age. Florida, as you may know, doesn’t have an estate tax, but your current state may. It’s important to update your estate plan to reflect Florida’s laws upon establishing domicile in Florida.

Relocating to Florida may sound dreamy—white sand beaches and tax breaks are a great combination. However, it takes some careful planning and strategy to avoid an unexpected tax bill. Consulting with an experienced tax professional is a helpful step before making any plans.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. or its owners.
Author Information

Connie Eckerle is a member of the Smolin Lupin and a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Florida and Georgia.