Moving to Las Vegas (gulp)

[Tommygunzz]

I'm interviewing for a new job that will involve me moving from Dallas to Las Vegas. Here are my concerns and current situation:

• I'm 63 and have been with my partner for 37 years. He is a year younger.
  
• I had planned to only work 3 more years, but I think I have 5 good ones left in me.
  
• Our home in Dallas is nearly paid off, and our plan is to own it before I retire. We love the house, have it fixed up the way we want and want to keep it. We may stay here after we retire, but even if we don't, we are not ready to sell it at this time. It is currently valued around $350.
  
• I'm thinking of keeping the house in Dallas. Partner would live there and continue to work there.
  
• My partner has his own business that he can't take with him to LV.
  
• The new position is a terrific opportunity with Cirque du Soleil. My boss would be someone that I worked for before, and she hand picked me for the position. I'm one of 2 final candidates.
  

My thoughts:

• I would lease something in Las Vegas. Probably a 2 bedroom apartment. Not buy.
  
• Partner and pets would remain in Dallas. He is OK with this.
  
• I would be travelling internationally probably 8-12 weeks a year, which I have done before and would have no problem to continue.
  
• We have agreed to one of us coming to the other at least every three weeks. (Anyone have any experience with an "AirPass"? My boss said that it's possible to do this through a single airline and would allow either of us to use a specified number of trips.)
  

My questions:

• Since we are going to keep the Dallas house, our expenses shouldn't change in Dallas. What should I expect to add to my expenses for living in Las Vegas? Can I do it on an additional $15K/year? $20K?
  
• The new office is just south of the McCarren Airport. Any suggestions on where to look?
  
• What do you think about trying to rent the Vegas place for some of the time I'm away? My concern is that I'll definitely live off the strip, and that would be the most likely place that someone coming to Vegas would want to stay. Most of my travel will be in week long, or longer chunks.
  
• Income wise, this job should be comparable to the one I'm leaving. (Not happy in the current job, and couldn't last another 3 years doing what I'm doing.) At my current income, I feel confident I could come up with an additional $9K without a problem. Hopeful that I can negotiate an increase at the new job to cover the rest.
  
• Both of us are basically debt-free. Only the house payment and my car payment. No credit card debt and excellent credit. Both have money in the bank.
  
• Our medical/dental/audio/visual is taken care of at no cost to us through his retirement program. (Yes I said no cost. It's a bonus.) We both have pensions, 401K programs, and long term care insurance that will take care of us in retirement. No kids. No dependents.
  
• What haven't I considered? Am I crazy?
  

Appreciate any help that the forum might offer. The new position would start in early June.

 

Thanks guys!

[+ GregM]

I cant offer any advice but I can offer up a huge CONGRATS on what sounds like a position you'll love and a boss you enjoy working with as well. Im sure you'll get some well thought out advice here.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[Tommygunzz]

I cant offer any advice but I can offer up a huge CONGRATS on what sounds like a position you'll love and a boss you enjoy working with as well. Im sure you'll get some well thought out advice here.

 

Hugs,

Greg

Thank You Greg. Appreciate your comments.

[+ bashful]

Perhaps your potential new employer would be willing to sweeten the pot, and agree to put you up in a corporate owned condo (at their expense) to reduce the additional housing expenses. Congrats on still being a wanted man in your profession.

[Tommygunzz]

AirPass basically is a way to pay for tickets on American based on the mileage flown and does not go up or down in price based on whatever factors. You can negotiate some benefits such as elite status, Admirals Club access, etc depending on how much you deposit. I believe the minimum deposit is $10k and the higher level benefits such as Executive Platinum or even Concierge Key are only available at $40k+. Keep in mind as well this is only for a single traveler so you would have to do two separate AirPasses for yourself and your partner. AirPass is great for business travelers who travel all the time for work, book last minute tickets and have plans change last minute ( no cancellation or change fees ). If this is something your employer is sponsoring then see if they already have an agreement of some kind with American to allocate an account to you.

Hi Kurtis: Thanks for the info. I checked out American and found that the Air Pass works if you plan on spending $10K or more on air travel. Also, as you pointed out, it can't be shared between two people. Since this is fairly competitive route (DFW-LAS), I spot checked some fares and found they run about $350 RT. That's about $6K per year if one of us traveled every 3 weeks to the other. I'm sure that I can link in some of my business travel with a Dallas stop-over, for $6K might even be high. And we could certainly watch for deals and book a couple of trips at a time when the fare dips.

 

All good info though. Thanks so much!

[Tommygunzz]

Perhaps your potential new employer would be willing to sweeten the pot, and agree to put you up in a corporate owned condo (at their expense) to reduce the additional housing expenses. Congrats on still being a wanted man in your profession.

Thanks Bashful. My boss didn't indicate that would be an option, and I know that Cirque doesn't offer full relocation services. I'll be sure to ask as I progress through the interviews in the next couple of weeks. I will drive my car there, and will be able to transport all I need in one trip. If they do offer some type of offset for temporary housing, I was thinking I might be able to ask for a cash out of what they offer if I can find a place quickly. I'd use the $$ to cover the deposit and maybe offset furniture that I might need to pick up once I get there. Want to keep my options open before I agree to the offer.

 

Appreciate your input! It looks like a great new adventure, and I'm very excited about the opportunity at 63!

[Meo]

One reaction, two questions, then another reaction. My first reaction: you seem to have an excellent clear head with an eye for details on how you would manage, so get the firm offer, then ask more questions on contingencies. Questions for after you get an offer: 1) considering all the travel, is there any telecommuting possible on days when you are not traveling? A big chunk of this job is neither Vegas nor Dallas, so is there part of the job that could be done from Dallas via videoconference? This is becoming common for people on opposite ends of the same city, so in your circumstances it might make sense too. 2) Would you really need a 2 bedroom apartment for your time in Vegas, or could you get them to pay for extended stay corporate housing, the kind that costs as little as $200/week with free wifi, utilities, and housekeeping and that firms do even for relatively low-level $35K/year employees. Even if you paid half of a 6 months extended stay, that would give you 1/2 a year to see how it's working for a little over two thousand bucks and no other commitments. Other reaction: I've had great experiences with long distance relationships when we saw each other every 1-2 weeks. I would worry that it would be easy for 3 weeks to turn to a month to turn to 6 weeks, and then you are having a different experience altogether. If it's 3 weeks then be vigilant about that. Good luck, it sounds exciting!

[Tommygunzz]

One reaction, two questions, then another reaction. My first reaction: you seem to have an excellent clear head with an eye for details on how you would manage, so get the firm offer, then ask more questions on contingencies. Questions for after you get an offer: 1) considering all the travel, is there any telecommuting possible on days when you are not traveling? A big chunk of this job is neither Vegas nor Dallas, so is there part of the job that could be done from Dallas via videoconference? This is becoming common for people on opposite ends of the same city, so in your circumstances it might make sense too. 2) Would you really need a 2 bedroom apartment for your time in Vegas, or could you get them to pay for extended stay corporate housing, the kind that costs as little as $200/week with free wifi, utilities, and housekeeping and that firms do even for relatively low-level $35K/year employees. Even if you paid half of a 6 months extended stay, that would give you 1/2 a year to see how it's working for a little over two thousand bucks and no other commitments. Other reaction: I've had great experiences with long distance relationships when we saw each other every 1-2 weeks. I would worry that it would be easy for 3 weeks to turn to a month to turn to 6 weeks, and then you are having a different experience altogether. If it's 3 weeks then be vigilant about that. Good luck, it sounds exciting!

Hi Meo: Wow! Great points! I love all your input!

• I agree on getting a firm offer first, and I'm all about thinking ahead for contingencies that "might" come up, and how I might be able to leverage these.
  
• I don't get the feeling that telecommuting will be possible. It's a buying position for the gifts/souvenirs that are sold at every show worldwide. There is a staff in place in Las Vegas that handles that, mostly because there are currently 7 of the 22 shows in production that are based in Las Vegas.
  
• I thought I'd be more comfortable in a 2 bedroom just for the additional room. I hate being cramped and I don't want to live like a camper. But, I really like the idea of looking into an extended stay situation. That could easily shave down my expense, if only from the all-inclusive aspect of it. It's also a great idea to do that for a few months so I can more throughly scope out where I'd like to live.
  
• We talked about spacing out the visits. We both feel confident about the 3 week separation, but I feel like we'd need to keep that strictly enforced. There's always vacation time and stop overs on trips.
  

Thanks again, Meo. I really like your input!

[Mydavid]

Did you live separately from your partner for a long time before? IMO, it will be the biggest challenge for you.

[Tommygunzz]

Never on an extended basis, but I have traveled a lot for work for my whole career. Most of the trips were a week or less, but trips of 2-3 weeks at a time haven't been uncommon. When we discussed that point, we both felt like it would be doable, knowing that it would be for only about 5 years, and that Dallas and LV are only a couple hours apart.

[wklucas]

"""What should I expect to add to my expenses for living in Las Vegas? Can I do it on an additional $15K/year? $20K?"""

 

Lots of positives in your possible upcoming decision....however an estimate of even an additional $20K/yr in new expenses seems too low.....for something halfway decent (for a 2bdrm no less) in a decent (safe/secure) & comfortable/convenient location, rent & possible utilities alone might approach 20k by themselves.....additionally then, maintaining a 2nd household has lots of other basic, misc expenses that are incurred....your "happiness" with your employment is important.....go forward if you want....but do so with a realistic budget.

[sincitymix]

"""What should I expect to add to my expenses for living in Las Vegas? Can I do it on an additional $15K/year? $20K?"""

 

Lots of positives in your possible upcoming decision....however an estimate of even an additional $20K/yr in new expenses seems too low.....for something halfway decent (for a 2bdrm no less) in a decent (safe/secure) & comfortable/convenient location, rent & possible utilities alone might approach 20k by themselves.....additionally then, maintaining a 2nd household has lots of other basic, misc expenses that are incurred....your "happiness" with your employment is important.....go forward if you want....but do so with a realistic budget.

at least one positive is no state tax

[+ Charlie]

I would agree that it doesn't make sense to uproot both of you to move to a new place, especially if you both love what you have in Dallas and would plan to return there after only a few years. Although you have high hopes for the new job, if it didn't work out as well as expected, you would have wasted a lot of money and energy on the move. Temporary accommodations are not that hard to acquire, especially in a city the size of Las Vegas.

 

You have been together for a very long time, so I assume whatever problems there are in the relationship have been worked out as well as they are ever likely to be, and temporary separations for the best interests of both of you should be relatively easy to adjust to. My spouse and I have lived together for almost 50 years, but twice I had professional projects which required me to live in another country for a year. The first separation occurred after five years together, and we had only a couple of one week visits; it was somewhat stressful for the relationship, but when we chose to do it again after 23 years together, we had learned to handle the separation much better. We lived on different continents in the days when long-distance communication was much more difficult than it is now (i.e., there was no email, Skype, Facetime, dialed international calling, etc.), and we didn't have the time or the money for traveling to see one another often. It sounds like you two could manage the necessary communication pretty smoothly in your situation. As long as both of you are agreeable, I would recommend trying it.

[Tommygunzz]

at least one positive is no state tax

True! But no state income tax in Texas either!

[Tommygunzz]

I would agree that it doesn't make smense to uproot both of you to move to a new place, especially if you both love what you have in Dallas and would plan to return there after only a few years. Although you have high hopes for the new job, if it didn't work out as well as expected, you would have wasted a lot of money and energy on the move. Temporary accommodations are not that hard to acquire, especially in a city the size of Las Vegas.

 

You have been together for a very long time, so I assume whatever problems there are in the relationship have been worked out as well as they are ever likely to be, and temporary separations for the best interests of both of you should be relatively easy to adjust to. My spouse and I have lived together for almost 50 years, but twice I had professional projects which required me to live in another country for a year. The first separation occurred after five years together, and we had only a couple of one week visits; it was somewhat stressful for the relationship, but when we chose to do it again after 23 years together, we had learned to handle the separation much better. We lived on different continents in the days when long-distance communication was much more difficult than it is now (i.e., there was no email, Skype, Facetime, dialed international calling, etc.), and we didn't have the time or the money for traveling to see one another often. It sounds like you two could manage the necessary communication pretty smoothly in your situation. As long as both of you are agreeable, I would recommend trying it.

Thank you Charlie! Having seen families uproot and move someplace new only to find that the job didn't work out, or someone involved didn't like the new situation, I always said that I'd never move for a job again. But, when I thought about how little disruption there would be, the new situation looks doable. If it turns out to be awful, I can move back, try to find something else for a few years, or maybe even consider moving up the retirement.

 

Thanks for your thoughts!

[Tommygunzz]

"""What should I expect to add to my expenses for living in Las Vegas? Can I do it on an additional $15K/year? $20K?"""

 

Lots of positives in your possible upcoming decision....however an estimate of even an additional $20K/yr in new expenses seems too low.....for something halfway decent (for a 2bdrm no less) in a decent (safe/secure) & comfortable/convenient location, rent & possible utilities alone might approach 20k by themselves.....additionally then, maintaining a 2nd household has lots of other basic, misc expenses that are incurred....your "happiness" with your employment is important.....go forward if you want....but do so with a realistic budget.

Thanks wklucas! I really don't have a good idea of what housing would cost until I look into it further and see a few places out there. From what I've read, the real estate market in Las Vegas is similar to Dallas--almost even. And I know I could find a place to rent here in the Dallas area, maybe not a 2 BR, but able to keep it under $20K

[+ sam.fitzpatrick]

Hi Kurtis: Thanks for the info. I checked out American and found that the Air Pass works if you plan on spending $10K or more on air travel. Also, as you pointed out, it can't be shared between two people. Since this is fairly competitive route (DFW-LAS), I spot checked some fares and found they run about $350 RT. That's about $6K per year if one of us traveled every 3 weeks to the other. I'm sure that I can link in some of my business travel with a Dallas stop-over, for $6K might even be high. And we could certainly watch for deals and book a couple of trips at a time when the fare dips.

 

All good info though. Thanks so much!

 

With all of your corporate traveling, could that be wrapped into the airpass for the total to be greater than $10k?

[Tommygunzz]

With all of your corporate traveling, could that be wrapped into the airpass for the total to be greater than $10k?

That is a GREAT question to ask! I'll add it to the list!

 

Thanks Sam!

[+ WilliamM]

• I'm 63 and have been with my partner for 37 years. He is a year younger.
  

• I had planned to only work 3 more years, but I think I have 5 good ones left in me
  

 

You are only two years away from Medicare, and you could collect social security now.

 

Is there a compelled reason to work five more years, two more than you planned?

[down_to_business]

Las/DFW is serviced by Spirit, and $60 one way fares are the norm when I check... if travelling frequently, you can join their club and get even cheaper flights on average. By booking during sales, you can stretch that even further. The one thing to beat the game on Spirit is you have to travel lightly (one small bag that fits under your seat) or you have to add $30+ each way to check a bag and your savings get eaten up. If traveling with luggage, Southwest becomes the best option, normally. Intermittently, you will find a Virgin America or American flight that is competitive.

 

Example for one way, May 31st.

$42

one way

2 similar flights

Spirit

from 2h 49m

DFW-LAS

Nonstop

 

12AM

11:10 PM – 11:59 PM · $42

 

 

9:07 PM – 9:59 PM · $42

 

 

$99

one way

10:30 AM – 11:20 AM

Operated by Virgin America

Also marketed by Alaska

VX 731 operated by Virgin America

Virgin America · Virgin America

2h 50m

DAL-LAS

Nonstop

$99

one way

4 similar flights

American

from 2h 58m

DFW-LAS

[Tommygunzz]

You are only two years away from Medicare, and you could collect social security now.

 

Is there a compelled reason to work five more years, two more than you planned?

Good question, WilliamM. I'm in good shape and still enjoy what I do. I love the opportunity of this job to expose me to a different type of merchandise, plus the link to Cirque is fascinating. I love to travel, and this job will allow me to add to my list of visiting 30 foreign nations, every US state and half of the Canadian provinces. From the moment I heard about this position, I felt even more energized, and I think that's a good sign. My former boss, who knows my age, said "give them 5 years", and I think I want to. It's not a contracted position, so there is always an option to clear out early.

[Tommygunzz]

Las/DFW is serviced by Spirit, and $60 one way fares are the norm when I check... if travelling frequently, you can join their club and get even cheaper flights on average. By booking during sales, you can stretch that even further. The one thing to beat the game on Spirit is you have to travel lightly (one small bag that fits under your seat) or you have to add $30+ each way to check a bag and your savings get eaten up. If traveling with luggage, Southwest becomes the best option, normally. Intermittently, you will find a Virgin America or American flight that is competitive.

 

Example for one way, May 31st.

$42

one way

2 similar flights

Spirit

from 2h 49m

DFW-LAS

Nonstop

 

12AM

11:10 PM – 11:59 PM · $42

 

 

9:07 PM – 9:59 PM · $42

 

 

$99

one way

10:30 AM – 11:20 AM

Operated by Virgin America

Also marketed by Alaska

VX 731 operated by Virgin America

Virgin America · Virgin America

2h 50m

DAL-LAS

Nonstop

$99

one way

4 similar flights

American

from 2h 58m

DFW-LAS

[Tommygunzz]

There you go! Bonus!

Thanks down_to_business!

[corymonroe]

I've moved, traveled, and relocated for work on several occasions. Each time presented an upgrade and an exciting opportunity in my career. No regrets. I've never had a partner for 37 years, and I'm not yet 60.

 

Long distance relationships are not easy for some people to handle. If one guy is more needy than the other, it could spell disaster. One would think that with 37 years behind you, the big-picture fortunes outweigh any and all obstacles.

 

There is nothing more powerful than two men who love each other, putting their heads together and making a great opportunity work for them as a couple. It seems you have a great relationship. You are lucky to have that and each other. Enjoy your new adventure. It sounds fun and exciting, something everyone should experience at the age of 63.

[Tommygunzz]

I've moved, traveled, and relocated for work on several occasions. Each time presented an upgrade and an exciting opportunity in my career. No regrets. I've never had a partner for 37 years, and I'm not yet 60.

 

Long distance relationships are not easy for some people to handle. If one guy is more needy than the other, it could spell disaster. One would think that with 37 years behind you, the big-picture fortunes outweigh any and all obstacles.

 

There is nothing more powerful than two men who love each other, putting their heads together and making a great opportunity work for them as a couple. It seems you have a great relationship. You are lucky to have that and each other. Enjoy your new adventure. It sounds fun and exciting, something everyone should experience at the age of 63.

Thank you CoryMonroe! Those are some very kind and inspiring words. We have only done one relocation, and that happened about 20 years ago when we moved from Anchorage to Dallas. We are pretty much commited to make this work, and the only obstacle is for me to put the deal together in the next week, or so. Thank you again.